[REBOL] Make_user_manual.r ?
From: sunandadh:aol at: 22-Jan-2002 5:24
I've just shipped a prototype of an application.
The prototype is in Rebol, and consists of about 45K of code. Tiny by any
standards.
But it shipped with a 3 meg PDF consisting of 6000 words of text and a load
of screen shots.
Once I congratulated my self for getting out the door--and on deadline day
too--I started thinking there has got to be a better way.
Suppose I redid those 6000 words of text in (say) make-doc format. And
embedded in them was a "click-stream" to run the application, add data,
scroll, etc; and then capture the screen image and insert it in the printed
document.
If I had been able to do that, the whole shebang would have been under 100k.
I've got no idea how to go about doing something like this, but I would
suggest it would need something like:
-- Some way to "play" a script from a "make-doc" script. I've got no idea how
this could be done.
-- Some re-engineering of the target application to make it "make-doc"
friendly (perhaps giving a name to every Layout and VID element that is to be
clicked
so we can dispense with simulating mouse moves).
-- Some re-engineering of the target application (or the shipping of a
special "documentation" copy) because I don't want to be running keystrokes
into someone's live data.
-- The ability to capture screen shots in Rebol of VID windows. (This bit's
not so hard)
If this was possible, the same code base could also:
-- run demos
-- automate data entry
-- allow the end user to record "macros" for any Rebol application.
So if anyone has any idea of how to play a script from another, feeding it
keystrokes or equivalent, and capturing all or part of its VID windows, I for
one would be grateful for some help....
....I have another iteration of the prototype in a few weeks and I'd much
rather be impressing the world with a 100K download that apologising for what
will be closer to a 6meg monster.
Thanks!
Sunanda.
