Customizing applethelp.xsl: A few questions

[David Shevitz <dshevitz@singlestep.com>]

Hello all,

I have recently gotten my process for converting my DocBook XML files 
into Web-based help working, using the applethelp.xsl stylesheet. The 
output is good, but there are some customizations I would like to make. 
Since I'm relatively new to DocBook, XML, and all this stuff, I thought 
I'd post what I'm think of doing and see if I'm either: (1) asking too 
much, or (2) asking to do stuff that is quite difficult to do.

Here are the customizations I'm thinking about:

1. Control the names of the HTML files that are created. Ideally, I'd 
like them to have the same name as the top-level heading in the file. 
For example, if the highest level headnig is "Section 1," I'd like the 
filename to be Section 1.html. (Hm. Would the space prove problematic?)

2. Control when new HTML files are created. For example, I'd like to 
create new HTML pages for both Section 1 headings and Section 2 
headings. (Right now, it appears it creates a new page for every Section 
1 heading only).

3. Create buttons that lead users to the home page, as well as allow 
them to navigate either to the previous page or the next page. If #2 is 
not feasible, these buttons might have to be in a separate frame, so 
they remain visible to the user... or perhaps they could just be added 
above each heading somehow...

Anyway, I didn't want to spend hours/days trying to get these 
customizations in place without first checking to see if they were even 
possible. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,

Dave Shevitz
Lead Technical Writer
Singlestep Technologies
http://www.singlestep.com