This software enables users to create documents in the form of simple text files.
PlainDoc, also known as pd2tex document production system, is a software that enables users to produce documents in the form of normal text files. With this tool, plain text files can be converted into various formats such as TeX, which can then be converted into PDF with the help of the pdflatex tool, DocBook (dbx), which can be used in different tool chains to produce PDF and HTML, flat HTML (an entire document in a single HTML file), and multipage HTML (each section in its own HTML file).
The PlainDoc system was developed by Sampo Kellomaki around 2002 to solve document editing problems associated with writing IT specifications documents, software product manuals and documentation, scientific and research papers, legal documents, and presentation slides. The objective was to create an intuitive system that would enable document editing from the plain text representation without requiring a separate conversion tool. The software was designed with the aim of making it easy for neophytes to be productive and achieve their desired results with minimal training required.
The goals of the PlainDoc system include making it challenging to fatally corrupt a document, enabling easy fixing of corrupted documents by just editing the file, enabling the comparison of document versions, supporting the use of CVS (version control system), and allowing the use of plain text productivity environments like emacs(1). With PlainDoc, users can produce most types of documents and end the need to use any other system. The software produces typeset quality output in paper and web formats.
PlainDoc has been available for over two years (as of October 2004) and has been successfully used to produce various IT-related documents such as major IT specifications conforming to formatting rules (70 page range), research papers and theses conforming to formatting rules (200 page range), product manuals (500 page range), legal documents, and contracts conforming to formatting rules.
Although PlainDoc acknowledges its LaTeX legacy and does not aim for WYSIWYG, it is not wholly against visual formatting. Users can access various document formatter capabilities available with PlainDoc, such as direct entry of TeX code, DocBook code, and HTML code. This allows users to get the job done without the system philosophy standing too much in the way, while also leveraging the automatic formatting of standard constructs.
The PlainDoc system was developed by Sampo Kellomaki around 2002 to solve document editing problems associated with writing IT specifications documents, software product manuals and documentation, scientific and research papers, legal documents, and presentation slides. The objective was to create an intuitive system that would enable document editing from the plain text representation without requiring a separate conversion tool. The software was designed with the aim of making it easy for neophytes to be productive and achieve their desired results with minimal training required.
The goals of the PlainDoc system include making it challenging to fatally corrupt a document, enabling easy fixing of corrupted documents by just editing the file, enabling the comparison of document versions, supporting the use of CVS (version control system), and allowing the use of plain text productivity environments like emacs(1). With PlainDoc, users can produce most types of documents and end the need to use any other system. The software produces typeset quality output in paper and web formats.
PlainDoc has been available for over two years (as of October 2004) and has been successfully used to produce various IT-related documents such as major IT specifications conforming to formatting rules (70 page range), research papers and theses conforming to formatting rules (200 page range), product manuals (500 page range), legal documents, and contracts conforming to formatting rules.
Although PlainDoc acknowledges its LaTeX legacy and does not aim for WYSIWYG, it is not wholly against visual formatting. Users can access various document formatter capabilities available with PlainDoc, such as direct entry of TeX code, DocBook code, and HTML code. This allows users to get the job done without the system philosophy standing too much in the way, while also leveraging the automatic formatting of standard constructs.
What's New
Version 1.52: N/A