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 The guide of UDO
 Working with UDO

General questions

Why is UDO named `UDO'?
 
 
When I began programming UDO I had no better idea than naming it "UDO", the abbreviation for "Universal DOcument".
 
By the way: The author's first name isn't Udo, he's called Dirk!
 
How to I pronounce `UDO'?
 
 
`UDO' is pronounced like the prename Udo: `Ooh-do'. Pronounce the `U' like the `u' in `butcher', the `do' like the `do' in `document'. Please don't pronounce it like `You do'.
 
How can I get the current versions?
 
 
To download the current version from the World Wide Web open the URL http://www.udo-open-source.org/. Here you will find links to the UDO archives.
 
Will there be versions for other operating systems?
 
 
At the moment UDO is available for the following operating systems:
 
UDO was completely written in highly portable C. The source code doesn't call any system specific functions. Due to this fact UDO could be ported to any operating system a C compiler is existing for.
 
If you would like to port UDO to a system which isn't listed above, please contact the UDO developer team.
 
Can UDO generate formats from other systems?
 
 
Sure. E.g. you can run UDO on a Windows PC and save Linuxdoc-SGML files. You can run UDO on a Linux PC and save Windows Help files. No problem. UDO has the same functions on any operating systems it's available for.
 
Maybe you have only to convert the file with GNU-Recode later if the charsets are not the same.
 
Can I write my source files "here" and translate them "there"?
 
 
Yes, you can e.g. write your source files on a Windows PC and convert them on a BeBox or Apple Macintosh. UDO knows the charsets of all operating system it's available for. You have only to say UDO which charset was used for writing the source files by using the commands like !code [iso] or !code [mac].
 
May the UDO syntax change in the future?
 
 
UDO is that kind of software that is improved day by day. New commands will appear in the future, that's for sure.
 
In some cases it will be necessary to change the syntax of some commands. But I will tell you about these changes. Just take a look at the "History" to get to know about the changes in the past.
 
How does UDO work?
 
 
UDO reads the source file(s) in two passes.
 
In the first pass UDO reads in the switches, macros, definitions and the chapter titles that are needed for referencing.
 
In the second pass UDO will convert and layout the text. UDO will save all lines in an internal buffer until it reads an empty line or an UDO command. A command or an empty line tells UDO to layout the last paragraph and to go on reading the source file.
 
How does UDO reference other parts of the document?
 
 
UDO inserts links in hypertext formats (except for the ST-Guide) automatically to other parts of the documentation. UDO references chapter titles, labels and aliases.
 
Using the switch !autoref [off] you can tell UDO not to insert any references until you use the switch !autoref [on].
 
How can I link to parts of the current page?
 
 
Because UDO doesn't insert links to labels of the same page you have to insert a explicit link to this label by using the (!link) placeholder. An example:
 
!node  Test
!label Test top
[...]
(!link [Back to top of page] [Test top])

How can I get pictures into a table of content?

 
You have to make your own table of contents, that means you have to leave the !tableofcontents command. An example:
 
!begin_document
!maketitle
!node Contents
!image foo
!toc [all]

!node First chapter

Which editor can I use for UDO?

 
Here are some suggestions:
 
"e" (e.exe) OS/2 part of the system
Kate, KEdit, KWrite Linux/KDE Open Source
NotePad++ Windows Freeware
Pepper Linux, Mac, Windows commercial
SciTe Linux, Windows Open Source
SuperEdi Windows Freeware
TextPad Windows Freeware
UltraEdit32 Windows commercial

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Last updated on November 5, 2006

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