docbook-apps

  • 1.  Re: [docbook-apps] Table column proportional values

    Posted 05-13-2010 00:25
    I also find this behavior a bit odd. It is not accidental, as there is a specific bit
    of code that turns off column-width when set to 1:

    <xsl:if test="$colwidth != 'proportional-column-width(1)'">
    <xsl:attribute name="column-width">
    <xsl:value-of select="$colwidth"/>
    </xsl:attribute>
    </xsl:if>

    The $colwidth variable is computed, and if its value is "proportional-column-width(1)"
    then no column-width attribute is output at all! I have no idea why this step is
    taken. This bit of code has existed in the table.xsl file since it was first created
    by Norm Walsh in 2001. It may have been a limitation of early FO processors, but it
    certainly isn't desirable behavior now.

    Please file a bug report on SourceForge for this item.

    Bob Stayton
    Sagehill Enterprises
    bobs@sagehill.net


    ----- Original Message -----
    From: deannelson@aol.com
    To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
    Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 4:42 PM
    Subject: [docbook-apps] Table column proportional values


    Hello everyone,

    I started paying attention to the warning messages that FOP puts out and discovered an
    issue in one of my tables. It appears that the 'colwidth' attribute is a bit touchy
    with the values that it gets. If a value is specified as "1*" it will not generate the
    proportional XSL-FO code that it needs and then out puts a message:



    WARNING: table-layout="fixed" and column-width unspecified => falling back to
    proportional-column-width(1) (See position 560:47)

    This in itself is not a big problem, but when tracking down why it did that, the
    1.75.2 version of the stylesheets emits some code that doesn't seem right. I'm using
    XSLTPROC but I get the same results with Saxon 6.5.5 and without any customization
    layer.

    Example 1:
    <colspec colname="c1" colwidth="1*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c2" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c3" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>

    produces in the FO file:
    <fo:table-column column-number="1"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="2"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="3"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>

    and thus produces the warning. Whereas changing the '1*' to '3*' in the first column
    produces no warning.

    Example 2:
    <colspec colname="c1" colwidth="3*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c2" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c3" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>

    produces in the FO file:
    <fo:table-column column-number="1"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(3)"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="2"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="3"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>

    Obviously the work around is to refrain from using '1*' in our tables but that would
    be a pain. Is this an error in the stylesheets or my thinking/processing?

    Regards,
    Dean Nelson




  • 2.  Re: [docbook-apps] Table column proportional values

    Posted 05-13-2010 03:12
    Thanks Bob!

    Its strange that no one has had any problems in the past. It could be that the processors blow right by it and only complain about it lightly.

    I filed a bug report: #3000898

    Thanks
    Dean


    In a message dated 05/12/10 17:25:50 Pacific Daylight Time, bobs@sagehill.net writes:
    I also find this behavior a bit odd. It is not accidental, as there is a specific bit
    of code that turns off column-width when set to 1:

    <xsl:if test="$colwidth != 'proportional-column-width(1)'">
    <xsl:attribute name="column-width">
    <xsl:value-of select="$colwidth"/>
    </xsl:attribute>
    </xsl:if>

    The $colwidth variable is computed, and if its value is "proportional-column-width(1)"
    then no column-width attribute is output at all! I have no idea why this step is
    taken. This bit of code has existed in the table.xsl file since it was first created
    by Norm Walsh in 2001. It may have been a limitation of early FO processors, but it
    certainly isn't desirable behavior now.

    Please file a bug report on SourceForge for this item.

    Bob Stayton
    Sagehill Enterprises
    bobs@sagehill.net


    ----- Original Message -----
    From: deannelson@aol.com
    To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
    Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 4:42 PM
    Subject: [docbook-apps] Table column proportional values


    Hello everyone,

    I started paying attention to the warning messages that FOP puts out and discovered an
    issue in one of my tables. It appears that the 'colwidth' attribute is a bit touchy
    with the values that it gets. If a value is specified as "1*" it will not generate the
    proportional XSL-FO code that it needs and then out puts a message:



    WARNING: table-layout="fixed" and column-width unspecified => falling back to
    proportional-column-width(1) (See position 560:47)

    This in itself is not a big problem, but when tracking down why it did that, the
    1.75.2 version of the stylesheets emits some code that doesn't seem right. I'm using
    XSLTPROC but I get the same results with Saxon 6.5.5 and without any customization
    layer.

    Example 1:
    <colspec colname="c1" colwidth="1*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c2" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c3" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>

    produces in the FO file:
    <fo:table-column column-number="1"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="2"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="3"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>

    and thus produces the warning. Whereas changing the '1*' to '3*' in the first column
    produces no warning.

    Example 2:
    <colspec colname="c1" colwidth="3*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c2" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    <colspec colname="c3" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>

    produces in the FO file:
    <fo:table-column column-number="1"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(3)"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="2"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    <fo:table-column column-number="3"
    column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>

    Obviously the work around is to refrain from using '1*' in our tables but that would
    be a pain. Is this an error in the stylesheets or my thinking/processing?

