Re: Columns in Norm's DocBook Stylesheets?

[s.rahtz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sebastian Rahtz)]

 > I'd be really happy with something relatively basic (as a default) like:
 > 
 > 	------------
 > 	|1|        |
 > 	| |        |
 > 	| | 2      |
...
 > I read about columns in the DSSSL spec until my head hurt, and it didn't
 > get very clear. Is it just me or this fairly complex?
 > 

the effect you want would require Jade to implement more than simple
page sequences. James may comment on how close/interested he is in
this, but i get the impression "not very". as Norm says, the
multi-columning you *can* get is limited to equal width columns.

One problem (so far as I can see, ie not far) is that support of the
whole DSSSL spec with regard to complex page objects, and things like
side-by-side flow objects, is that the existing backends would require
monstrous surgery. Speaking for the TeX one, it would be a disaster, I
can't even begin to think how to support some of that stuff.

I have a gut feeling that no existing page formatter could handle 100%
of the DSSSL specification....

sebastian


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