[xsl] Creating newspaper columns with fo:table

["Jacqueline Radebaugh" <jrad@xxxxxxx>]

Dear All:

I am trying to create a two column table in XSL:FO from which data will flow
from column to column onto 10 consecutive pages.

A portion of the XML is:

<characterPositions>
         <characterPosition type="full concise">
            <label>18-19</label>
            <name>Form of composition</name>
            <level>standard</level>
            <value type="concise">
               <label>an</label>
               <name>Anthems</name>
               <level>standard</level>
            </value>
            <value type="concise">
               <label>bd</label>
               <name>Ballads</name>
               <level>standard</level>
            </value>
<!-- There are many, many, many more <value> elements within this
<characterPosition> element ->
    </characterPosition>
</characterPositions>

My XSL-FO code for the table is:

 <xsl:template match="characterPositions" mode="header">
  <fo:block space-before="2em">
   <fo:table table-layout="fixed" width="100%">
    <fo:table-column column-width="100em"/>
    <fo:table-body>
     <fo:table-row>
      <fo:table-cell>
       <fo:block font-weight="bold">
        <xsl:text>Character Positions (008/18-34 and 006/01-17)</xsl:text>
       </fo:block>
      </fo:table-cell>
     </fo:table-row>
    </fo:table-body>
   </fo:table>
   <xsl:variable name="characterPositionCount"
select="count(characterPosition) div 2+1"/>
   <fo:table table-layout="fixed" width="100%">
    <fo:table-column column-width="27em"/>
    <fo:table-column column-width="60em"/>
    <fo:table-body>
     <fo:table-row>
      <fo:table-cell>
       <fo:block>
        <fo:table table-layout="fixed" width="40%">
         <fo:table-column column-width="5em"/>
         <fo:table-column column-width="15em"/>
         <fo:table-column column-width="15em"/>
         <fo:table-column column-width="5em"/>
         <fo:table-body>
          <xsl:for-each
select="characterPosition[position()&lt;$characterPositionCount]">
           <fo:table-row>
            <fo:table-cell>
               <fo:block text-align="left" margin-left="1em">
                <xsl:value-of select="label"/>
               </fo:block>
            </fo:table-cell>
            <fo:table-cell>
               <fo:block text-align="left">
                <xsl:value-of select="name"/>
               </fo:block>
            </fo:table-cell>
           </fo:table-row>
           <fo:table-row>
            <fo:table-cell>
             <xsl:for-each select="value">
              <fo:block margin-left="3em">
               <xsl:value-of select="label"/>
              </fo:block>
             </xsl:for-each>
            </fo:table-cell>
            <fo:table-cell>
             <xsl:for-each select="value">
              <fo:block>
               <xsl:value-of select="name"/>
              </fo:block>
             </xsl:for-each>
            </fo:table-cell>
           </fo:table-row>
          </xsl:for-each>
         </fo:table-body>
        </fo:table>
       </fo:block>
      </fo:table-cell>
      <fo:table-cell>
       <fo:block>
        <fo:table table-layout="fixed" width="40%">
         <fo:table-column column-width="5em"/>
         <fo:table-column column-width="15em"/>
         <fo:table-column column-width="15em"/>
         <fo:table-column column-width="5em"/>
         <fo:table-body>
          <xsl:for-each
select="characterPosition[position()&gt;$characterPositionCount]">
           <fo:table-row>
            <fo:table-cell>
               <fo:block text-align="left" margin-left="1em">
                <xsl:value-of select="label"/>
               </fo:block>
            </fo:table-cell>
            <fo:table-cell>
               <fo:block text-align="left">
                <xsl:value-of select="name"/>
               </fo:block>
            </fo:table-cell>
           </fo:table-row>
           <fo:table-row>
            <fo:table-cell>
             <xsl:for-each select="value">
              <fo:block margin-left="3em">
               <xsl:value-of select="label"/>
              </fo:block>
             </xsl:for-each>
            </fo:table-cell>
            <fo:table-cell>
             <xsl:for-each select="value">
              <fo:block>
               <xsl:value-of select="name"/>
              </fo:block>
             </xsl:for-each>
            </fo:table-cell>
           </fo:table-row>
          </xsl:for-each>
         </fo:table-body>
        </fo:table>
       </fo:block>
      </fo:table-cell>
     </fo:table-row>
    </fo:table-body>
   </fo:table>
   </fo:block>
  <fo:block>
   <fo:leader leader-length="100%" leader-pattern="rule" rule-style="solid"
rule-thickness=".1mm" color="black"/>
  </fo:block>
  </xsl:template>

As you can see, I am using:

<xsl:variable name="characterPositionCount" select="count(characterPosition)
div 2+1"/>

to divide the data into two columns on the page.  However, because of the
great length of data within each <characterPosition> element (this is because
of the amount of <value> elements below <characterPosition>), the list of
<characterPosition><value> elements in the first column continues onto the
next page, instead of streaming onto the second column first.

Ideally, I would like the data to stream from one column to the other before
breaking onto a new page (like "newspaper columns").

Do any of you have any idea what I can do to create this table?

Thank you so very much for all of your help!

Best wishes,






Jackie Radebaugh

Library of Congress
Network Development & MARC Standards Office
Washington, DC
USA
Phone:  +1-202-707-1153
FAX:  +1-202-707-0115
E-Mail:  jrad@xxxxxxx