[fpc-pascal] Printing the FPC documentation

[Graeme Geldenhuys]

Hi,

I'm all about saving the planet and saving our trees, but currently
reading documentation on-screen (no matter how hard I try), is just not
as comfortable as reading from a book. I don't have these $350+ eBook
readers, so I can't comment on them with there e-Ink technology screens.
Does any of you use a eBook (external) reader for FPC or other PDF
ebooks? How comfortable do you find those screens and the device itself?

I'm going to print the FPC documentation and bind them myself. Binding
your own books is actually very easy - I'll add a wiki page with
instructions for other FPC users.

My problem is the RTL document. It is HUGE! Last time I checked, it was
just under 1600 pages.

* Is it worth printing this document? Or does it make more sense to only
  print the language and compiler guides?

* Has anybody else printed the RTL document? If so, how did you bind it?
  No printer here wants to bind such a huge book.

* Is there a way to create 2 or 3 volumes out of the RTL document?
  Printing it all out and simply binding it as 3 books by dividing the
  pages doesn't look like it will work well. Because only the first
  volume will have an Contents Table and only the last volume will have
  an index.

  Can this document be split in a more "professional" way into 3
  volumes? How did anybody else do this?

* Paper Size. Strangely enough the default page size in the USA is
  US Letter, in the EU and Afriac it's A4. But what is really funny, is
  that I do not own a single book that is printed in Letter or A4 page
  size! Instead the books seem to all be slightly shorter in height and
  width - what's up with this in the publishing world?? Why do we have
  standard page sizes if no publisher uses it. Anyway, so is A4 the best
  choice for our documentation?

  I really don't mind it being A4, because it is a lot more convenient
  because I always have A4 pager around. Also printing in booklet form
  which reduces books to A5 size is very convenient as well. I just
  thought I would mention my observation. :-)


If anybody else printed the FPC documentation could you comment on your
experience. Did you use A4 or A5 size, what about the RTL documentation
etc..

By the way, I have tried a 400 page eBook once with those plastic
ring-binding things with all the rectangular holes down the spine. It
did not work very well and is hard to page through the book. So "perfect
binding" with a paperback cover seems to be the best solution. Hardback
might be even better, but I haven't tried to do hardback cover binding
myself yet.


Regards,
  - Graeme -

-- 
fpGUI Toolkit - a cross-platform GUI toolkit using Free Pascal
http://opensoft.homeip.net/fpgui/