Re: [docbook-apps] Recommended docbook element for a "Problems section"

[Thomas Schraitle <tom_schr@web.de>]

Hi Eric,

On Mon, 11 Jan 2016 00:55:45 +0100
Erik Leunissen <elns@xs4all.nl> wrote:

> I'm in the process of writing an educational textbook. The textbook
> is a docbook book, containing several chapters. Each chapter contains
> several sections with "explained content", a "Problems section" and a 
> bibliography. Like the sections, the "Problems section" and the 
> bibliography occur at the same level just below a chapter.
> 
> (B.t.w. the word "section" in "Problems section" is just a matter of 
> speak, not meant to be a docbook element, not yet anyway)
> 
> [...]
> My question relates to the "Problems" section in each chapter. Like
> the bibliography it must not have a label, but must occur in the
> table of contents.
> 
> I've been looking for a docbook element for such a "Problems
> section", and I have difficulty finding an appropriate one:
> - I can't make it a docbook section because these are processed to 
> display a label.

I fear, there is no dedicated element for a "problems" section. 

However, you can try the label attribute and set it to an empty
value. It is there to influence the section numbering. Not sure if this
is what you want.

On the other side, the best approach is probably to use the role
attribute, set it to role="problem" and write a XSLT customization
layer for further processing.


> - a Q&A set seems inappropriate since there are only questions (which 
> are not "Frequently asked" anyway; and answers are not supposed to be 
> provided in the same structural element)

Well, as you probably already know, there is the qandaset element for
this purpose. It allows you to add one question but you are not forced
to provide any answers. Does that help?

Of course, you are free to wrap it inside a section.


> - I've been thinking about using a section element with a dedicated
> role attribute, that triggers customized processing, but that's just
> a wild idea for now.

I did the same with my cookbook which you can browse here:
http://doccookbook.sf.net
(will be moved to GitHub in the future)

Used a role="problem" and "solution" but ATM, I haven't done any
special processing with them.


-- 
Gruß/Regards,
    Thomas Schraitle