9 Dec
2008
9 Dec
'08
11:54 a.m.
Fred Cisin wrote:
on material that is ALL text?
source code?
Momma says don't feed the trolls, but I am evidently not mature enough
yet.
I can see it for source code, and most source code is supplied as source
files. However, for documentation, I still believe PDF has advantages,
if one wants to print the documentation out. Still, on the specific
topic (datasheets), text is just not appropriate.
searching
Most of the PDF readers have search. You can also install something on
your local OS that will crawl your directories and create a search
engine for you.
not having to run multiple megabytes through a dial-up
line to get a few
pages of text
I'm not sure how any format besides straight text will solve this, and
the text conversion will lose important information from these files.
As others have noted, requesting the documents from Atmel would be
better. I also find it hard to comprehend that the "reimplement
assemblers for breakfast, wire up their own logic analyzers, etc." crowd
here can't script their favorite OS to dial up in the middle of the
night and dload the PDF when no one is using the phone line.
print in a different font
Run any of the favorite PDF to HTML converters (free OSS one on
sourceforge) and then change the font as desired in the HTML.
being able to make changes without needing special
Adobe software
As above.
Sorry, I don't buy it. I'm continually amazed at what people on this
list know and know how to do (I'm a good programmer, and have made quite
a bit of income from my talents, but there is no way I'd embark on a
compiler implementation or an assembler development effort). Thus, I
can't accept that a mere format issue is of any concern to the members
of this list. I definitely expected comments like "Sigh, text is no
longer the format of choice, but no worries...", but these comments go
way beyond what I was expecting.
Text is no longer the document format of choice, it's PDF. Consider it
a "vintage" format and use some of those programming hours to author a
conversion app/utility. Asking for companies to supply documentation in
text is like asking computer companies to return to floppies.
I hear arguments like the ones on this topic at home.... from my young
son... He complains because the world does not revolve around him in
these instances, requiring him to do some work to fit into the world.
Surely that's not the issue here.
Jim