[ZDP] >> I'm willing to maintain either ZSnippets or ZHow-To. Are there >anythere >any

[Tom Deprez]

>>2. From ZBook, we can always link to certain tutorials... this way 
>> ZBook is provided with tutorials.
>> 3. People only interested in tutorials, can easely find the tutorial > they
>> want, if they haven't to read lot's of text.
>
>The question is, what has to be in the text then. Shouldn't text contain
examples as well? Where is the (your) difference between  text and
tutorials? I know what for me is a tutorial (essentially a lengthy howto
;-)), but not all text with examples are tutorials. For me examples are
also means to show things (interrelateness) which are hard to grasp by
words alone.

Euhm, yup, I don't think of small examples as they be tutorials. Certainly
small examples (few lines) should accompany the text. These examples just
clarify the text. They aren't solutions to some problems. When read, the
reader can start programming, but he has to combine all the examples if he
really wants to make something.


What I think tutorials are, are texts which explain how to make something
from scratch. Also blocks in source-code is documented. This means the text
is pointed to a certain solution/goal. So, when read and when programmed a
tutorial gives a product which can be used right away, which can solve some
problems, etc.

>In Kamon's new ZCL there is room for both. He just divided them in two
parts. >What do you think about that part.

That's nice, but this isn't much different from what I proposed. ie. 

ZBook (content, tutorials)

or 

ZBook (content, links to ztutorials)
ZTutorial

In the last one, ZDP has an extra project (the tutorial project). People
can search in the tutorials without ZBook.
If people want to read ZBook, they still can go from ZBook to the Tutorials
part.. (as if tutorials are part of Zbook -which in this case- is! (at
least the linked tutorials))

In only split ZBook and ZTutorial a little bit more then you do... which I
think has more advantages.

>Moreover. where do the howto's fit in this picture and the reference
material?

I see the how-to's and reference material not directly inserted in ZBook.
They should live like FAQ in another folder of ZDP. When the need is there
and a ZBook needs to be expanded, the how-to's can be placed in extra
chapters of ZBook. Thus rewritten in some style ZBook is going to be. 

From ZBook, it should be possible to link to certain how-to's etc. to give
the reader some extra (if he/she wants to read more)