RE: [docbook-apps] Customizing and creating a stylesheet for docbook using the XML Mind or Oxygen XML Editor

[daniel.keyes@finaris.de]

Hey,

we finally managed to customize the
PDF output. Some aspects still seem a bit mysterious, but we´ve got it.
Thanks for the hint Bob!
Nevertheless, we are not yet running
out of questions:

We are pretty much finished customizing
our stylesheet, but still have a problem moving the list of figures and
list of tables towards the appendix/ back of the document.. Our Documents
are structured into:
- Frontpage
- Legal Notices
-Table of content
- Typographical conventions
- Preface
-Main body
-Appendix ( shortcuts, glossary etc.)
-List of figures
- List of tables

The problem is that we haven´t figured
out yet how to shift the list of tables and list of figures from the front
of the document ( between frontpage and legal notices ) to the back of
the document ( after the appendix).
The Appendix including the tables have
a Heading TOC formatting ( A XYZ, B XYZ etc.) 
We have used 


 <xsl:param name="generate.toc"
>
        appendix
 title,figure
        article
  title
        book  
   toc,title
        chapter
  title
        part  
   title
        preface
  title
        reference
title
        sect1  
  title
        sect2  
  title
        sect3  
  title
        sect4  
  title
        sect5  
  title
        section
  title
    </xsl:param>

to specify the location of the tables,
but it didn´t work out. Can anyone give us a clue? Per default, the tables
are rendered into the front part of the document.

Thanks!

Daniel

From:	Jason Zech <zech@loyolapress.com>
To:	Bob Stayton <bobs@sagehill.net>, "docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org" <docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org>, "daniel.keyes@finaris.de" <daniel.keyes@finaris.de>
Date:	24.01.2012 17:43
Subject:	RE: [docbook-apps] Customizing and creating a stylesheet for docbook using the XML Mind or Oxygen XML Editor

---

I’m also a fan of PrinceXML,
which generates PDF from any structured content using fairly robust CSS
styles. I transform from DocBook to HTML (using the stylesheets) and from
HTML to PDF with Prince (CSS for styles). I’m very impressed with the
results.
 
www.princexml.com
 
 
From: Bob Stayton [mailto:bobs@sagehill.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 10:40 AM
To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org; daniel.keyes@finaris.de
Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] Customizing and creating a stylesheet for
docbook using the XML Mind or Oxygen XML Editor
 
Hi Daniel,
CSS has progressed to the point where it
can format printed output, and I know of at least one product that can
use CSS to generate PDF output (Antenna House XSL Formatter http://www.antennahouse.com/product.htm).
 But most people use DocBook's XSL-FO output (fo/docbook.xsl) and
an XSL-FO processor such as FOP to generate PDFs from DocBook content.
 
I believe someone pointed you to my online
book DocBook XSL: The Complete Guide at http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/index.html.
 I believe it has the information you need to customize your PDF output.
 This link will get you started with parameter setting:
 
http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/PrintOutput.html
 
and this one with titlepage customization:
 
http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/HTMLTitlePage.html
 
and this one will help with further customizations:
 
http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/PrintCustomEx.html
 
Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
bobs@sagehill.net
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: daniel.keyes@finaris.de

To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org

Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 4:38
AM
Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] Customizing
and creating a stylesheet for docbook using the XML Mind or Oxygen XML
Editor
 
Hello, 

sorry that it took so long, but I was quite busy. 
Thanks for all the response - it made things easier for us. 

The customization process is getting along pretty well, but we still have
some questions regarding the PDF Output: 

As said before, we customized Docbook to match our requirements. We basically
added a few elements to the schema and blocked those we didn’t want. The
font size etc. is determined by an css style sheet. 

One problem is, that most of our new styles are not recognized if we output
a document as a PDF. We already found the param.xml and pagesetup.xsl file,
but were not sure if it is necessary to customize them as well. Did we
go wrong using css instead of xsl as a stylesheet? Oxygen handles both,
but it seems like only xls is supported for creating a PDF. 

Another problem that we have is, that we can´t really figure out how to
influence the general page layout (header, footer, graphic on the front
page etc.). Is there any tutorial or something? 

Finally, at least for now, we are wondering how to insert text boxes in
line with the text, since in our current configuration text boxes are always
inserted below the paragraph. 



Thanks for the help and sorry if some questions might seem unnecessary.
I´m not one of the XML guys in the company, but rather one of those who
write and translate. 

Greetings, 

Daniel

From:	daniel.keyes@finaris.de
To:	docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
Date:	17.01.2012 09:44
Subject:	[docbook-apps] Customizing and creating a stylesheet for docbook using the XML Mind or Oxygen XML Editor

 

---

Hello, 

currently my company is thinking about transferring its user documentation
into XML and docbook. 
Since we are an IT company, XML and programming in general is not a problem.
But: We cannot find and adjust the stylesheet needed to create our custom
documentation. 
We are currently setting up a prototype for our documentation, following
the instructions from Walsh´s "DocBook 5: The definitive Guide"
and working with the XML Mind Editor and a trial version of "OXYGEN
Editor". 

Basically, we are satisfied with the results and trust in docbooks function
(since having lots of trouble with Word), but the lacking transparency
makes it really hard to come up with a sample documentation/ prototype
.Each file we open has at least one reference to a website we cannot open
and dozens of files that don´t exist or are really hard to find. We checked
the regular docbook.zip from the docbook homepage, but also all  files
of the respective editors. (Is there something as a "default"
Docbook editor that you would propose?) 

Can anyone give me some advice, a link or even a how-to for adjusting the
docbook stylesheet? Personally, I would love to use docbook for our user
documentation, simply for the additional features it has compared to other
text processing program, but only if I can adjust the appearance. Especially
regarding corporate identity this is absolutely necessary. 

Thanks and with best regards, 


D. Keyes 




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FINARIS Financial Software Partner GmbH
Sömmerringstr. 23, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Registered at Frankfurt/Main, HRB 52873

Managing Directors: 
Dipl. Inf. Hermann Friebel, Dipl. Ing. Kai Bächle, Dipl. Inf. Werner Märkl
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=======================================================
Disclaimer
The information contained in this e - mail and any attachments
( together the "message") is intended for the addressee only
and may 
contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you have received
the message by mistake please delete it and notify the sender and do
not copy or distribute it or disclose its contents to anyone.

FINARIS Financial Software Partner GmbH
Sömmerringstr. 23, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Registered at Frankfurt/Main, HRB 52873

Managing Directors: 
Dipl. Inf. Hermann Friebel, Dipl. Ing. Kai Bächle, Dipl. Inf. Werner Märkl
=======================================================