DocBook - numbering sections - newbie question

[Richard Shea]

Hi - First of all I hope I'm in the right place for some DocBook (XML)
help.

I'm looking for help in creating a heirarchical numbering of "things"
- I say "things" because I'm not quite sure what DocBook element I should be using. If it were not for the numbering I would definetly say sections as they seem the most natural sub-division of my "article" - however I'm open to suggestions.

What I want to produce should look something like this ...

Title of my section numbering example

This is an introductory paragraph.
1. Vegetables
some text about vegetables ...
1.1 Spring Vegetables
some text about spring vegetables adsfas ...
1.1.1 European Spring Vegetables
some text about European Spring Vegetables adsfas ...
1.1.2 North American Spring Vegetables
some text about item 1/2 adsfas ...
1.2 Winter Vegetables
some text about Winter Vegetables ...
2. Fruit
2.1 Bush Fruits
some text about bush fruits
2.2 Tree Fruits
some text Tree Fruits ..

.... what I have tried is shown below. Although I have used OrderedLists I am not committed to doing it that way - I would prefer just to tell the sections to number themselves but I can't figure out how to. Any help would be appreciated.

Example starts below :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="file://localhost/D:/bin/installed/XMLMorphonEditor/Examples/docbook/docbook.css" type="text/css"?> <!DOCTYPE article SYSTEM "file://localhost/D:/bin/installed/XMLMorphonEditor/Examples/docbook/dtd/docbookx.dtd"> <article> <abstract> <para></para> </abstract> <section> <title>Title of my section numbering example</title> <para>This is an introductory paragraph.</para> <orderedlist continuation="continues" inheritnum="inherit" numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para>Vegetables<orderedlist continuation="continues" inheritnum="inherit" numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para>Spring Vegetables<orderedlist continuation="continues" inheritnum="inherit" numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para>European Spring Vegetables</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>North American Spring Vegetables</para> </listitem> </orderedlist></para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Winter Vegetables</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Fruit<orderedlist continuation="continues" inheritnum="inherit" numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para>Bush Fruits</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Spring Fruits</para> </listitem> </orderedlist></para> </listitem> </orderedlist>Vegetables</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Fruit<orderedlist continuation="continues" inheritnum="inherit" numeration="arabic"> <listitem> <para>Bush Fruits</para> </listitem> <listitem> <para>Spring Fruits</para> </listitem> </orderedlist></para> </listitem> </orderedlist> </section> </article>

 

[Don Adams]

If it were not for the numbering I would definetly
say sections as they seem the most natural sub-division of my "article" - however I'm open to suggestions.

I would stick with nested <section> elements.
Here is what we do for our documentation with numbered
headings. We would use the following for your example:

<article>
<title>Title of my section numbering example</title>
<para>This is an introductory paragraph.</para>
<section>
<title>Vegetables</title>
<para>some text about vegetables</para>
<section>
<title>Spring Vegetables</title>
<para>some text about spring vegetables adsfas</para>
<section>
<title>European Spring Vegetables</title>
<para>some text about European Spring Vegetables adsfas</para> </section> <section> <title>North American Spring Vegetables</title> <para>some text about 1/2 adsfas</para> </section> </section> <section> <title>Winter Vegetables</title> <para>some text about Winter Vegetables adsfas</para> </section> </section> <section> <title>Fruit</title> <para>some text about fruit</para> <section> <title>Bush Fruits</title> <para>some text about bush fruits adsfas</para> </section> <section> <title>Tree Fruits</title> <para>some text about tree fruits adsfas</para> </section> </section> </article>

Then, the stylesheet determines how the <title> text should be numbered. For example, if there is a <section> nested inside of a <section>, the <title> text for the parent <section> would be numbered 1 and the <title> text for the child <section> would be numbered 1.1

 

[Richard Shea]

Hi Don - Thanks for your advice ...

If it were not for the numbering I would definetly
say sections as they seem the most natural sub-division of my "article" - however I'm open to suggestions.

