DOCBOOK-APPS: SURPRISE!! CalsTbl model --> OASIS Open Exchange modelmigration, now what do I do?

[Jeffrey Franks <jfranks@quik.com>]

These kind of surprises are not welcome.

Norman Walsh wrote:
> Spanspec is missing. It isn't part of the OASIS Open Exchange table model,
> which is the direction that DocBook is migrating towards, so support for it
> hasn't percolated to the top of my stack.

If Xsl stylsheets are not going to support the CALS table model, a clue
is
in order. I've now noticed that the on-line alpha-version DocBook
exhibits
the same table behavior with column spans that I've been struggling
with.

Maybe there ought to be a clue in the <table> element description
regarding
table migration. The Xsl style sheet is now out-of-sync with the CALS
model
by intent, and no one told me before now.

Please direct me in the shortest series of steps to an appropriate
solution.
I have a requirement to produce a document that is table intensive. I'm
on
page 380 of 928 and find that <table> is not going to render in Xml/Xsl
environment because I used CALS model. This is the first time I've heard
about OASIS Open Exchange table model.

What do I do now? Where is OASIS Open Exchange table model documented?
Does it support column spans? Or, should I drop back to SGML/DSSSL
(which I've
not used, after all I'm a Xml/Xsl newbie). Is it out of sync too?

I just fell down. Can anyone help me back up?

-- 
Jeffrey L. Franks  (Web)  http://www.motiftools.org
                   (Mail) jfranks@quik.com