docbook-apps

Perhaps a new section on the DocBook Wiki could be created, and people could contribute their customizations for others to use and learn from? It might be very helpful to those getting started.

http://wiki.docbook.org/topic/

Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting
bobs@sagehill.net

I was thinking about this too. (though I?m not capable of creating anything
in the wiki)

I made a lot of customizations here that I?m willing to contribute.



_____

Von: Bob Stayton [mailto:bobs@sagehill.net]
Gesendet: Montag, 5. März 2007 17:51
An: Hendy Irawan; docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
Betreff: Re: [docbook-apps] Better-looking DocBook XSL-FO stylesheets?



Perhaps a new section on the DocBook Wiki could be created, and people could
contribute their customizations for others to use and learn from? It might
be very helpful to those getting started.



<http://wiki.docbook.org/topic/> http://wiki.docbook.org/topic/



Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting
<mailto:bobs@sagehill.net> bobs@sagehill.net






Original Message -----

From: <mailto:gauldong@gmail.com> Hendy Irawan

To: <mailto:docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org>
docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org

Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 8:36 AM

Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] Better-looking DocBook XSL-FO stylesheets?



Wow, you guys are seriously active! :-)

Thank you Dave and Stefan for your very quick response.

On 3/4/07, Dave Pawson < <mailto:davep@dpawson.co.uk> davep@dpawson.co.uk>
wrote:

Hendy Irawan wrote:

> I wonder if there is already work on producing [open-source] customized
> stylesheets from the official DocBook XSL so that people will have more
fun
> writing their books. :-)
>

Define more fun.


regards

--
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
<http://www.dpawson.co.uk> http://www.dpawson.co.uk


Yep I would say when I "click" (assuming GUI) the "publish to PDF" button,
Adobe Reader will display a "cool" looking document that looks good.

From my personal point of view, having a good looking presentation output is
a "killer feature". I think it would be great if we can have (probably
unofficial) DocBook stylesheets with, well... more design.

On 3/4/07, Stefan Seefeld < <mailto:seefeld@sympatico.ca>
seefeld@sympatico.ca> wrote:

Hendy Irawan wrote:
> Hi,
>
> It's been several years and the XSL-for-FO/PDF still very plain yet with
> fine functionality.
>
> I've been searching for "better"-looking XSL stylesheets (like those
> used by commercial publishers), but haven't found any.
>
> I wonder if there is already work on producing [open-source] customized
> stylesheets from the official DocBook XSL so that people will have more
> fun writing their books. :-)

What about starting with more functional Free fo processors, first ? :-)

Regards,
Stefan


Thanks Stefan, I think you're right. I'm not sure about how comprehensive
FOP is though...

So there aren't other stylesheets?



--
Hendy Irawan
Web: <http://hendy.gauldong.net> http://hendy.gauldong.net
Mobile: +62 856 24889899
Yahoo Messenger: ceefour666
LinkedIn: <http://www.linkedin.com/in/ceefour>
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ceefour

On 3/6/07, Hinrich Aue <hinrich.aue@lci-software.com> wrote:
>
> I was thinking about this too. (though I'm not capable of creating
> anything in the wiki)
>
> I made a lot of customizations here that I'm willing to contribute.
>
I'd really love if you could email it to me. :-) [just zip it and go, I'll
figure out how to]

I've been able to (finally!) make the chapter title on the corner of the
page... I have to put either 'bottom' or 'height' properties using fixed
position. It doesn't seem a good solution though since it can span multiple
lines which means is going to affect the main body flow. :( Style publishing
is much harder than I had previously thought.

Replacing the default fonts with better ones (at the very least Arial
Narrow, and Garamond/Georgia) is more refreshing. And I have other fonts too
from Adobe, Linotype, ITC, ... but there's no way I would be able to embed
those into an open-source stylesheet. :-(

Even the use of the "better" fonts is... well, questionable. (may require
specific OS, and stuff... sigh)

But seriously, in publishing, isn't typography Everything?

--
Hendy Irawan
Web: http://hendy.gauldong.net
Mobile: +62 856 24889899
Yahoo Messenger: ceefour666
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ceefour

I can zip and send you a nice way of creating custom chapter headings.

The Idea is from Bob Stayton?.. Maybe this is a starting point for the wiki?



_____

Von: Hendy Irawan [mailto:gauldong@gmail.com]
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 7. März 2007 13:50
An: Hinrich Aue
Cc: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
Betreff: Re: [docbook-apps] Better-looking DocBook XSL-FO stylesheets?



On 3/6/07, Hinrich Aue <hinrich.aue@lci-software.com> wrote:

I was thinking about this too. (though I'm not capable of creating anything
in the wiki)

I made a lot of customizations here that I'm willing to contribute.

I'd really love if you could email it to me. :-) [just zip it and go, I'll
figure out how to]



I've been able to (finally!) make the chapter title on the corner of the
page... I have to put either 'bottom' or 'height' properties using fixed
position. It doesn't seem a good solution though since it can span multiple
lines which means is going to affect the main body flow. :( Style publishing
is much harder than I had previously thought.



Replacing the default fonts with better ones (at the very least Arial
Narrow, and Garamond/Georgia) is more refreshing. And I have other fonts too
from Adobe, Linotype, ITC, ... but there's no way I would be able to embed
those into an open-source stylesheet. :-(



Even the use of the "better" fonts is... well, questionable. (may require
specific OS, and stuff... sigh)



But seriously, in publishing, isn't typography Everything?


--
Hendy Irawan
Web: http://hendy.gauldong.net
Mobile: +62 856 24889899
Yahoo Messenger: ceefour666
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ceefour

Hendy Irawan wrote:

> Even the use of the "better" fonts is... well, questionable. (may require
> specific OS, and stuff... sigh)
>
> But seriously, in publishing, isn't typography Everything?

No.

Wait till you're aging, your eyesight is weakening, then
try your sexy fonts.

Try clear and accessible.
You'll keep a majority happy with your content.





regards
A TAB....
--
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
http://www.dpawson.co.uk

On Wednesday 07 March 2007 14:49, Hendy Irawan wrote:
> I've been able to (finally!) make the chapter title on the corner of the
> page... I have to put either 'bottom' or 'height' properties using fixed
> position. It doesn't seem a good solution though since it can span multiple
> lines which means is going to affect the main body flow. :( Style
> publishing is much harder than I had previously thought.
> Replacing the default fonts with better ones (at the very least Arial
> Narrow, and Garamond/Georgia) is more refreshing. And I have other fonts
> too from Adobe, Linotype, ITC, ... but there's no way I would be able to
> embed those into an open-source stylesheet. :-(
> Even the use of the "better" fonts is... well, questionable. (may require
> specific OS, and stuff... sigh)
> But seriously, in publishing, isn't typography Everything?

Bit concerned here. Do people know that you cannot just send fonts around.
They are licensed things like other bits of software.

As for fonts in stylesheets. Its quite easy to add/change fonts and pass them
to a processor like FOP. So I don't understand the problem.

Typography is important, but then so is layout. I think Dave Pawson says it
well. Keep it simple and clean so that the majority like and can use it.
Fancy fonts, while they can be used, should be used sparingly. MHO.

--
Sean Wheller
Technical Author
email: sean@inwords.co.za
im: seanwhe@jabber.org
skype: seanwhe
cel: +27-84-854-9408
web: http://www.inwords.co.za