Re: [docbook-apps] formatting for paragraphs with xsl stylesheets

Generally we try to maintain backwards 
compatibility with previous stylesheet releases so that existing customizations 
are not broken with a new release,  so changing the name of it would not be 
appropriate.  But adding a new  'para.properties' attribute set that 
includes normal.para.spacing would be.

 

Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises


 

 

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

  
From: 
  Paul 
  Tremblay 

  
To: Bob Stayton 

  
Cc: DocBook Apps 

  
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 10:08 
  AM

  
Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] formatting 
  for paragraphs with xsl stylesheets

  

I think normal.para.properties is a better name. 
  normal.para.spacing seems misleading, since the attribute set can set all 
  sorts of different properties. Would it be too much work to change this, or 
  would it introduce incompatibilities? 

Thanks again

Paul

  
On Fri, Mar 2, 2012 at 12:59 PM, Bob Stayton <> wrote:

  
    

    
Actually, the name of the attribute set is 
    'normal.para.spacing', not normal.para.properties.  I used the correct 
    name in the paragraph but not the example.  And indeed, it  does 
    not appear in the index, an oversight I will correct in the next 
    edition.

    

    
 

    
Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises


    
 

    
 

    
      

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

      
From: Paul Tremblay 

      

      

      
To: Bob Stayton 

      
Cc: DocBook 
      Apps 

      
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 9:52 
      AM

      
Subject: Re: [docbook-apps] 
      formatting for paragraphs with xsl stylesheets

      

Thanks Bob,

When I look at this page:

http://docbook.sourceforge.net/release/xsl/1.76.1/doc/fo/index.html

I 
      don't see the normal.para.properties attribute set at all. Is the 
      documentation not accurate? 

Paul

      
On Fri, Mar 2, 2012 at 12:35 PM, Bob Stayton <> wrote:

      
        

        
Hi Paul,

        
I think the normal.para.spacing attribute-set was 
        originally for para, but has since been used for other purposes to give 
        uniform spacing for several similar elements. There should be a 
        dedicated attribute-set for para which has a 
        use-attribute-sets="normal.para.spacing" attribute so it can use those 
        properties but provide an opportunity for further customization for just 
        para.

        
 

        
Looking at some of my previous 
        cusotmization, I have used the normal.para.properties 
        attribute set and add an xsl:choose to test for the para context, 
        something like this:

        
 

        
<xsl:attribute-set 
        name="normal.para.properties">

        
  <xsl:attribute 
        name="text-indent">

        
    <xsl:choose>

        
      <xsl:when 
        test="self::d:para">

        
          para 
        value

        
      
        </xsl:when>

        
      
        </xsl:otherwise>

        
          
        non-para value

        
      
        </xsl:otherwise>

        
    
</xsl:choose>

        
  </xsl:attribute>

        
</xsl:attribute-set>

        
 

        
Since attribute-sets of the same name are merged, 
        you will still get the spacing and add this 
        property.

        
 

        
Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises


        

        

        
 

        
 

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

          
From: Paul Tremblay 

          
To: DocBook 
          Apps 

          
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 7:21 
          AM

          
Subject: [docbook-apps] 
          formatting for paragraphs with xsl stylesheets

          

It seems that the xsl stylesheets have a shortcoming 
          for formatting paragraphs. Whereas all other elements have an 
          attribute set, para does not. 

In order to set formatting 
          properties, one has to use the section.properties attribute set. But 
          then titles inherit this property as well. For 
          example:

    <xsl:attribute-set 
          name="section.properties">
      
          <xsl:attribute 
          name="text-indent">12pt</attribute>
    
          </xsl:attribute-set name>

Ends up indenting the title 
          as well. In order to get around that, I have to set the text-indent on 
          the title properties to 0; that seems like a clumsy workaround. In 
          addition, the lack of formatting for paragraphs does not allow you to 
          indent paragraphs in certain situations. For example, some styles 
          don't indent the first paragraph after a title. 

The code below 
          is my workaround. Is there a better way? If not, I would consider 
          submitting a patch (in which case the code would be more sophisticated 
          to handle more complicated situations)

  
          
 <!--indent first paragraph-->
    
          <xsl:template 
          match="d:para">
        
          <xsl:variable 
          name="keep.together">
            
          <xsl:call-template 
          name="pi.dbfo_keep-together"/>
        
          </xsl:variable>
        
          <fo:block 
          xsl:use-attribute-sets="normal.para.spacing">
            
          <xsl:if test="$keep.together != 
          ''">
                
          <xsl:attribute 
          name="keep-together.within-column">
                    
          <xsl:value-of 
          select="$keep.together"/>
                
          </xsl:attribute>
            
          </xsl:if>
            
          <xsl:if 
          test="preceding-sibling::d:para">
                
          <xsl:attribute 
          name="text-indent">
                    
          <xsl:value-of 
          select="$text-indent"/>
                
          </xsl:attribute>
            
          </xsl:if>
            
          <xsl:call-template 
          name="anchor"/>
            
          <xsl:apply-templates/>
        
          </fo:block>
    
          </xsl:template>

Paul