Re: [docbook-apps] Re: SGML to XML: Should I switch? How to switch?

[Neil Roeth <neil@occamsrazor.net>]

On Jul 20, Javier Farreres (spanish@inicia.es) wrote:
 > Some replies to your questions:
 > 
 > >Sadly to say, I have to stuck with "SGML" because until now;
 > >I still can not create a good PDF file with Ubuntu/Debian's
 > >"out of the box" tools (i.e. with no hacking/patching).
 > >  
 > >
 > Hmmm, if you use SGML, creating pdf with OpenJade is quite easy. I do it 
 > everyday. You just have to apt-get the adequate packages (openjade, 
 > opensp, docbook-dsssl-stylesheets).

Ditto.

 > But listen, you don't have to stay with SGML just for generating PDF. 
 > You can use openjade tool with XML and generate PDF. It is wrong, as I 
 > think I have read, that openjade is only for SGML.
 > 
 > >It seems that the "XSL/FO path" is better maintained; but it is 
 > >recommended not for non-tech fellows (like myself).
 > >Whereas the "DSSSL/jade/jadetex path" is more mature;
 > >but "not so" maintained anymore (?)
 > >
 > It is false that openjade is not maintained anymore. I am myself developing
 > openjade, and I plan to remove the jadetex tool in a near future making
 > openjade output pure tex. If I can, I will do it during august. And expect
 > more updates to come next year.

And I maintain the Debian packages of OpenSP and OpenJade, which I spent the
last few weeks getting these and other packages to compile under G++ 4.0,
which is why I haven't had time to read this list until now. :-) New versions
were recently uploaded to sid.  If you find bugs using the Debian packages,
file them (http://bugs.debian.org), then I will see them and help.

Some of the other tools in Debian, e.g., docbook-utils, just call OpenJade
under the covers, so if you have a problem with those, file a bug, and I might
be able to help there, too.  I fixed a bug in docbook-utils once that
prevented it from working properly on XML files, though it worked on SGML
files. It was quite simple to fix - unfortunately, some people probably gave
up on using the tool for XML before I fixed the bug.

I like the DSSSL toolchain because I can easily create HTML, PDF and RTF (for
those annoying cases where someone tells me they need the document in MS
Word).

 > ><Last try.../>
 > >Can anyone tell me exactly, what parameters should I
 > >use with jade/jadetex, to make "test.pdf" from "test.xml" ?

This set of commands does the trick for me:

openjade -t tex -d docbook/stylesheet/dsssl/modular/print/docbook.dsl declaration/xml.dcl foo.xml
jadetex foo.tex
jadetex foo.tex
jadetex foo.tex
dvipdf foo.dvi foo.pdf

Like others, I have a makefile that I use.  I believe jadetex has to be run
multiple times because TeX needs to make multiple passes to get page numbering
and such correct.

 > In Debian you have some directory with a lot of help about this. Try 
 > this file in your debian box:
 > 
 > /usr/share/doc/docbook-dsssl-doc/html/index.html
 > 
 > I hope it helps.
 > 
 > Javi
 > 
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-- 
Neil Roeth