Re: [docbook-apps] Extending XSL stylesheets to match extended DTD



I can give you some general guidelines and hints 
for creating a stylesheet customization for new elements.

 

First, find elements whose format most closely 
resembles what you want for output, and copy those to your customization layer, 
changing the match= attribute to your new element name, and adding any new steps 
you want to the processing.

 

Most (but not all) templates in DocBook XSL use a 
general <xsl:apply-templates/> to process all their children.  If you 
have a match attribute on a template for a new element in that context, it 
will get used in those circumstances.  

 

But there are a few situations where elements are 
selected by name, in order to present them in a specific sequence.  In 
those cases, a new element's template might not get called unless you customize 
the calling template to add your element to the list.  The worst case of 
this kind of processing is the computation of Next and Previous links in chunked 
HTML output. See for example the template named "chunk-all-sections" in 
html/chunk-code.xsl. Those templates use long lists of element names in select 
attributes to figure out the next chunk.  

 

If you want to actually chunk HTML on one of your 
new elements, be aware that the stylesheets aren't easy to customize for that 
purpose.  The previously mentioned Next and Previous computation shows 
why.  You have to add your element name to several locations to include 
it.

 

Many elements are processed in more than one XSL 
mode, so you'll need to also add templates for those modes if appropriate.  
For example, if you want an element to appear in the table of contents, you may 
need a mode="toc" template.  If you want to cross reference to an element, 
then you need a mode="xref-to" template.  An element with title might 
need a mode="title.markup" template.

 

If any of your new elements is to generate text 
labels or titles, then you will want to add gentext elements to the 
'local.l10n.xml' parameter (it is a parameter, not an XML file).  You might 
need to add a general <l:gentext> element, as well as <l:template> 
elements in the contexts of title and xref.

 

Those are some general suggestions.  If you 
want to select a couple of your new elements and describe how you want them 
handled, we could have a more detailed discussion.

 

Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting


 

 

  
----- Original Message ----- 

  
From: 
  Cameron 
  Kerr 

  
To:  
  

  
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 3:25 
  PM

  
Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] Extending XSL 
  stylesheets to match extended DTD

  

The schedule is only one part of a much larger work.
  

  
I think the DocBook XSL book could do with a larger worked example that 
  doesn't rely on the availability of appropriate parameters.

  

  

  
On 14/11/2006, at 10:15 PM, Bob Stayton wrote:

  
    
Hi Cameron,

    
Maybe I'm missing something 
    myself, but I'm not clear on how DocBook is helping you much here.  I 
    see very little usage of DocBook elements in your documents.  I 
    understand that you might want to use the DocBook stylesheets because they 
    are pretty versatile, but you may have more customization to do than if you 
    just wrote XSL templates from scratch for your purposes.  You could 
    always borrow some DocBook templates for the lower level elements like para 
    and such. 

    
 

    
Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting


    
 

    
 

    
      
----- Original Message 
      -----

      
From: 
      Cameron 
      Kerr

      
To: 
      

      
Sent: 
      Monday, November 13, 2006 12:20 PM

      
Subject: 
      [docbook-apps] Extending XSL stylesheets to match extended 
DTD

      

Hello, I'm trying to work out precisely what would be 
      required in extending the DocBook DTD in order to produce a significant 
      amount of coursework.
      

      
As part of this, I want to mark up a curriculum/schedule. This would 
      be comprised largely of block elements, such as the following structure 
      indicates.

      

      
schedule

      
week*

      
lecture*

      
title

      
presenter?

      
topics?

      
topic+

      
para 
      etc.

      
themes?

      
theme+

      
para 
      etc.

      
laboratory*

      
title

      
marks?

      
topics?

      
topic+

      
para 
      etc.

      
tutorial*

      
title

      
marks?

      
readings?

      
reading+

      
para 
      etc. (needs work 
      to profile book editions)

      

      
I have a rough idea of what I need to do to create a customisation 
      layer for the DTD, but none of the books I've consulted (including Docbook 
      XSL) mention anything (that I could find at least) about the correct way 
      to make a stylesheet extension.

      

      
Any tips? Or have I managed to miss something completely 
      obvious?

      

      

      
-- 

      
• Cameron Kerr  • ✉  •  •

      
• Telecommunications Teaching Fellow & SysAdmin •

      
• ✎ http://humbledown.org/blog/ • ✆ 021 02 333 
      294 •

      

  

  
-- 

  
• Cameron Kerr  • ✉  •  •

  
• Telecommunications Teaching Fellow & SysAdmin •

  
• ✎ http://humbledown.org/blog/ • ✆ 021 02 333 
  294 •