jazzplusplus-devel

[jazzplusplus-devel] Tex2RTF for online documentation building

[Pete S. <pst...@gm...>]

In a separate thread (Subject: online help build system update) I 
mention the use of tex2rtf to generate HTML help.

"For the HTML help you will need the tex2rtf code that is provided with 
wxWidgets."

I have a bit of a history with tex2rtf, and I felt this history, and its 
relationship to Jazz++ development, was worth a separate topic.  In the 
old thread, Donald B. Moore wrote...

DM> In your previous posting about this, you signified
DM> that the 'tex2rtf' utility was distributed with the
DM> wxwidget tarball. My stock installation of wx is
DM> version 2.8.4, however 'tex2rtf' wasn't in $PATH.
DM> I'd only just updated wx a week or so ago, so I
DM> still had the source/build tree handy. Checking
DM> that was when I discovered 'tex'2rtf' hadn't been
DM> built (in my 2.8.4 wx tree) - nor had it been
DM> built in the non-stock wx-2.8.7 build used for
DM> jazz++ ; apparently the cause is common.
DM>
DM> I chose to sort this on my *stock* wx installation
DM> (to make tex2rtf available systemwide, not just for
DM> jazz++). The full path to tex2rtf in the wx source
DM> tree is -- wxGTK-2.8.4/utils/tex2rtf/
DM>
DM> Changing to that directory, issuing make && make
DM> install was how I ended up with a working tex2rtf.
DM> Strangely, it had all been previously configured,
DM> all the Makefiles were present, but for whatever
DM> reason the build process skips right over the utils
DM> section and why is something I would need look closer
DM> at ....if you want me to that is. Let me know...

You correctly surmised that a tex2rtf binary is not included with a 
wxWidgets distribution.  It is considered a utility that is not required 
to use wxWidgets.  It was used to generate the documentation for 
wxWidgets itself, but I believe that will not be the case for future 
versions (2.9.* and 3.*) of wxWidgets.

It was lucky for you that you attempted to build tex2rtf from a stock 
build.  Given the options we use to build wxWidgets for use with Jazz++, 
you would have run into trouble with the non-stock build of tex2rtf.  We 
use the stl in our wxWidgets build, and tex2rtf is not compatible with 
the stl build of wxWidgets.

I have created a patched tex2rtf, that does build with our wxWidgets 
options.  I submitted it to the wxWidgets sourceforge patch manager 
(number 1755801) quite a while ago, but the patch caused a problem with 
the stock build.

I guess I have the following options...

1. Since wxWidgets is switching to a different documentation build 
system, I could try submitting the patch again, but the process will 
take up a lot of my Jazz++ development time.
2. I could create a fork of tex2rtf in our development tree so I could 
change it in any way I like.  This is my favorite option at this point.
3. I could make binaries available for download.  I don't like this idea 
because there might be some platforms I have difficulty generating and 
testing a binary on.

I do like tex2rtf's capabilities, and I do want to use it for online 
HTML help.  What do you all think?

Pete

Re: [jazzplusplus-devel] Tex2RTF for online documentation building

[D.B. M. <db...@ho...>]

----------------------------------------
> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 21:38:40 -0700



> You correctly surmised that a tex2rtf binary is not included with a 
> wxWidgets distribution.  It is considered a utility that is not required 
> to use wxWidgets.  It was used to generate the documentation for 
> wxWidgets itself, but I believe that will not be the case for future 
> versions (2.9.* and 3.*) of wxWidgets.
> 
> It was lucky for you that you attempted to build tex2rtf from a stock 
> build.  Given the options we use to build wxWidgets for use with Jazz++, 
> you would have run into trouble with the non-stock build of tex2rtf.  We 
> use the stl in our wxWidgets build, and tex2rtf is not compatible with 
> the stl build of wxWidgets.
> 
> I have created a patched tex2rtf, that does build with our wxWidgets 
> options.  I submitted it to the wxWidgets sourceforge patch manager 
> (number 1755801) quite a while ago, but the patch caused a problem with 
> the stock build.
> 
> I guess I have the following options...
> 
> 1. Since wxWidgets is switching to a different documentation build 
> system, I could try submitting the patch again, but the process will 
> take up a lot of my Jazz++ development time.
> 2. I could create a fork of tex2rtf in our development tree so I could 
> change it in any way I like.  This is my favorite option at this point.
> 3. I could make binaries available for download.  I don't like this idea 
> because there might be some platforms I have difficulty generating and 
> testing a binary on.

Yeah...don't do option 3, it's perilous considering how many platforms
are out there. When we get around to doing binary packages, the 
documentation will have already been built and included there - this
infers the source tree compiles the documentation. If there's a future
wherein jazz++ is supposed to compile from source tarball release
on a package-managed system against a *stock* wxwidgets tree,
the only way that's going to happen is if tex2rtf is available, and
by the sounds of it this might not be the case. 

Do we know of anything else dependent on tex2rtf in the real world?

