XML/HTML to document with pagination + section numbering

[Andy Glew]

I have long looked for (and occasionally posted
questions to groups such as this about) a tool
that can take a group of HTML pages (nowadays
XHTML, or XML) and produce a nicely formatted
printable documented, featuring.

* pagination
* section numbering
* including Dewey decimal section numbering
such as Section 1.2.3 for H3
* links converted to cross references
"See section 1.2.4 on page 29"

I just ran across fop,
http://xml.apache.org/fop/

This appears to go a long way towards solving
my problem. But, I admit to a big linguistic gap
- i.e. I don't understand a lot of the XML/XSL-FO
references.

So, I was wondering if someone can answer a few
questions about fop for me?

Q1: I assume that fop can paginate, as I describe
above. Similarly, fop can section number. Right?

Q2: Can foop do Dewey decimal section numbering,
all the way down to H9 -> 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9?

I can't find any references to Dewey decimal
or Outline section numbering in fop / XSL-FO
documentation.

Q3: Can fop do the cross references as I describe above?


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[John Dirdal]

Andy,
Corena has an xml/sgml page formatter named Life*TYPE that will answer yes
to your three Qs. An evaluation license can be downloaded from this link:
http://www.corena.no/lifetype/. Currently the product is avaiable on
Solaris and Linux, a Windows version will be available next week.

Life*TYPE takes an xml file and a stylesheet as input and produces
postscript / pdf with link functionality. The challenge in producing nicely
formatted documents lays in programming the stylesheet. You might want to
study this product. If you find it helpful we can give you some input on
setting up the layout.

Regards,
John Dirdal
CORENA NORGE AS.
(e-mail address removed) / www.corena.no

 

[Peter Flynn]

I have long looked for (and occasionally posted
questions to groups such as this about) a tool
that can take a group of HTML pages (nowadays
XHTML, or XML) and produce a nicely formatted
printable documented, featuring.

And I have posted, at least twice, a reply to use XSLT to
create LaTeX source for making PDFs, instead of using XSL:FO.
Maybe it didn't propagate properly.

* pagination

Yes, automatic

* section numbering

Yes, automatic

* including Dewey decimal section numbering
such as Section 1.2.3 for H3

Yes, the default

* links converted to cross references

Yes, trivial

"See section 1.2.4 on page 29"

Ditto.

I'm not clear why you're still searching. XSL:FO implementations
like FOP can do this, but only by you reinventing several dozen
wheels every time. By using LaTeX you tap into 25 years' worth
of typographic experience.

///Peter