Re: .doc file concerns

[Ralph Mack]

I also need to store and version my design documentation with the code 
that implements the design.

I have some rather strong requirements for meaningful use - 
1) The most important content will be pictures - class and ladder 
   diagrams - with explanatory text. I also use sidebars, i.e. 
   multiple content streams.
2) I don't want to have to remember and enter tags - I'd prefer a 
   pull-down of predefined styles, with some automation of which 
   paragraph style follows which header style, etc.
3) I need to be able to see what the *printed* result will look like 
   while I'm authoring it (WYSIWYG or near-WYSIWYG). 

CVS has some rather strong requirements for efficient storage and 
meaningful versioning - 
1) The content, including any figures, must be stored in a 100% text 
   representation.
2) The process of editing must produce differencable changes in the 
   stored document, i.e. opening, editing, and saving a document should
   produce differences only in the area edited.
3) The raw text view has to be meaningfully editable to resolve merge
   conflicts.

I will gladly use a document editor that satisfies both sets of 
requirements. The requirements seem to recommend a dual-view editor 
(where you can edit in either the raw or cooked view). The dual-view 
editors I've seen for HTML are kind of primitive w.r.t their handling 
of styles. Are there such editors for any of the traditional Unix 
document formats, like *roff or LATEX? I think the latest version of 
Word might do what I want (moment of weakness: will it?), but I'd 
rather not get into Word and line Bill's pockets much more than I 
already have. 

Ralph A. Mack