DOCBOOK-APPS: RE: Tables do not appear in fo

[Jeff Beal <jeff.beal@ansys.com>]

Jeroen --

I was unsubscribed from the docbook-apps list for some reason.  Hopefully it
is fixed now.  Anyway, as far as extensions are concerned, there are two
different types.  There are XSLT processor extensions, that are applicable
during the transformation phase.  (i.e. going from XML to XSL-FO using
XSLTProc, in your case.)  There are also XSL Formatter extensions, that
apply during the publishing phase (XSL-FO to PDF using FOP, in your case).  

XSL Formatter extensions are nothing more than additional elements in a
namespace other than the fo: namespace that are inserted in the FO document.
These are supported by *any* XSLT processor, but are specific to XSL-FO
formatters.  They are controlled by the fop.extensions, xep.extensions,
passivetex.extensions, and arbortext.extensions parameters.  These include
features in the resulting PDF such as PDF bookmarks and PDF
meta-information.

XSLT processor extensions are completely separate.  The extension that is
causing you problems  (the tablecolumns.extension) is of this variety.  It
is a function Norm wrote in Java for "normalizing" table column widths in a
manner more compatible with a wider range of web browsers.  Being written in
Java, it is only accessible when using Saxon or Xalan as your XSLT
formatter.

In summary, leave fop.extensions on.  This will give you additional features
in your PDF document.  Turn off tablecolumns.extensions, though, as XSLTProc
doesn't support it.

Jeff Beal
Tools Specialist
ANSYS, Inc.
(724) 514-3150

==============================

Jeff,

I'm using xsltproc and FOP, and have to try out some more stuff to do some
recommendations for the company I work for. What I understand is that
xsltproc supports fop extensions automaticly, so in my customization layer I
must turn these off.

Thnx.

Jeroen.