Re: DOCBOOK: revhistory not rendered, customization

[Michael Smith <smith at xml-doc dot org>]

Brian Craft <bcboy@cisco.com> writes:

> > Maybe download and install the current DSSSL stylesheets:
> >
> >   http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=21935
> >
> > And try the "DSSSL stylesheet documentation" section on this page:
> >
> >   http://sourceforge.net/docman/?group_id=21935
> 
> Hm... I got docbook-style-dsssl 1.76 from RedHat Rawhide, and get the same
> result.
> 
> The docbook docs I've found are a bit inconsistent about where revhistory is
> supposed to be, because of changes of artheader and articleinfo. I found if I
> put revhistory in a paragraph outside of articleinfo it *will* be rendered --
> but it's not on the title page (where it should be), and it looks horrible.
> 
> I believe dbttlpg.dsl is handling title pages, and it seems to have code for
> revhistory.
> 
> I've looked through the docs you mention. The link for the print reference is
> broken.

Sorry -- I've just fixed the link, so it should be pointing to the
right place now. Uh, and the link for the HTML parameter reference for
DSSSL was actually pointing to the XSL parameter reference. Fixed that too.

> The HOWTO doesn't have the info I need. It has a list of parameters
> that affect the rendering, but no explaination of how the rendering works,
> or how to change things beyond the few available parameters.
> 
> Like for titlepages, it has 
> 
> %generate-article-titlepage-on-separate-page% -- Should the article title page be on a separate page?
> 
> Rather, I need info on how dbttlpg.dsl specifies layout, and how I can change
> it.
> 
> Perhaps the dsssl spec defines how these dsl files work? But then the modular
> style sheets appear to have a lot of architecture to them as well, beyond
> the implementation language. E.g. how is the page header (with the title of
> the article) handled? I'd like to change it, but have no idea where it is.
> And it's not in the "Paper/Page Characteristics" section of the HOWTO.

Well, this doesn't help to solve your immediate problem, but I filed a
Documentation Request at the DocBook Sourceforge site:

  http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=544544&group_id=21935&atid=381743

That might help to get it properly documented in the future (when one
of the DSSSL-familiar people on the Sourceforge team has time to write
up the documentation for it). Feel free to add a comment/clarification
to that if you think it's needed.

For now, if you haven't tried it already, you might want to search for
"dsssl header" in the archives of the docbook-apps list:

  http://sourceforge.net/docman/display_doc.php?docid=10430&group_id=21935

HTH,

  --Mike Smith