Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
* Sonia Hamilton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [2008-05-29 10:27:39 +1000]: > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? Thanks everyone for your suggestions - a lot to experiment with :-) Sonia. signature.asc Description: Digital signature -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
On Thu, 29 May 2008 10:26:42 +0800 jam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Thursday 29 May 2008 09:49:23 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? > > > > > > To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text > > > based (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, > > > and editable in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open > > > Office Word Processor > > > - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in > > > pdf, so it's easily printable cross-platform. > > > > > > I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and > > > Docbook, but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and > > > will take too much time to learn. > > > > If it is really simple stuff then go back in time to groff > > > > This is the way man pages are written. It is installed on most > > systems I would guess. > > What he ment to say your honour sir, > > You can learn simple groff in 5 minutes > > You can do the utmost amazing stuff with groff, it's ideal for > backing up, for comments, for version control, and it's trivially > easy to use W Stevens did all the stuff for 'Unix Network > Programming' upto camera ready pre-press with groff And, using it with the MOM macros makes it closer to a "modern" markup language: http://linuxgazette.net/107/schaffter.html http://gretchen.homelinux.org/mom/mom.html > > James > -- > SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ > Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html > > -- Alan L Tyreehttp://www2.austlii.edu.au/~alan Tel: 04 2748 6206 Fax: +61 2 4782 7092 FWD: 615662 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
On Thursday 29 May 2008 09:49:23 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? > > > > To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based > > (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable > > in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor > > - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so > > it's easily printable cross-platform. > > > > I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, > > but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too much > > time to learn. > > If it is really simple stuff then go back in time to groff > > This is the way man pages are written. It is installed on most systems > I would guess. What he ment to say your honour sir, You can learn simple groff in 5 minutes You can do the utmost amazing stuff with groff, it's ideal for backing up, for comments, for version control, and it's trivially easy to use W Stevens did all the stuff for 'Unix Network Programming' upto camera ready pre-press with groff James -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
Michael Lake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Sonia Hamilton wrote: > >> Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? I use a combination of tools; Markdown via PanDoc and ConTeXt being key among them, for different purposes. >> To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based (so >> it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable in vim), >> for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor - bullet >> points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so it's easily >> printable cross-platform. I have similar requirements in a business context, as well as producing "Word" compatible (read trivially editable) content. >> I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, >> but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too >> much time to learn. Any language is going to take time to learn, although you picked three that are either inappropriate (Postscript) or extremely complex outside their limited area. > Look at the following Wiki text markup. > > Markdown: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown > RestructuredText: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html > Textile: http://www.textism.com/tools/textile/ > > Pick one that you like the syntax of AND that has the features that you want. > Here is what I have found on their features: > >MarkdownRestructuredTextTextile > tables?no, use HTML tags yes yes > can include divs? yes noyes > class/attributes? manual noyes If you are processing Markdown (or, in fact, most of the other formats mentioned here) I strongly suggest you look at the 'pandoc' package. It is a nice, effective document translator. It can read a range of formats including "enhanced Markdown", which I use, and then output a wide range of formats including HTML, RTF, and PDF via LaTeX or ConTeXt. It also turns the "tables?" question for Markdown into a "yes" option. Regards, Daniel -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
On Thu, 29 May 2008 10:27:39 +1000 Sonia Hamilton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? > > To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based > (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and > editable in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office > Word Processor > - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so > it's easily printable cross-platform. > > I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, > but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too > much time to learn. Hi Sonia, I do a lot of writing in plain text with very simple markup. I tend to use Muse, but that is emacs based. Others are: - AFT (Almost Free Text) - Muse (for use with Emacs only) - reStructuredText - txt2tags - YODL: a more complex markup language that lets you define your own "macros" and terms - "Wiki" languages: there are a number of these available. None of these provide really good support if you need general indexing, and the support for cross referencing varies. I personally do not like reStructuredText because of the strange (to me) markup of sections and titles. I don't like the idea of writing in any markup language that is more complex than LaTeX. LaTeX is simple and unobtrusive for simple writing, and emacs will hide markers when the writing is more complex - don't know about vim. AFT and txt2tags are both simple and produce a variety of outputs. Each will produce LaTeX output and HTML. AFT will also output RTF if that is relevant to your needs. HTH, Alan > > Thanks, > > -- > Sonia Hamilton. > -- > SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ > Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html > -- Alan L Tyreehttp://www2.austlii.edu.au/~alan Tel: 04 2748 6206 Fax: +61 2 4782 7092 FWD: 615662 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
Sonia Hamilton wrote: Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so it's easily printable cross-platform. I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too much time to learn. Look at the following Wiki text markup. Markdown: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown RestructuredText: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html Textile: http://www.textism.com/tools/textile/ Pick one that you like the syntax of AND that has the features that you want. Here is what I have found on their features: MarkdownRestructuredText Textile tables?no, use HTML tags yes yes can include divs? yes noyes class/attributes? manual noyes There are bindings for these to many languages such as Python, Perl etc. Mike -- Michael Lake Computational Research Centre of Expertise Science Faculty, UTS Ph: 9514 2238 -- UTS CRICOS Provider Code: 00099F DISCLAIMER: This email message and any accompanying attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender expressly, and with authority, states them to be the views of the University of Technology Sydney. Before opening any attachments, please check them for viruses and defects. Think. Green. Do. Please consider the environment before printing this email. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
On Thu, 2008-05-29 at 10:27 +1000, Sonia Hamilton wrote: > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? > > To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based > (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable > in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor > - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so > it's easily printable cross-platform. > > I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, > but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too much > time to learn. If it is really simple stuff then go back in time to groff This is the way man pages are written. It is installed on most systems I would guess. Ken -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
Quoting Sonia Hamilton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so it's easily printable cross-platform. I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too much time to learn. Maybe have a look at xml and xslt... Do your content in xml, then process it with xslt... You would be surprised how many companies out there do their content in xml and then format it using one or more of a handful of different tools. The companies grow and grow and grow and I've seen them sold off for lots of money. The time you 'invest' in learning then becomes a knowledge asset. You can 'learn-slowly' with this stuff.. one good site is xmlpitstop.com -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
On Thu, 29 May 2008 10:27:39 +1000 Sonia Hamilton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? > > To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based > (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable > in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor > - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so > it's easily printable cross-platform. > > I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, > but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too much > time to learn. > Lyx may be useful to you. http://www.lyx.org/ "LyX is a document processor that encourages an approach to writing based on the structure of your documents (WYSIWYM), and not simply their appearance (WYSIWYG)." -- Regards Mick Pollard ( lunix ) BOFH Excuse of the day: Dynamic Software Corruption pgpN28hbEy03j.pgp Description: PGP signature -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] simple text formatting language
Sonia Hamilton wrote: > Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? > > To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based > (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable > in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor > - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so > it's easily printable cross-platform. Have a look at REST (ReStructured Tex). In particular, the following package: apt-get install python-docutils Has commands rst2latex and rst2html. Erik -- - Erik de Castro Lopo - Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with your Microsoft product. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
[SLUG] simple text formatting language
Can anyone recommend a simple text formatting language/package? To explain a bit more: I want a formatting language that's text based (so it's easier to keep track of diffs in source control, and editable in vim), for doing stuff you'd usually do in Open Office Word Processor - bullet points, bold/italic, tables, etc. I'd like output in pdf, so it's easily printable cross-platform. I've briefly thought about things like LaTeX, postscript and Docbook, but they all seem overkill for what I want to do, and will take too much time to learn. Thanks, -- Sonia Hamilton. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
