This section records noteworthy changes of CentOS Artwork Repository

through years.

@subheading 2008

The CentOS Artwork Repository started at CentOS Developers mailing

(@email{centos-devel@@centos.org}) during a discussion about how

to automate the slide images of Anaconda. In such discussion, Ralph

Angenendt rose up his hand to ask: Do you have something to show?

To answer the question, Alain Reguera Delgado suggested a bash script

which combined SVG and SED files in order to produce PNG images in

different languages ---together with the proposition of creating a

Subversion repository where translations and image production could be

distributed inside The CentOS Community---.

Karanbirn Sighn considered the idea intresting and provided the

infrastructure necessary to support the effort.  This way the CentOS

Artwork SIG (@url{https://projects.centos.org/trac/artwork/}) and the

CentOS Artwork Repository

(@url{https://projects.centos.org/svn/artwork/}) were officially

created.

Once the CentOS Artwork Repository was available, Alain Reguera

Delagdo uploaded the bash script for rendering Anaconda slides; Ralph

Angenendt documented it very well; and people started to download

working copies of CentOS Artwork Repository to produce slide images in

their own languages.

@subheading 2009

The rendition script was at a very rustic state where only slide

images could be produced, so it was redesigned to extend the image

production to other areas, not just slide images.  In this

configuration, one SVG file was used as input to produce a translated

instance of it which, in turn, was used to produce one translated PNG

image as output.  The SVG translated instance was created through SED

replacement commands. The translated PNG image was created from the

SVG translated instance using Inkscape command-line interface.

The rendition script was named @command{render.sh}.

The repository directory structure was prepared to receive the

rendition script using design templates and translation files in the

same location.  There was one directory structure for each artwork

that needed to be produced. In this configuration, if you would want

to produce the same artwork with a different visual style or

structure, it was needed to create a new directory structure for it

because both the image structure and the image visual style were

together in the design template.

The rendition script was moved to a common place and linked from

different directory structures. There was no need to have the same

code in different directory structures if it could be in just one

place and then be linked from different locations.

The concepts about corporate identity began to be considered. As

referece, it was used the book ``Corporate Identity'' by Wally Olins

(1989) and Wikipedia

(@url{http://en.wikipedia.org/Corporate_identity}). This way, the

rendition script main's goal becomes to: automate production of a

monolithic corporate visual identity structure, based on the mission

and the release schema of The CentOS Project.

The directory structures started to be documented inside the

repository using text files without markup.  Later, documentation in

flat text files was moved to LaTeX format and this way ``The CentOS

Artwork Repository Manual'' started to take form.

@subheading 2010

The rendition script changed its name from @command{render.sh} to

@command{centos-art.sh} and became a collection of functionalities

where rendition was just one among others (e.g., documenting and

localizing).

The @command{centos-art.sh} was created to organize automation of most

frequent tasks inside the repository.  There was no need to have links

all around the repository if a command-line interface could be created

(through symbolic links, in the @file{~/bin} directory) and be called

anywhere inside the repository as it would be a regular command.

Inside @command{centos-art.sh}, functionalities started to get

identified and separated one another. For example, when images were

rendered, there was no need to load functionalities related to

documentation manual. This layout moved us onto common functionalities

and specific functionalities inside @command{centos-art.sh} script.

Common functionalities are loaded when @command{centos-art.sh} script

is initiated and are available to specific functionalities.

The @command{centos-art.sh} script was redesigned to handle

command-line options trough @command{getopt} option parser.

The repository directory structure was updated to improve the

implementation of concepts related to corporate visual identity.

Specially in the area related to themes which were divided into

``design models'' and ``artistic motifs'' to eliminate the content

duplication produced by having both image structure and image visual

style in the same file.  Now, themes are produced as result of

arbitrary combinations of both design models (structures) and artistic

motifs (visual styles).

In the documentation area, the documentation files in LaTeX format

were migrated to Texinfo format.  In this configuration, each

directory structure in the repository has a documentation entry

associated in a Texinfo structure which can be read, edited and

administered (e.g., renamed, deleted, copied) interactively throuch

@command{centos-art.sh}. Additionally, the @command{texi2html} program

was used to produced XHTML output customized by CSS from The CentOS

Webenv.

@subheading 2011

The @command{centos-art.sh} script was redesigned to start translating

SVG and other XML-based files (e.g., XHTML and Docbook files) through

the @command{xml2po} program and shell scripts files (e.g., Bash

scripts) through GNU @command{gettext} tools.  This configuration

provided a stronger interface for graphic designers, translators and

programmers to produce localized content.  The SED files are no longer

used to handle translations.

Improve option parsing through @command{getopt}.

Consolidate the @code{render}, @code{help} and @code{locale}

functionalities as the most frequent tasks performed inside the

repository. Additionally, the @code{prepare} and @code{tuneup}

functionalities are maintained as useful tasks.

The @command{centos-art.sh} script is updated to organize

functionalities in two groups: ``the administrative functionalities''

and ``the productive functionalities''.  The administrative

functionalities cover actions like: copying, deleting and renaming

directory structures inside the repository.  Also, preparing your

workstation for using @command{centos-art.sh} script, making

backups of the distribution theme currently installed,  installing

themes created inside repository and restoring themes from backup.  On

the other hand, the productive functionalities cover actions like:

content rendition, content localization, content documentation and

content maintainance.