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Re: [xsl] Newspaper Style Columns

2007-01-26 15:00:04
On Fri, 2007-01-26 at 16:30 -0500, Mulberry Technologies List Owner
wrote:
I'm going from XML to PDF using an XSL.  I need two columns with a small
space in the middle.  Unfortunately I cannot use the column-count and
column-gap attribute of the fo:region-body element.

Why not? Did you try it and get a result you didn't like? Is there an 
external constraint on your techniques? Are you using a tool that 
doesn't know how to count?
Using those attributes breaks the whole document into two columns.
Since the area that I need to be broken up into columns is dynamic
within the entire doc, I can't use span = "all", or at least not with my
limited understanding of templates.


I was originally
thinking of using tables, however that wont work.

Again, why not? If you don't tell the list more about your 
requirements, what you have tried, and why you don't like the results 
you have gotten you will not get much help.

I need the text to be printed like a newspaper, where the text wraps to
the next column when the bottom of the page is reached.  The table I was
using simply put all the data in one column and did not wrap.  This
again may be due to my lack of understanding.


You will improve the chances that you will receive prompt and helpful 
responses by:

   - asking specific enough questions that answers are possible. Describe
     what you are trying to do, how you approached it, what happened, and
     why you don't like the result you got
I asked a vague question on purpose.  I am capable of doing my own leg
work in trying to figure out how something is supposed to work.  This
would also enable me to learn XSL more effectively.


   - supplying small samples of files that illustrate your question or
     problem. For example, an XML file, an XSLT stylesheet, the result
     you got, and the result you want - all in miniature (and remembering
     that everything posted to XSL-List is archived in public)
As you've said, it is archived in public and I am working with
pre-published legal docs.  I can mock up a simple example for you
though.

<legaldoc>
        <law>
                <section>
                        <para>
                                ...
                        </para>
                </section>
                <source>
                        <para>
                                ...
                        </para>
                </source>
                <annotation>
                        <header>
                        </header>
                        <para>
                        </para>
                </annotation>
        </law>
</legaldoc>

The xsl is fairly simple

...
<flow>
        <xsl:apply-templates>
</flow>

<xsl:template match = section>
...
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match = source>
...
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match = annotation>
...
</xsl:template>
...

Note that this is only ONE legaldoc.  Eventually I will have ALL legal
docs combined into one legaldoc and then will run the xsl.  The
resulting pdf will amount to more then a dozen books.  This is why I
need a dynamic way to input where the two columns occur. :/

                

   - describing the topic of your question concisely in the subject line
     Good subject lines - those that describe the subject matter of your
     message - not only increase the chances that you will receive answers
     to questions or responses to comments, they also make your message
     and any replies to it accessible in the list archives.
I'm sorry -- this was the most descriptive way I could think of to get
my subject across.  Please under stand that I'm a lowly intern trying to
learn on the go.  If my questions seems elementary or poorly formulated
its due to the fact that I'm just getting my feet wet! :)

-- Tommie

Thank you for taking the time to help me out.  I hope this helps you
understand a little more what I'm trying to do.

Thanks,
Luke

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