Hi,
On Wed, Feb 26, 2003 at 09:33:20PM +0100, J.Pietschmann wrote:
Zack Brown wrote:
Could someone explain the advantages of XSL-FO over PostScript? As far as
I can see, XSLT can be used to output both,
Certainly. However, the FO processor does quite an amount
of computing, for example justifying spaces, adjusting lines
if there are different font sizes used and perhaps hyphenation.
...
get an OS XSLFO processor and look what
it does. If you want to use XSLT to directly generate PS,
you are restricted to fairly easy and most of all to a
stable layout, because the more complicated cases (like
footnotes in changing page masters or aligning page numbers
depending whether they are onn odd or even pages) get
soon out of control.
So, to sum up your argument, PostScript does give more power, but XSL-FO makes
some things (footnotes, page number alignment, etc) easy, that PostScript
has no basic provisions for?
I can go along with that. Thanks!
...but I wonder if there are any PostScript subroutine libraries out
there that try to bridge that gap. A quick google search didn't find
any.
The one argument I can see in favor of FO is that it presents a method of
page description that is more intuitive than PostScript. But even that is
kind of iffy. XSL-FO goes through a lot of hoops (like inheritance) to
avoid
programmatic flow control. And the result is fairly convoluted.
XSLFO was the first really systematic attempt on formalizing
higher level layout. Of course it contains some cruft, mostly
inherited from CSS (the most notable immediate predecessor).
I think TeX came before CSS. That's what I used in the early/mid 90's. It
was really great, but very rigid in ways that seemed arbitrary (like not
using memory that was available on the system, even when the alternative
was to terminate without completing its task). In spite of its flaws it
was very powerful and even beautiful in its way.
Be well,
Zack
If I'd put in charge of redesigning it without concerns for
compatiblity, I'd change a few bits.
J.Pietschmann
XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
--
Zack Brown
XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list