[snip]

Then, the stylesheet determines how the <title> text should be numbered. For example, if there is a <section> nested inside of a <section>, the <title> text for the parent <section> would be numbered 1 and the <title> text for the child <section> would be numbered 1.1

.... I had tried something a little like this but instead of getting

1. Vegetables
1.1 Winter Vegetables
1.2 Spring Vegetables

.... I got ..

1. Vegetables
1. Winter Vegetables
2. Spring Vegetables

.... would you be able to post a style sheet which produces the heirarchical numbering using the nested sections you have suggested ? If it were possible I'd appreciate it.

regards

richard shea.

 

[Don Adams]

... would you be able to post a style sheet which produces the

heirarchical numbering using the nested sections you have suggested ? If it were possible I'd appreciate it.

Unfortunately, I can't provide an example at this time. Right now we use FrameMaker 7 to apply the style and print. Anything I showed you wouldn't apply to anything but a FrameMaker 7 stylesheet (called an EDD).

I know other groups have done the same thing
with numbered headings, so it is possible. You'll need to re-post this as a stylesheet question that asks how to control the numbering of titles in nested sections.

 

[Paul A. Hoadley]

Hi - First of all I hope I'm in the right place for some DocBook (XML) help.

While there are probably people reading this newsgroup that can answer your questions, you might want to subscribe to the DocBook mailing lists:

http://www.docbook.org/mailinglist/index.html

What I want to produce should look something like this ...

Title of my section numbering example

This is an introductory paragraph.
1. Vegetables
some text about vegetables ...
1.1 Spring Vegetables
some text about spring vegetables adsfas ...
1.1.1 European Spring Vegetables
some text about European Spring Vegetables adsfas ...
1.1.2 North American Spring Vegetables
some text about item 1/2 adsfas ...
1.2 Winter Vegetables
some text about Winter Vegetables ...
2. Fruit
2.1 Bush Fruits
some text about bush fruits
2.2 Tree Fruits
some text Tree Fruits ..

I think another poster suggested using nested <section>s, but you commented that you couldn't get the numbering as above. Indeed, <section>s seem right for what you have above, and you want the following paramter in your customisation layer:

<xslaram name="section.label.includes.component.label" select="1"/>

 

[Richard Shea]

Unfortunately, I can't provide an example at this time. Right now we use

FrameMaker 7 to apply the style and print. Anything I showed you wouldn't apply to anything but a FrameMaker 7 stylesheet (called an EDD).

OK thanks anyway for your advice, I appreciate it.

regards

richard

 

[Richard Shea]

While there are probably people reading this newsgroup that can answer your questions, you might want to subscribe to the DocBook mailing lists:

http://www.docbook.org/mailinglist/index.html

thanks for that, I've just subscribed.

[snip]

I think another poster suggested using nested <section>s, but you commented that you couldn't get the numbering as above. Indeed, <section>s seem right for what you have above, and you want the following paramter in your customisation layer:

<xslaram name="section.label.includes.component.label" select="1"/>

OK thanks. I think what the last two days have taught me is that I don't know as much as I thought I did ! The term 'customisation layer' is a new one so I'll have to do some more reading but once I've figured that out I will apply your advice, thank you.

regards

richard.

 

[Paul A. Hoadley]

Hi Richard,

OK thanks. I think what the last two days have taught me is that I don't know as much as I thought I did ! The term 'customisation layer' is a new one so I'll have to do some more reading but once I've figured that out I will apply your advice, thank you.

Sorry, I could have been more clear---I thought you were already using your own customisation layer. The concept is straightforward: you create a (usually small) XSL stylesheet of your own which contains anything you want to override in the main stylesheets. In this custom stylesheet, you 'import' the main stylesheet (docbook.xsl), but anything you re-define takes precedence. If you're not at this stage yet, you probably haven't seen Bob Stayton's comprehensive text book, available in print as well as online here:

http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/index.html