DOCBOOK-APPS: Stylesheet languages and giving you fine control overwhere things go

[Richard Sharpe <sharpe@ns.aus.com>]

Hi,

One of the things I think I need to be able to do in stylesheets is to 
place objects at arbitrary places on a page, and it seems that DSSSL and 
XSL(T) don't give me that level of control.

For example, I might want to place the word Preliminary diagonally 
across the back of every page in outline form, with the primary text 
appearing in front of it.

In some cases, I also want to be able to take a block of text and center 
it, vertically, on a page. I don't seem to be able to do that with 
DSSSL. Don't know about XSL(T).

In other cases, I want to set up the header and footer of each page with 
content that I want o put in specific places and want to ensure that 
they align properly.

For example, I want to have text on one side of the header aligning with 
the bottom of a graphic on the other side. Indeed, the decision in DSSSL 
to divide the header up into three regions seems to have been a mistake. 
I would rather that it be one area that I can decide how to format.

I would also like to be able to insert text at any angle I want to.

What stylesheet languages give me these?

Regards
-------
Richard Sharpe, rsharpe@ns.aus.com, LPIC1
www.samba.org, www.ethereal.com, SAMS Teach Yourself Samba
in 24 Hours, Special Edition, Using Samba