Re: DOCBOOK-APPS: xreflabel

[Bob Stayton <bobs@caldera.com>]

On Fri, Dec 13, 2002 at 11:46:39AM -0500, Jeff Beal wrote:
> In "The Definitive Guide", our only piece of documentation on the xreflabel
> attribute seems to be: " holds text to be used when a cross reference (XRef)
> is made to the element."  It seems that the stylesheets use the xreflabel
> and only the xreflabel for an xref when it encounters one, ignoring any
> labels generated for the target element.
>  
> I would prefer it if the xreflabel were only used as a replacement for the
> title in a cross-reference.  For example, if I have in my document:
>  
> <figure id="fig1" xreflabel="Short Title">
>  <title>Really, really, long but necessarily descriptive title</title>
>  <graphic/>
> </figure>
>  
> And I create an xref to this element, I would like to have "Figure 13.2:
> Short Title", not "Short Title".  (Assuming that the gentext template for a
> figure in the xref template were "%n: %t" instead of "%n"
>  
> In other words, I think that the xreflabel should only be picked up when the
> gentext template mechanism encounters a '%t'.  I don't think the xreflabel
> should override the gentext template as it does now.
>  
> I'm certain that I can make the necessary customizations for us, I'm just
> wondering if this idea makes sense and if the default behavior should
> change.  Any thoughts?

I think it is a fine idea, but I would worry about changing
the default behavior.  If someone has invested lots of
time entering xreflabels and are happy with the results,
then changing the behavior might be a shock.  How about
a 'use.xreflabel.as.title' parameter to make it optional?

-- 

Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
The SCO Group                               fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@sco.com