Re: [docbook-apps] QandA chunking

[Bob Stayton <bobs at sco dot com>]

On Mon, Jul 21, 2003 at 05:10:04PM +0100, CPH wrote:
> On Friday 18 July 2003 19:03, Bob Stayton wrote:
> > On Fri, Jul 18, 2003 at 07:54:41PM +0100, Dave Pawson wrote:
> > > At 18:12 18/07/2003 +0100, CPH wrote:
> > > >Hi all,
> > > >         I've converted my FAQ to the QandA format.
> > > >However previously I was using sections to chunk my document.
> > > >However now I'm trying to figure out what I should use to get the same
> > > >behaviour using QandA ?
> > > >For the list I found at
> > > >http://www.dpawson.co.uk/docbook/styling/custom.html#d1669e721
> > > >I cannot find a tag which I can insert between a QandASet and a QandADiv
> > > >to enable chunking.
> > > >
> > > >Am I on the wrong track again ?
> >
> > If you are using the stock stylesheets, I've found it
> > easiest to put each qandaset into an actual section
> > element.[1]  That way they get into the table of contents
> > and can be easily chunked with chunk.xsl.
> >
> > To get chunk.xsl to chunk at qandadiv boundaries would
> > require customization of the chunking templates, which
> > is challenging at least.
> >
> > [1] http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/QandAchunking.html
> 
> The problem I have with this solution is that I thought that I could move from 
> my previous use of sections to teh QandA tags. But I see that if I wan 
> chunking I have to keep my sections. 
> So then it is not very clear to me what advantage QandA tags will give me ?

Well, you lose the higher level hierarchy containers if
you use sections, but you keep the lower level question and
answer elements, as well as some attributes for controlling
numbering or labelling.

The reason chunking is not supported for qandaset is because
such elements are not part of the document hierarchy, and so
don't always form distinct chunking boundaries.
That is, a qandaset is a block element, even though it
can be large and complex.  It can be preceded and followed
by other kinds of block elements:

<para>Blah blah</para>
<qandaset>
 ...
</quandaset>
<para>More and more</para>

So how would such content be chunked?  Print the preceding
blocks, branch off to chunk the qandaset, and then return
to print the following blocks?  You would have to insert
a reference in the middle to indicate there is a qandaset
chunk, otherwise it wouldn't be obvious.  That's why the
chunking is always done at section boundaries.

There are a few exceptions.  A legalnotice will be chunked
out (and indicated by a generated "Legal Notice" link)
if the "generate.legalnotice.link" stylesheet parameter
is nonzero.  So chunking on blocks isn't impossible to do,
it is just that it has the potential to create a confusing
navigational scheme.

-- 

Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
The SCO Group                               fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@sco.com

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