RE: [docbook-apps] Re: DocBook 5.x - the difference between mediaobject and inlinemediaobject

[Cavicchio_Rob@emc.com]

>
The difference between them might be clearer to you if you try it with a
20x20 pixel PNG file instead.  When inlined, the PNG file will sit in
the same line of text, just as this X is in this line of text.  With the
other tag, it gets broken out into its own "paragraph", as you'd use for
a separate illustration.
<
 
 
I have just recently been grappling with this myself. My opinion is that the DocBook markup should not be determining whether a graphic is displayed as a block or inline, any more than it should be determining if something comes out bold or italic. Both are presentational decisions that can be determined at the time the output is generated.
 
The fact that you can put both inside a paragraph merely underscores this point. We're currently using DocBook 4.0 and the <graphic> element, but it seeems to behave the same way. Both of these are valid:
 
 
<para><inlinegraphic fileref="myfile.png" /></para>
 
<para><graphic fileref="myfile.png" /></para>
 
 
As far as I'm concerned, whenever a graphic appears inside a paragraph, it is necessarily inline, and these bits of markup should generate exactly the same output. But when transforming the 2nd one to HTML (using some admittedly older stylesheets), we get nested paragraphs, which is not even valid HMTL:
 
 
<p><p><img src="myfile.png " /></p></p>
 
 
I would think we could get rid of the <inline...> tags and just have the transforms determine the flow from the context.
 
 
Rob Cavicchio 
Principal Technical Writer
EMC Captiva
EMC Corporation
10145 Pacific Heights Boulevard, 6th Floor
San Diego, CA 92121-4234

P: (858) 320-1208
F: (858) 320-1010
E: Cavicchio_Rob@emc.com