Re: Debian WWW CVS commit by toff: webwml/english/devel index.wml

[Josip Rodin <joy@cibalia.gkvk.hr>]

On Wed, Dec 26, 2001 at 06:15:00PM -0700, Chris Tillman wrote:
> > > CVSROOT:	/cvs/webwml
> > > Module name:	webwml
> > > Changes by:	toff	01/12/25 11:49:44
> > > 
> > > Modified files:
> > > 	english/devel  : index.wml 
> > > 
> > > Log message:
> > > 	little wording changes
> > 
> > Please remember not to (let your editor) reformat stuff in the future :)
> > 
> > (hmm, maybe this is another thing missing on /devel/website/working)
> 
> That would be helpful. Because I was very careful to make it look the
> same, although I needed to reformat because otherwise the words would
> extend beyond the right margin. I maintained the left margin. What
> else is required?

The margins are less important than keeping the diff small.

For example:

        This manual describes the policy requirements for the Debian GNU/Linux
        distribution. This includes the structure and contents of the Debian
        archive, several design issues of the operating system, as well as
        technical requirements that each package must satisfy to be included in
        the distribution.

Say you want to remove the first sentence, and add a few words in the second
sentence. It would look like this:

        This includes the structure and contents of the Debian
        archive, several design issues of the Debian GNU/Linux operating system, as well as
        technical requirements that each package must satisfy to be included in
        the distribution.

Now, obviously the first two lines have already changed and they can be
reformatted a bit (even though some people would argue against that):

        This includes the structure and contents of the Debian archive, several
        design issues of the Debian GNU/Linux operating system, as well as
        technical requirements that each package must satisfy to be included
        in the distribution.

Notice how the third and fourth line weren't changed at all, even though
they could have been (if the wrapping was done at ~ 70 instead of ~ 80).

> /me wonders what difference it makes; it should look the same after
> processing anyway?

Processing with WML wouldn't change this, but processing with a HTML viewer
would, and then it would look the same, yes.

It makes a difference in the diff that the translators have to read (and
everybody else anyway). Detecting a change in one word among fourteen lines
of reformatting is barely possible, except if one uses wdiff, and nobody
does AFAIK :)

-- 
     2. That which causes joy or happiness.