I like option 2.  - it neatly gets around all this conjecture by being
part of the jazz++ tree, and offers the most flexibility overall (without
need to rework things already done). 
> 
> I do like tex2rtf's capabilities, and I do want to use it for online 
> HTML help.  What do you all think?
> 

It generates correct HTML, it's quick, and you've a history with it.
In my country, we have a saying - "When you're on a good thing -
stick to it!" -- I believe that idiom applies here.  (-;
 
Regards,

Donald B


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Re: [jazzplusplus-devel] Tex2RTF for online documentation building

[Pete S. <pst...@gm...>]

PS = Pete Stieber
PS>> You correctly surmised that a tex2rtf binary is
PS>> not included with a wxWidgets distribution.  It
PS>> is considered a utility that is not required to
PS>> to use wxWidgets.  It was used to generate the
PS>> documentation for wxWidgets itself, but I believe
PS>> that will not be the case for future versions
PS>> (2.9.* and 3.*) of wxWidgets.
PS>>
PS>> It was lucky for you that you attempted to build
PS>> tex2rtf from a stock build.  Given the options we
PS>> use to build wxWidgets for use with Jazz++, you
PS>> would have run into trouble with the non-stock
PS>> build of tex2rtf.  We use the stl in our wxWidgets
PS>> build, and tex2rtf is not compatible with the stl
PS>> build of wxWidgets.
PS>>
PS>> I have created a patched tex2rtf, that does build
PS>> with our wxWidgets options.  I submitted it to the
PS>> wxWidgets sourceforge patch manager (number 1755801)
PS>> quite a while ago, but the patch caused a problem
PS>> with the stock build.
PS>>
PS>> I guess I have the following options...
PS>>
PS>> 1. Since wxWidgets is switching to a different
PS>> documentation build system, I could try submitting
PS>> the patch again, but the process will take up a lot
PS>> of my Jazz++ development time.
PS>> 2. I could create a fork of tex2rtf in our development
PS>> tree so I could change it in any way I like.  This is
PS>> my favorite option at this point.
PS>> 3. I could make binaries available for download.  I
PS>> don't like this idea because there might be some
PS>> platforms I have difficulty generating and testing a
PS>> binary on.

DM> Yeah...don't do option 3, it's perilous considering
DM> how many platforms are out there. When we get around
DM> to doing binary packages, the documentation will have
DM> already been built and included there - this infers
DM> the source tree compiles the documentation. If there's
DM> a future wherein jazz++ is supposed to compile from
DM> source tarball release on a package-managed system
DM> against a *stock* wxwidgets tree, the only way that's
DM> going to happen is if tex2rtf is available, and
DM> by the sounds of it this might not be the case.
DM>
DM> Do we know of anything else dependent on tex2rtf in
DM> the real world?

I use it at my place of work.  BTW, the wxWidgets documentation is for 
the wxWidgets library.  They switched to doyxgen, which makes sense for 
a code library.  User documentation for an application like Jazz++ is a 
different story.

DM> I like option 2.  - it neatly gets around all this
DM> conjecture by being part of the jazz++ tree, and
DM> offers the most flexibility overall (without need
DM> to rework things already done).

I found the following pose on the wxWidgets list from 3/22/2008...

<wxWidgets Developers List>
 >   4) tex2rtf => I don't know if someone is using this outside
 > wxWidgets... but I think that if this is the case, the version
 > in the 2.8 branch could be enough (I don't see future
 > developments for this tool likely to happen)

Yes, I had already asked about it and Julian agreed with this.
</wxWidgets Developers List>

So I just made a post on the list asking if anyone would mid a fork of 
the project.

PS>> I do like tex2rtf's capabilities, and I do want to
PS>> use it for online HTML help.  What do you all think?

DM> It generates correct HTML, it's quick, and you've a
DM> history with it.  In my country, we have a saying -
DM> "When you're on a good thing - stick to it!" -- I
DM> believe that idiom applies here.  (-;

You'll probably see a fork of tex2rtf showing up in the Jazz++ source 
tree by the end of the week.  Maybe I can get you to create a web page 
describing it's history including this discussion and describing the 
build and install procedure ;-)

Pete

Re: [jazzplusplus-devel] Tex2RTF for online documentation building

[D.B. M. <db...@ho...>]

----------------------------------------
> Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 22:43:31 -0700

 

> 
> You'll probably see a fork of tex2rtf showing up in the Jazz++ source 
> tree by the end of the week.  Maybe I can get you to create a web page 
> describing it's history including this discussion and describing the 
> build and install procedure ;-)
> 
> Pete
> 

Not a problem - once tex2rtf is incorporated into the tree, I'll set
about generating this content.

Regards,

Donald B




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Re: [jazzplusplus-devel] Tex2RTF for online documentation building

[Pete S. <pst...@gm...>]

PS = Pete Stieber
PS>> You'll probably see a fork of tex2rtf showing up
PS>> in the Jazz++ source tree by the end of the week.
PS>> Maybe I can get you to create a web page
PS>> describing it's history including this discussion
PS>> and describing the build and install procedure ;-)

DM = Donald B. Moore
DM> Not a problem - once tex2rtf is incorporated into
DM> the tree, I'll set about generating this content.

Well, I just go a positive reply from my wxWidgets developer list post...

<wxWidgets dev list>
PS = Pete Stieber
PS>> Quite a while ago I submitted a patch for tex2rtf
PS>> to get it building with stl options turned on in
PS>> wxWidgets (patch number 1755801).  IIRC the patch
PS>> caused problems with the stock wxWidgets build.
PS>>
PS>> Now that you all are no longer using tex2rtf would
PS>> you mind if I forked it?  I want to use it for the
PS>> help system of an open source project I'm working
PS>> on (Jazz++ at http://jazzplusplus.sourceforge.net/)
PS>> and I use it at my place of employment.

JS = Julian Smart
JS> No problem as far as I'm concerned - I'd be happy
JS> to see it have a life elsewhere.

Thanks for the quick reply Julian.  I may attempt to stick a version of
it under the Jazz++ source tree by the end of the week.  It probably
should be turned into it's own project, but I just don't have the time
at this point.

Pete
</wxWidgets dev list>

So I'm confirming my patched version builds with the Jazz++ build of 
wxWidgets and will put the code under jazzplusplus/tex2rtf in the Jazz++ 
subversion repository.

Pete