I maintain a number of FAQs which may be found here. These HTML versions are created from an XML file using a Perl script of my own devising. The Use-net posted versions are also created from the same file.
This is the first time I have used XML and have no formal grounding in it. The specifications from the WWWC are, of course, totally comprehensive. They are also, like all standards, not a light bed-time read. Thus what I have put together is based on a somewhat limited understanding and therefore prone to being wrong.
That said this new system is considerably better than my previous method which was to convert from HTML to Use-net. It shares that systems advantages of only requiring the document to be written once and keeping the web and Use-net versions in sync. However the convertion process is much easier at my end under the new regime.
For those who are interested the Perl scripts used to generate both the web page and the Use-net posting are available. They come with no documentation and no warrenty. They should not be too dificult to work out from the code and from the various error messages they throw if you don't do it right. Share and Enjoy!
You're not interested by any of the fluff on this page are you? No, you want to read the FAQs.
So how do I come to be the founder of this FAQ and to the maintainer to this day? It's all really very simple. The denizens of csa.games where really suffering from repeated questions popping up week after week. A number of calls including one from my self where made for an FAQ. Unfortunately nothing looked like happening so I set to and wrote a quick and dirty version until someone made a better job of it. Needless to say no one ever did.
The most up-to-date version will always be the XML file.
The pre XML version may be useful or interesting and there is an extended revision history.
You would have thought I would have learned from my previous experience but it looks like I haven't. This time it was csa.programmer which was suffering from repeated questions. The straw which broke the camels back was the umpteenth query as to the state of Java virtual machines for Risc OS. Again there was a general muttering that an FAQ was required but I knew that if someone didn't step in and offer to produce it, it wouldn't happen. This time however I have help from Martin Penny and grateful for it I am too.
The most up-to-date version will always be the XML file.