[mapserver-dev] master MapServer docs online?

[Seth G]

Hi Jeff, all,

I've created a pull request at https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer-documentation/pull/610 which puts the output of the `main` branch build into a branch which can be used for GitHub pages (similar to several other OSGeo projects). 
It uses a very similar approach as the "live" branch but allows us to view/review docs in main before a backport, or in preparation to a new release. 
Beyond setting the gh-pages there is hopefully no further action or maintenance required, and will give us a docs preview URL at https://mapserver.github.io/MapServer-documentation/

Approach tested and deployed at https://geographika.github.io/MapServer-documentation/ but it would be good to have this on a "official" URL. 

Seth


--
web:http://geographika.co.uk
twitter: @geographika

On Sat, Sep 18, 2021, at 2:23 AM, Jeff McKenna wrote:
> We are only now a few weeks away from the release (and making the 
> current 'main' docs live, as branch-8-0).  I think for our demos in 
> these presentations we should continue to do them on our individual 
> servers, and then in a few weeks we can push to live. I've got now 20 
> years almost of doc management for MapServer, and I've learned to keep 
> it simple, with one branch to maintain live.  (and my experience is here 
> unfortunately that those who live multiple live branches visible, or not 
> the same people maintaining those live branches and all of that grief). 
>   So, keep it simple, until the day I get that 100k contract to maintain 
> all of this ;)
>
> -jeff
>
>
>
> On 2021-09-17 9:03 p.m., Jeff McKenna wrote:
>> Hi Seth,
>> 
>> I see my initial answer then, just a few months ago, still stands for me:
>> 
>> "Speaking openly here, if I was paid fulltime to manage the docs and all 
>> the different build versions of the docs, and publishing them online, I 
>> could see how that would be possible; but as we are made up of 
>> volunteers, I would prefer to keep the single version updated with 
>> references to when the feature was added (what MapServer version), and 
>> if it is deprecated.  I remember recently spending much effort on that 
>> in-line versioning improvements, I think that is working nicely now."
>> 
>> I recently gave a State of MapServer presentation (last week) and had to 
>> give a few demos, but I setup my own server for those demos - for a 
>> status report I don't think we should begin a new live branch and then 
>> commit to maintain both sets of documents.
>> 
>> As part of this I also maintain the PDF versions for the documentation, 
>> and generating them - adding another live branch is, just too much.
>> 
>> Again, if this was my fulltime paid job, absolutely, bring it on, as I'd 
>> be fulltime working on this.  The reality is that, whatever we add here 
>> now, in a few years I'll be stuck maintaining by myself.  I honestly 
>> prefer, from experience, to stick with one visible/maintained branch of 
>> MapServer documentation.
>> 
>> -jeff
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>
> -- 
> Jeff McKenna
> GatewayGeo: Developers of MS4W, MapServer Consulting and Training
> co-founder of FOSS4G
> http://gatewaygeo.com/
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