Re: [PLUG] Linux tools for technical writing?

[Art Alexion <art.alexion@verizon.net>]

Bill Patterson wrote:

> I wish I had better news.  My tech editing and tech writing for Wiley 
> requires M$Word format, and we get deeply into Word capabilities 
> involving multiple contributors to a single piece being separately 
> colored, etc.
> If someone knows of a word processor for Linux that supports all forms 
> of proofreading notation and collaborative authorship I'd like to try it.

I've been using OpenOffice 1.9.  The interface makes a lot more sense 
than 1.1.  It is a beta of 2.0.  In my use over the last several months, 
I have found it to be as stable as the "stable" releases, but be forewarned.

I have a lot of winword docs that make deep use of its more esoteric 
features that most people should, but do not, use (fields, styles, 
frames, etc.).  Sadly, compatibility with highly formatted documents is 
too often poor.

[On a related note, why do developers of office-type software insure 
that they always warn you that "some formatting will be lost when saving 
to other [non-native] formats -- even when the document has none of the 
unconvertible formatting [a boy-who-cried-wolf problem] -- but never 
tells you which elements are not saved.  The only software that I ever 
used that got this right was the old Borland QuattoPro that told you 
exactly what was not supported if saved to Excel or 1-2-3.  Pity, this 
product petered.]

However, notes/comments and protected changes for collaboration seem to 
be quite compatible.  I have never lost data nor have any winword users 
complained that they could not access my notes or review my changes.  
Unless you use a lot of frames, styles and fields, I suggest trying this 
beta.

--

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