OASIS Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) TC

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image scale-to-fit in DITA 1.2

  • 1.  image scale-to-fit in DITA 1.2

    Posted 03-12-2007 22:36
    Since we were (trying to) keep DITA 1.1 minimal so that we could
    get it out sooner, we passed on adding a scale-to-fit capability
    to DITA graphics (the image element).
    
    Our customers are needing such a capability--to the point that we
    will probably have to provide it in a non-standard way for the time
    being--so I'd like to see it considered for DITA 1.2.
    
    Background (can be skipped)
    ---------------------------
    Graphic sizing is always complex and generally misunderstood.  HTML
    (and CSS's) (mis-)handling only exacerbates the issue.  XSL-FO has 
    the full range, but in a way that requires attributes with odd data
    types (e.g., sizes, percentages, and enumerated values all in one
    attribute).
    
    One relatively complete (but not necessarily the clearest) discussion
    is one related to DocBook (but built on CALS concepts) at
    http://docbook.org/tdg/en/html/imagedata.html
    (Note that DITA's width and height attributes correspond to DocBook's
    width and depth attributes [and CALS' reprowid and reprodep attributes];
    DITA has no attributes corresponding to DocBook's contentwidth and
    contentdepth as described in the above referenced web page.)
    
    I wrote about graphic sizing previously at
    http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/dita/200601/msg00025.html
    
    DITA 1.2 Enhancement request
    ----------------------------
    The current user requirement is to allow a user to request 
    that an image be scaled to fit within the "available space".
    
    The simplest way to accomplish this given what we have to date is to
    add a "scalefit" attribute properly defined.  This matches what CALS
    has done for decades and is a subset of what the latest DocBook does.
    
    Adding the scalefit attribute, the sizing attributes for image would be: