Re: [docbook-apps] Re: DocBook 5.x - the difference between mediaobjectand inlinemediaobject

[Warren Young <warren@etr-usa.com>]

John Brown wrote:
> 
> I understand the concept fully. Instead of just having <bold> or
> something similar, we are forced to type <emphasis role="strong">. 

Either you do not in fact understand the concept, or you're being 
willfully facetious.

The standard DocBook stylesheets will bold any text between <command> 
tags, but the tag doesn't *mean* "make this text bold".  The tag says 
that the text inside it is a computer command of some sort, and bold is 
a common typographic convention for computer commands in books.  If you 
don't like that style, you can redefine it with a custom stylesheet.

If the only semantic meaning you are trying to get across is "this bit 
of text is bold" then DocBook may not be for you.

> The mediaobject in question is an image file (PNG, 8.5in X 11in, 300

The difference between them might be clearer to you if you try it with a 
20x20 pixel PNG file instead.  When inlined, the PNG file will sit in 
the same line of text, just as this X is in this line of text.  With the 
other tag, it gets broken out into its own "paragraph", as you'd use for 
a separate illustration.

> mediaobjects are certainly displayed "inline".

You're misunderstanding the meaning of that term.  It has a very 
specific meaning in DocBook, which it shares with HTML/CSS: it means "in 
the same line of text" where the tags appear.  But, it's hard to see 
that distinction when you're using graphics the size of an entire page.