Re: [boost] ATTENTION: Library requirements..

Subject: Re: [boost] ATTENTION: Library requirements..
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-01-11 13:26:47

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Boost [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Robert Ramey
> Sent: 11 January 2016 17:04
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Subject: Re: [boost] ATTENTION: Library requirements..
> 
> On 1/11/16 8:36 AM, Paul A. Bristow wrote:
> > Navigation*should*  be as easy in PDF as HTML.  It is if generated
> > using Quickbook. All the links should be there (if a little less visible).
> 
> It would be possible to make an xslt transform which would create a "navigator" from the BoostBook
> XML.  To my mind, this would be very useful and very robust. In theory, it should be easy.  In
practice
> - not so much.  I would love to see someone do this.
> 
> Another thing would be for library authors to invest the effort to understand and use boost
> autoindex.  This would be the definitive solution to the "finding" problem.  It works with the
> BoostBook XML so it would work across all renderings - pdf, html, epub - whatever.
> Unfortunately, it is one more hill to climb.  On the other hand, it is very well documented and
> explained.

Sadly, despite implementing this for Boost.Math and others, I don't find that it is the definitive
solution.

It indexes all the class and functions etc automatically, and that's a good start, but relies on
author input to the index.idx file to add other search terms.  

And even then, if you don't have the same expectation as to the name of something as the author,
then you still won't find it.

Eating my own dogfood, as it were, to find things in Boost.Math, I don't find it as good as I had
hoped.

I find that I too often end up doing a global search of the PDF.

And the index can become massive and slow to scroll and scan.

But it's one more weapon...

Paul