@Adam: HTMLDOC is the basis for the toolserver PDF generator, I think. Thanks for the recommendation on Scribus as well; I'll be looking into that.
@Everyone: I do recognize that this has (big) limitations; that's why I think it's place (for now) is a)allow easy "stable versions" (Andrew got it right; also, keep in mind that these are just as easy to update) until we get some consistent system we like in the software but b)not replace hand-done work for creating a publishable PDF book. These *are* rough drafts, and aren't meant to be sent to the printer. Instead this tool is a middle ground between having only a (potentially) unstable version on-wiki and taking lots of time and effort to make a publishable PDF book. Reducing the effort threshold for PDF creation will probably make our books more usable. -Mike
==Quoting== As I said, doing something like this is an excellent first draft if you are trying to design a book. But if you think this is going to be something acceptable in a classroom compared to commercially published textbooks, I think the results are going to be absolutely horrid from an aesthetic viewpoint. It simply can't be automated without either an incredible amount of additional effort and significiant advances in artificial intelligence, or involving some grey matter from volunteers to make it look nice. Perhaps some other software applications can be used, and if you like them, have fun! I'm not suggesting that Open Office is the only one to use, but it is something that many individuals may already have or be using, is available under multiple operating systems, has a very simple installation path, and is also open source. That is a tough combination to try and beat.
BTW, thanks for suggesting Scribus. I'll have to download it and try it out.
--Robert Horning
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