[Doc-SIG] SGML Python docs

[Laurence Tratt]

A while ago (around Easter time), it was said that the Python documentation
(manual reference, etc) would at some point be converted to SGML. The
current LaTeX is, frankly, rather useless compared to say the Perl POD
stuff if one wants to produce anything other than paper output or
LaTeX2HTML HTML (which results in a rather clumsy in the Python manual
context in my opinion, although that's not really the point), so this
seemed like a very good idea. I would welcome the change to SGML as it
would allow various people to generate the documentation in a more suitable
format for their needs (be it a non-HTML format, or just to customise it
for their own personal preferences).

Around the same time, I posted a version of the manuals in a new HTML
format using a quick PythonManualLaTeX -> x converter (where there were two
'x's: one was HTML, the other was StrongHelp which is a help system on my
platform. Imagine the winhelp thing, without the speed losses, bugs, and
with a touch more power (not a great deal) then you've got StrongHelp) I
put together. The "parser" (so to speak) was a fairly hideous hack, which
was rather reliant on the LaTeX format staying the same: needless to say,
it changed quite substantially about 2 weeks afterwards :) I had a quick
look at it the other day, and it's not going to work on the new LaTeX
without a rewrite of the base converter (not surprising, given the time I
had to do the thing). I suggested at the time that something along the
lines of what I had written could be used as an SGML converter, as I don't
know of there being any "general" software out there which would generate
suitable SGML (ie with all the information about modules/methods still
present).

So I was wondering if any progress has been made with converting the LaTeX
source to SGML, which would be the "manual source" of the future, so to
speak? Is it now tied in with the SGMLTools stuff posted on this sig a
couple of weeks back? Is it paused/stopped/waiting for extra help? Have I
been stupid, and it's on www.python.org already? :)

Basically, I would imagine I'm not the only person who's keen to see the
SGML documentation at some point, so if anyone could let me - and
presumably some other people on this sig who are also interested - know
what the expected time schedule is, I would be grateful.


Laurie