Re: [school-discuss] project idea: open source text books

[Oleg Sadov <sadov@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Look at Libre/OpenOffice. It can be run at "server" mode, accessed from
external program by UNO interface (Python, C++ or Java bindings) and
convert documents from supported formats (DOCX, for ex.):

http://www.openoffice.org/udk/python/python-bridge.html

to wide range of output formats (PDF, HTML, ODF/ODT, etc...) by very
lapidary programs, like this:

http://www.openoffice.org/udk/python/samples/ooextract.py


27/01/2012 14:27 -0800, James Daley wrote:
> I am working with a group to develop as you would say a "text book" on
> aquaponics. It would be great if there was a single app that would
> allow you to imput a docx document and with preferences selected allow
> you to publish in various formats and to multipe open source sites.
> This would require individuals at various levels at the sites to ok
> this action and a app that would read and translate into
> the various formats required and then transmit the results to the
> site. 
> Possible options
>  1. Option would be the ability to zip everything up. 
>  2. If doc has been published have the program attach a code that
> would allow the doc to be updated by the author.
> 
> 
> Is there such a tool in existence?
> 
> 
> 
> James
> 
> --- On Fri, 1/27/12, Jeremy C. Reed <reed@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>         
>         From: Jeremy C. Reed <reed@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>         Subject: Re: [school-discuss] project idea: open source text
>         books
>         To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>         Date: Friday, January 27, 2012, 3:54 PM
>         
>         On Fri, 27 Jan 2012, James Daley wrote:
>         
>         > quick question what is the difference between a text book
>         anyother 
>         > book like a manual or reference guide?
>         
>         In my case, I want to initially provide courseware for primary
>         and 
>         secondary (K-12) education as official replacements for
>         heavy, 
>         expensive, and proprietary textbooks. This needs to be
>         approved (and 
>         desired) by school teachers, administration, lawmakers (in
>         some cases), 
>         and hopefully the children/parents too. The target medium may
>         be small 
>         touch pad devices, ebook readers, laptops, or even printed and
>         bound 
>         materials.
>         
>         Some first steps may be:
>         
>         - find out how much schools spend on certain textbooks and how
>         often 
>         updated or replaced.
>         
>         - find out procedures for publishers to propose new textbooks
>         
>         - find out procedures for instructors to request new textbooks
>         
>         - how are lawmakers involved? What are the levels of
>         permission or 
>         requirements? (local, district, state?)
>         
>         - what types of textbooks require permission at different
>         levels?
>         ###
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