Re: [docbook-apps] Re: Syntax highlighting

[Frank Arensmeier <farensmeier@gmail.com>]

10 dec 2013 kl. 07:59 skrev davep <davep@dpawson.co.uk>:

> On 09/12/13 16:09, Norman Walsh wrote:
> 
>>> I can see you getting 80% with html and CSS...
>>> My penneth says you'll fall over on the 20% so I'm -1 on this.
>>>   Do you believe you can do it?
>>> What of re-ordering, toc etc?
>> 
>> Oh, you'd need a "for print" HTML stylesheet. There's lots of things
>> that CSS can't do. But I still think that would be easier for most
>> people than dealing with XSL FO.
> 
> 
> I have to agree with you Norm. I still think there will be
> things that (today) CSS can't do? That should change over (guess)
> the next 3-4 years?
>  What workflow would it be then?
> XSLT to obtain the selected / added /re-organised output, then CSS to style it?

I'd like to chime in here for a second or two. I think it is also important to ask in which direction Docbook (and other XML standards too for that matter) need to evolve in the near future. If you look at marketshare for desktop computer vs mobile devices, one will realise that the number of mobile devices has exploded the last couple of years. And this trend will definitely continue over the next decade or two. On the other hand, number of desktop computers has decreased tremendously. 

Where does DB come into this picture? Personally, I think that HTML output will (and should) become more important to focus on than anything else. It is not XSL/FO that gets attention today, it's CSS. In my opinion, XSL/FO is a dead end. It has a rather steep learning curve, there are only three production ready formatters available and I cannot see any signs of increased effort to develop XSL/FO any further. I've already customers that are more and more reluctant to pay for XSL/FO development. Partly because these customers don't want to be forced into one single technology and/or one single developer.

If Docbook would switch to CSS based PDF generation, and you are able to achieve 80% of all the features that come with the PDF format, that's absolutely fine with me. I am convinced that it's only a matter of time before we reach those remaining 20%.

/frank

ps. sorry for my english. I'm not a native english speaker… ds.

> regards
> 
> -- 
> Dave Pawson
> XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
> http://www.dpawson.co.uk
> 
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