README.Documentation

by John Weiss [5/97] weissjp@colorado.edu


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Introduction

    The purpose of this file is, primarily, to provide a style sheet
    and helpful hints to those wishing to help with the documentation
    project.  If you're actually looking for documentation, there are
    6 files in LyX format which you can read from within LyX.  Check
    out the Help menu to load Intro.lyx.  It's a good place to start.

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Why a separate documentation project?  Can't the developers do it?

    In a word, no.  They're too busy adding features and squishing
    bugs.

    Also, g++ is far more forgiving of style changes than a human
    brain.  As long as the code is correct, g++ will happilly compile
    it, and compile it the same way from machine to machine.  Human
    brains are far less forgiving and far more individualized.  So,
    the documentation needs to all be in a uniform style, in addition
    to being grammatically correct and easily readable.  That's a
    pretty big undertaking - which is why I volunteered to
    administrate the docs in the first place!  Lars has enough to do
    maintaining the code, anyways!

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Helping Out

    If you'd like to contribute to the Documentation Project, please
    read the file Intro.lyx.  It now contains all of the information
    you'll need to get started.


John Weiss
5/97
