Re: DOCBOOK-APPS: dsssl rtf script usage

[ed nixon <ed dot nixon at lynnparkplace dot org>]

Thanks David,

David Cramer wrote:
> <snip/>
> I'm not sure if this is the level at which you're asking the question, but if you're on a Linux distribution the docbook-utils package may already be installed (See "Convenience Tools" at http://www.docbook.org/wiki/moin.cgi/DocBookTools). Try 'man jw' (which is wrapped by db2rtf etc.) When processsing xml instead of sgml with DSSSL, you may need the information in this faq: 
> http://www.dpawson.co.uk/docbook/dsssl/dssslgeneral.html#d1579e43 
I missed this the first time I went through Dave's FAQ and it was the 
bit I couldn't remember from the last blue moon. However it didn't work 
the first time round because I had a catalogue reference (as per the 
OpenJade docs, sigh) that points to the DCL file. After I'd commented 
that out to let the command line DCL work, the conversion process seemed 
to fine. (Except for some rather strange textual artifacts in the 
headings where I think roman numbers would go.)

Configuration! For me, it's always the inter-relationships and conflicts 
of catalogue items that cause the problems. Of course, it's tough to 
document because the configurations are very installation specific.

> I have to admit that when I try to use DSSSL to go to rtf, the results never look quite as good as I think they could, but there are knowlegable people (not me, btw) on this list who can help you with specific problems. Still, at least there are page number references (and they're even hot :). 
I have to agree with you there. And, as we noted in our off-list 
exchange, the RTF output of most of these tools makes you look like an 
amateur because of the relatively rudimentary support for named styles 
in the output file. DSSSL seems superior to the XMLMind tool, though, by 
quite a bit.

Thanks again Dave.                 ...edN