+ - writing a tech-book: tools & surprises? 1
Submitted
by
Fubari
Fubari writes "For all you book authors on Slashdot: what writing tools have you found helpful? I want to start my book-idea off right (so I'm pretty sure I don't want to write it in MS-Word). I would love to hear about what has (or has not!) worked well for you.
What I have thought of so far are things like chapter/section management, easy references to figures (charts, diagrams, source code), version control (check in/check out parts like chapters, figures, etc.) and index generation.
I would also welcome advice about what I don't know enough to ask about. Are there any surprises that you wish you had known back when you first started?"
What I have thought of so far are things like chapter/section management, easy references to figures (charts, diagrams, source code), version control (check in/check out parts like chapters, figures, etc.) and index generation.
I would also welcome advice about what I don't know enough to ask about. Are there any surprises that you wish you had known back when you first started?"
LyX, baby! (Score:2)
Consider LyX [lyx.org]. It's a "word processor" type program that sits on top of LaTeX. The learning curve is steeper than Open Office but if you can get along with its approach, it's worth investing the time, IMO. Version 1.6 has just been released [linux.com].
I like to use it alongside some other open source software such as Freemind for mind maps and Jabref for managing references. For graphics, it works well with the usual subjects such as Inkscape for vector drawing and GIMP for bitmaps. Personally, I prefer the graph and