Re: [docbook-apps] Treatment of tabs in programlisting in FO output

[Paul Grosso <pgrosso at arbortext dot com>]

At 14:18 2003 05 06 +0200, Joachim Ziegler wrote:
>In a <programlisting> I include a Makefile by
>
><programlisting><textobject><textdata fileref="Makefile"/></textobject></programlisting>
>
>which contains the usual tabs in the commands of a rule.
>
>Both in HTML and FO output, these tabs are preserved.
>
>This looks fine in HTML because they are surreounded by a <pre>.
>
>But XEP converts these tabs inside the fo:block into only one whitespace character.
>
>Is this correct? So I have to substitute the tabs by 8 white spaces myself? Or is it an error of XEP (or the stylesheets)?


I am aware of nothing in the XSL spec that suggests any
semantic for the composition of non-ignored tab characters.
In fact, most tab characters, being white space, will be
collapsed along with other white space.  But even if 
one is "preserving" white space, the XSL spec doesn't
suggest anywhere (afaik) how tab characters are composed.

In short, I don't believe there is any reason to think that
tab characters will be treated by an XSL-FO composition
engine as anything other than a space.

Bottom line [only slightly exaggerating], don't use tab 
characters unless you are working on a typewriter.

paul



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