ubuntu-manual team mailing list archive

[Kevin Godby <godbyk@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Nov 17, 2011 at 2:53 AM, lafeber-dumoleyn2
<lafeber-dumoleyn2@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I wonder if we should add the code \application{} every time we come upon
> the name of an application. I understand that by adding the code the page
> number will be added to the name in the index. But we do not want the index
> to be crammed with page numbers, do we?
> Is it up to the author/editor to decide whether the code should be added or
> not?

I think originally the \application macro had two effects: (1)
typesetting the application name in bold, and (2) adding the
application name to the index.

Currently, the \application macro only adds the application to the index.

If we know for sure that we'll never want to format the application
names in a special way (bold, italics, color, etc.) in the future,
then we could just not use them and they won't appear in the index.

Alternatively, I can modify the \application macro so that it does
*not* index the applications and force everyone to use the \index
macros to put things in the index themselves.

As far as indexing goes, I think it'd be useful to have someone
assigned solely to the index (and perhaps the glossary).  That
person's entire job would be to index the manual and make the index
actually useful.  Up 'til now, the index has existed primarily as a
'proof of concept' and isn't terribly useful.  (It's unlikely that
someone new to Ubuntu is going to know the name of the application
they want to find information on.)

--Kevin