RE: SGML->Latex with Dsssl [Was Re: Formatting mathematics]

[s.rahtz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sebastian Rahtz)]

Reynolds, Gregg writes:
 > use it to make flow objects?  I've done some very useful (to me) things
 > constructing a single flow object and dumping text into it using the
 > SGML backend as a text backend (just do "make element" and leave out the
 > gi: ).
you are tempting me to rewrite my entire SGML to LaTeX translator in
DSSSL.

 > a "converter" to get from SGML source to LaTeX is more than adequate to
 > meet the goal of maintaining source in SGML and getting LaTeX quality
please remember, though, that this transfers a big burden to the LaTeX
style files, which you have to maintain as well (unless you write
really low-level TeX out, which is very hard for most people). thats a
serious maintenance issue.

 > output.  It may indeed be true that other tools are adequate to do this
 > "conversion" (I prefer to think of it as a "rendition"); I haven't
 > looked at the one you mentioned.  But can they really match the power of
 > a scheme-like SDQL?

that very much depends on the problem. many applications want little
more than to perform a one-to-one conversion of the elements, with not
much re-ordering or context dependency. things like SGMLSPL provide
all thats needed for that (ie to the level of being able to do
small-scale re-ordering, and queries like "is my parent a
FOO"). Obviously DSSSL is more powerful. the downside is that you
cannot use all your favourite Perl text-manipulation, and have to
rewrite it all in scheme. 

Sebastian


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