Re: [Savannah-hackers] submission of texi2latex -- convert Texinfo to LaTeX - savannah.nongnu.org

[Sylvain Beucler]

On Wed, Dec 15, 2004 at 12:29:25AM +0100, Torsten Bronger wrote:
> Sylvain Beucler <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > [...]
> >
> >> Torsten Bronger <address@hidden> described the package as
> >> follows:
> >> License: gpl
> >> Other License: 
> >> Package: texi2latex -- convert Texinfo to LaTeX
> >> System name: texi2latex
> >> Type: non-GNU
> >> 
> >> Description:
> >> A program that transforms Texinfo documentation to the LaTeX format.  For
> >> this, the native XML output of makeinfo is taken and transformed to LaTeX
> >> using XSLT.  There are three possible ways: 1. direct transformation, 2.
> >> transformation to tbook (http://tbookdtd.sf.net) which can be transformed
> >> to good LaTeX, and 3. not using XSLT at all but C, C++, or Flex.  I want
> >> to implement the direct approach first, and the others only if the direct
> >> approach is unsuitable for certain situations.    Some things, eg a
> >> program that converts Unicodes to LaTeX commands, would be taken from the
> >> tbook project.  It may be necessary to add further small programs in
> >> compilable languages, e.g. for parsing the Texinfo formula syntax to LaTeX
> >> or MathML (not necessary for the direct approach).  All will be kept
> >> together by main program written in a compilable or scripting language for
> >> doing the complete conversion, including bitmap format transformation.
> >
> > Do you already have some source code?
> 
> All I have are 500 lines of XSLT source of february that convert
> Texinfo's XML to tbook:
> <http://www-users.rwth-aachen.de/torsten.bronger/texitotb.xsl>.  As
> an example, the Texinfo of PP3 at http://pp3.sourceforge.net/manual/
> is converted to
> <http://www-users.rwth-aachen.de/torsten.bronger/pp3-tb.pdf>.
> 
> As you can see, most works already (even keyword index and simple
> graphics inclusion).  But if you look closer, you see that's all but
> perfect.  One reason is that tbook is not a suitable intermediate
> format.  Therefore I want to make a direct approach, totally
> independent of tbook.

Ok.

> > We wish to review your source code, even if it is not functional, to
> > catch potential legal issues early.
> >
> > For example, to release your program properly under the GPL you must
> > include a copyright notice and permission-to-copy statements at
> > the beginning of every file of source code.  This is explained in
> > http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html.  Our review would help catch
> > potential omissions such as these.
> 
> Oh well, it was a mere quick study.  It has never been published,
> you are the first person who sees it, so it has no licence.  I will
> start perfectly new files anyway.  I'll do it like I did it for
> tbook, see
> http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/tbookdtd/tbook/tbookxsl.dtx?rev=2.96&view=markup
> but substitute the GPL for the Artistic Licence 2 that I used there.

We want that source code uploaded at Savannah already carries
appropriate notices, and we also want our users to know how to do
so. So, I suggest you add a copyright and GNU GPL notice to the XSLT
document.

For example, the copyright notice you used in the tbook project is not
perfectly conform. Please check
http://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain/html_node/Copyright-Notices.html
for details.


> > [...]
> >
> >> Other Software Required:
> >> An XSLT implementation.  I use Saxon for my own purposes, but I
> >> will write XSLT code that is independent from a certain XSLT
> >> processor.
> >
> > It would be good to know what XSLT processor you plan to use. For
> > example, Saxon has problems: it is released under a GNU
> > GPL-incompatible license, and it is written in Java, which means
> > you have to make sure it works under a free Java suite if you plan
> > to use it as a dependency.
> 
> Yes indeed.  I plan to let the user choose.  For example, there may
> be a variable in the main shell script.  My XSLT files won't use any
> XSLT extensions, so you can use Saxon, xt, Xalan etc.  *I* will use
> Saxon privately.

Ok. I though you planned to make direct use of an XSLT processor (I
mean, writing a program that uses the processor's API). As far as I
understand, you will use it as an external (different process) tool to
process your XSLT document, right?


> > [...]
> >
> > We are careful about ethical issues and insist on producing
> > software that is not dependent on proprietary software.
> 
> I see no such dependencies.

Ack, I admit I used a canned-text that insist on our support of free
software. This sentence was a bit ackward here, sorry.


I wait for your updated source.

Regards,

-- 
Sylvain