    Regards,
    Dean Nelson


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  • 3.  Re: [docbook-apps] Table column proportional values

    Posted 05-18-2010 13:38
    setting colwidth="1.0*" seems to avoid the problem (instead of ="1*")

    DeanNelson wrote:
    > Thanks Bob!
    >
    > Its strange that no one has had any problems in the past. It could be
    > that the processors blow right by it and only complain about it lightly.
    >
    > I filed a bug report: #3000898
    >
    > Thanks
    > Dean
    >
    >
    > In a message dated 05/12/10 17:25:50 Pacific Daylight Time,
    > bobs@sagehill.net writes:
    >
    > I also find this behavior a bit odd. It is not accidental, as there
    > is a specific bit
    > of code that turns off column-width when set to 1:
    >
    > <xsl:if test="$colwidth != 'proportional-column-width(1)'">
    > <xsl:attribute name="column-width">
    > <xsl:value-of select="$colwidth"/>
    > </xsl:attribute>
    > </xsl:if>
    >
    > The $colwidth variable is computed, and if its value is
    > "proportional-column-width(1)"
    > then no column-width attribute is output at all! I have no idea why
    > this step is
    > taken. This bit of code has existed in the table.xsl file since it
    > was first created
    > by Norm Walsh in 2001. It may have been a limitation of early FO
    > processors, but it
    > certainly isn't desirable behavior now.
    >
    > Please file a bug report on SourceForge for this item.
    >
    > Bob Stayton
    > Sagehill Enterprises
    > bobs@sagehill.net
    >
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: deanne lson@aol.com
    > To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
    > Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 4:42 PM
    > Subject: [docbook-apps] Table column proportional values
    >
    >
    > Hello everyone,
    >
    > I started paying attention to the warning messages that FOP puts out
    > and discovered an
    > issue in one of my tables. It appears that the 'colwidth' attribute
    > is a bit touchy
    > with the values that it gets. If a value is specified as "1*" it
    > will not generate the
    > proportional XSL-FO code that it needs and then out puts a message:
    >
    >
    >
    > WARNING: table-layout="fixed" and column-width unspecified =>
    > falling back to
    > proportional-column-width(1) (See position 560:47)
    >
    > This in itself is not a big problem, but when tracking down why it
    > did that, the
    > 1.75.2 version of the stylesheets emits some code that doesn't seem
    > right. I'm using
    > XSLTPROC but I get the same results with Saxon 6.5.5 and without any
    > customization
    > layer.
    >
    > Example 1:
    > <colspec colname="c1" colwidth="1*" align="left"/>
    > <colspec colname="c2" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    > <colspec colname="c3" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    >
    > produces in the FO file:
    > <fo:table-column column-number="1"/>
    > <fo:table-column column-number="2"
    > column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    > <fo:table-column column-number="3"
    > column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    >
    > and thus produces the warning. Whereas changing the '1*' to '3*' in
    > the first column
    > produces no warning.
    >
    > Example 2:
    > <colspec colname="c1" colwidth="3*" align="left"/>
    > & nbsp; <colspec colname="c2" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    > <colspec colname="c3" colwidth="2*" align="left"/>
    >
    > produces in the FO file:
    > <fo:table-column column-number="1"
    > column-width="proportional-column-width(3)"/>
    > <fo:table-column column-number="2"
    > column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    > <fo:table-column column-number="3"
    > column-width="proportional-column-width(2)"/>
    >
    > Obviously the work around is to refrain from using '1*' in our
    > tables but that would
    > be a pain. Is this an error in the stylesheets or my
    > thinking/processing?
    >
    > Regards,
    > Dean Nelson
    >
    >
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    > To unsubscribe, e-mail: docbook-apps-unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.o rg
    > For additional commands, e-mail: docbook-apps-help@lists.oasis-open.org
    >
    >

    --
    Ron Catterall Ph.D. D.Sc.
    ron@catterall.net
    http://catterall.net



  • 4.  An interesting article about DocBook in WebWorkerDaily

    Posted 05-19-2010 03:02
    http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/05/18/defining-and-finding-truly-great-tools/

    The part that got my interest was

    Later, I was introduced to DocBook, an XML schema that allows the
    identification of pieces of content as small as individual letters. Here,
    for me, was an actual revolution in the way I worked. DocBook represented a
    new way of thinking about my content and suited my thought patterns much
    better than did the blank page of a word processing file, implying as it did
    a linear flow and a single voice.

    The fact that this tool suited my brain better than did word processing
    tools allowed me to think about information and communication differently:
    instead of battling (albeit subconsciously) with the restrictions of my
    tools, I was free to approach content in a way that really suited me, and
    was shown a completely new perspective on my work at the same time.

    Where content management tools made my life easier and improved my product,
    DocBook effectively allowed me to evolve my practice.