Re: DOCBOOK-APPS: Do any of the XML/XSL/XSL-FO tools flow text aroundfigures?

[Bob Stayton <bobs at caldera dot com>]

On Wed, Aug 14, 2002 at 08:20:44PM +0100, Josef Karthauser wrote:
> I've been using DSSSL/jadetex for my docbook work with quite a lot of
> success, but looking at the docbook-apps list it appears that most
> discusson is around the XML/XSL-FO tool chain.

One could say that the reason you see so much discussion
around XML/XSL-FO is that many things don't work and people
are looking for solutions.  The DSSSL side just gets the
quiet hum of working machinery.
 
> Do the XML tools offer a better quality output than what I'm getting
> with the jadetex output?

No.  It is getting close, but there are still glitches.
Most of the limitations are in the FO processors, not
the DocBook stylesheets.

> In particular I'd like to be able to flow text
> around figures,

That is not yet supported in DocBook XSL, and I'm not sure
the FO processors support it yet.

> and add title pages, which don't appear to be easily
> possible with the openjade solution.

The XSL stylesheets certainly have a lot of features for
customizing title pages.  

You might start trying out the XSL tool chain to get
familiar with it.  Probably Saxon and FOP are the easiest
to get started with.  It has a learning curve, and
then you'll be ready when it is.  8^)
-- 

Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
Caldera International, Inc.                 fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@caldera.com