science

LinuxDoc

LinuxDoc is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand LinuxDoc rather than just read about it. In short: LinuxDoc is an SGML DTD which is similar to DocBook. Matt Welsh created it, and version 1.1 was announced in 1994.

Key takeaways

LinuxDoc belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect LinuxDoc to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of LinuxDoc from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

LinuxDoc is an SGML DTD which is similar to DocBook. Matt Welsh created it, and version 1.1 was announced in 1994. It is primarily used by the Linux Documentation Project. The DocBook SGML tags are often longer than the equivalent LinuxDoc tags. LinuxDoc has a more succinct DTD than DocBook. Users of small to medium-size projects have found that it suits their purposes better than DocBook. The Debian distribution of Linux has a Linuxdoc-tools package.

See also Comparison of document-markup languages List of document markup languages

External links http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Howtos-with-LinuxDoc.html A JavaScript based web page that generates LinuxDoc Sample of LinuxDoc generated with above generator The above LinuxDoc compiled to HTML using SGMLTools

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with LinuxDoc

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what LinuxDoc claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to LinuxDoc before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about LinuxDoc ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of LinuxDoc

In research: LinuxDoc appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses LinuxDoc in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: LinuxDoc is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Linux stubs, Markup languages, SGML, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for LinuxDoc outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study LinuxDoc in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what LinuxDoc means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain LinuxDoc out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is LinuxDoc in simple terms?

LinuxDoc is an SGML DTD which is similar to DocBook. Matt Welsh created it, and version 1.1 was announced in 1994.

Why does LinuxDoc matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study LinuxDoc?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on LinuxDoc.