Trying to move this book along... Andrew Pitonyak added a page to the wiki, http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Talk:Documentation/OOoAuthors_User_Manual/Base_Guide/Planning
I think it's a good start to an outline for our book. Not the bit at the top (which is from Andrew's AndrewBase.odt document), which as he says is too macro-oriented for our purposes, but if you scroll down the page you'll find his comments, a contents list, and some discussion.
I've probably said this before, but one problem with a book such as this is: how much to teach about relational databases themselves, versus just explaining how to use the tools provided in OOo Base. Obviously our main requirement is to cover OOo's tools, but I do like the idea of including some instruction on database design as well. Dan Lewis's "Getting Started with Base" chapter is great in that respect.
A model I like is the GnuCash Tutorial and Concepts Guide, http://svn.gnucash.org/docs/guide/ Most of the chapters are divided into three parts: basic concepts, instructions for using the program, and examples of use. It's a good way to combine background and tutorial information with reference info in one book, without jumbling it all up together. I think something like this might work really well for a book on OOo Base. What do others think?
I'll try to find time to work on another iteration of the outline, but if anyone reading this wants to have a go before I get to it -- please do!
On a related topic: do we want to develop this book using the wiki as the source document, or as .odt files as we've done with the other books? There are pros and cons to each approach, given that we do want to have the book in several forms when it's done: .odt, .pdf, and wiki. What do you think? Personally I prefer .odt, at least once we get past the outline stage and into the real writing.
--Jean
