Help system improvements (II)

[Jan Holesovsky]

Hi Olivier,

Olivier Hallot píše v Po 29. 05. 2017 v 13:03 -0300:

> I have worked in a new implementation of the Help online. The strategy
> was to batch "flatten" all XHP into HTML files with an offline
> transformation using xsltproc.
> 
> (by "flatten", I mean resolve all embeds in XHP files)
> 
> see http://vm173.documentfoundation.org
> 
> This way all displayed files are now HTML with minimal javascript. No
> more on-line XSLT transformation and their associate issues (delays) and
> poor debug.
> 
> Advantages:
> 1) preserve all XHP files as-is, authoring tools, DTD.
> 2) preserve current translation workflow
> 3) all files turned to HTML static, with minimum Javascript
> 4) much faster load times, browser cache  used.
> 5) Honors parameters &System and &DbPAR
> 6) URL bookmarking in browser (Ctrl-D)
> 7) Page navigation back and forth with browser buttons
> 8) preserve current HC2 in LibreOffice (see 1).
> 9) resolved <switchinline><caseinline> for &System and &DbPAR (aka module).
> 10) maintained Fabio's bookmark search solution.
> 11) index-able by search engines (XHP files were unknown to robots).
> 12) pages can be directly accessed: e.g.
> http://localhost/text/scalc/01/04060106.html?DbPAR=CALC#bm_id3153114
> 13) can hold Google search snippet in TopRight area (To do)

This is great - I love it :-)  Indeed, please do push the patch.

> Disadvantages (Most are further work):
> 1) issue with offline use (file://path/to/pages/)

What exactly is the issue, please?

In principle, it would be I think great to use JS just for the search,
and nothing else, because then we are only minimally dependent on the
browser's support of JS?

> To do:
> 1) batch create html of localized pages, localized bookmarks
> 2) Resolve missing images paths (Icons are in core/icon-themes/)
> 3) Resolve protocol file:// for offline use (hit CORS guideline
> restriction for browsers)

What exactly is needed here, please?

> 4) provide better layout for bookmarks in the left pane
> 5) work on web CSS to make it beautiful

:-)

> 6) Clean up the XSLT filter, set a debug param.
> 7) more
> 
> Kendy: should I put it as patch to gerrit?

Yes, definitely - great stuff, Olivier!

All the best,
Kendy