Re: [docbook-apps] Docbook Editors

["John W. Shipman" <john@nmt.edu>]

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007, Stefano Sabatini wrote:

+--
| Do someone know if it's possible with emacs NXML mode to see (for
| example in the ECB method buffer) the layout of the document edited,
| for example the hierarchy of chapters and sections?
+--

I wrote a little Python script to pull out the id attributes
of all sections.  I'd be happy to post it if you like.  It
doesn't handle chapters; it assumes the document is an article.

+--
| And what about the insertion of complex skeletons, like that of a
| variablelist? There is already some way to add them with some
| shortcuts or is needed to hook into nxml-mode-hook all the various
| docbook specific skeleton insertion functions required?
+--

My solution to this is to put together a collection of little
template files and insert them using "C-x i".  For example,
if I'm building a variablelist, I have two template files named
"varlist" containing the variablelist element, and a file "vle"
containing the skeleton of a varlistentry element.  Here's the
"varlist" file:

================================================================
      <variablelist>
<!--\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\-->
      </variablelist>
----------------------------------------------------------------

The comment line is there to remind me to fill in the body.
As I add each child element, I keep that comment line just
below the element just added, so I can quickly find the
spot where the next child element will go in.  Once the
list is complete, I'll delete the comment line.

Here's my template file "vle" for a varlistentry:

================================================================
        <varlistentry>
          <term>
            <code >
</code >
          </term>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              
            </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
----------------------------------------------------------------

This assumes that the terms I'm defining are in code.  I have the
</code> closing tag unindented because it's inline markup:  I'll
add the term's text after the <code> start tag, then use C-d to
pull the </code> end tag up just after it.

Not elegant, but I've been using it for a long time now, and
it speeds up document creation a lot.

There's a more detailed discussion in my locally-written nxml
documentation:

    http://infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/nxml/

Scroll down to the section entitled "Toward faster work".

Best regards,
John Shipman (john@nmt.edu), Applications Specialist, NM Tech Computer Center,
Speare 119, Socorro, NM 87801, (505) 835-5950, http://www.nmt.edu/~john
  ``Let's go outside and commiserate with nature.''  --Dave Farber