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<preface>

    <title>Preface</title>

    <para>The CentOS Artwork Repository started around 2008, at <ulink
    url="mailto:centos-devel@centos.org">CentOS Developers mailing
    list</ulink> 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?</para>
    
    <para>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 &mdash;together with the
    proposition of creating a Subversion repository where translations
    and image production could be distributed inside The CentOS
    Community&mdash;.</para>
    
    <para>Karanbirn Sighn considered the idea intresting and provided
    the infrastructure necessary to support the effort.  This way the
    <ulink url="https://projects.centos.org/trac/artwork/">CentOS
    Artwork SIG</ulink> and the <ulink
    url="https://projects.centos.org/svn/artwork/">CentOS Artwork
    Repository</ulink> were officially created.</para>
    
    <para>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.</para>

    <para>Around 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.</para>
    
    <para>The rendition script was named
    <quote>render.sh</quote>.</para>
    
    <para>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.</para>
    
    <para>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.</para>
    
    <para>The concepts about corporate identity began to be
    considered. As referece, it was used the book <quote>Corporate
    Identity</quote> by Wally Olins (1989) and Wikipedia (<ulink
    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.</para>
    
    <para>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
    <quote>The CentOS Artwork Repository Manual</quote> started to
    take form.</para>

    <para>Around 2010, the rendition script changed its name from
    <command>render.sh</command> to <command>centos-art.sh</command>
    and became a collection of functionalities where rendition was
    just one among others (e.g., documenting and localizing).</para>
    
    <para>The <command>centos-art.sh</command> 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 <filename class="directory">~/bin</filename> directory) and
    be called anywhere inside the repository as it would be a regular
    command.</para>
    
    <para>Inside <command>centos-art.sh</command>, 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</command> script. Common functionalities
    are loaded when <command>centos-art.sh</command> script is
    initiated and are available to specific functionalities.</para>
    
    <para>The <command>centos-art.sh</command> script was redesigned
    to handle command-line options trough <command>getopt</command>
    option parser.</para>
    
    <para>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 <emphasis>design models</emphasis> and
    <emphasis>artistic motifs</emphasis> 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).</para>
    
    <para>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</command>. Additionally, the
    <command>texi2html</command> program was used to produced XHTML
    output customized by CSS from The CentOS Webenv.</para>

    <para>Around 2011, the <command>centos-art.sh</command> script was
    redesigned to start translating SVG and other XML-based files
    (e.g., XHTML and Docbook files) through the
    <command>xml2po</command> program and shell scripts files (e.g.,
    Bash scripts) through GNU <command>gettext</command> 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.</para>
    
    <para>Improve option parsing through
    <command>getopt</command>.</para>

    <para>Consolidate the <code>render</code>, <code>help</code> and
    <code>locale</code> functionalities as the most frequent tasks
    performed inside the repository. Additionally, the
    <code>prepare</code> and <code>tuneup</code> functionalities are
    maintained as useful tasks.</para>
    
    <para>The <command>centos-art.sh</command> script is updated to
    organize functionalities in two groups: <quote>the administrative
    functionalities</quote> and <quote>the productive
    functionalities</quote>.  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</command> 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.</para>

</preface>