Re: [xsl] Editing tables, conditional blocks, alternatives in xsl-fo

[Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Mark,

All the requirements below are achievable with XSLT, which is also the 
"right" place in a production architecture to do them. (XSLT was *designed* 
for this kind of thing.)

Since XSL includes XSLT, it's a little puzzling that you say you're not 
even sure whether it's possible in XSL, though it may be with XSLT. Yes it 
is possible in XSL, and XSLT is the technology XSL offers for this kind of 
thing.

If you're not creating your FO with XSLT, how are you creating it? Is it 
difficult for you to consider generating it from your XML source through an 
XSLT transformation in the way described by the standard? It's true that 
XSLT is sometimes considered a bit tricky to learn (and sometimes not :-) 
-- but that's what we're here for.

Cheers,
Wendell

At 04:57 AM 11/25/2003, you wrote:
> I'm fairly new to xsl-fo and I'm trying to carry out manipulation of the fo
> file, some of which I'm not even sure is possible in xsl (it may be possible
> with xslt, but I have even less understanding of that than I do of xsl-fo).
> Here's what I'm trying to do:
>
> 1.    I have an XML file which sets out data, conditions etc.
>
> 2.    The XML file may contain repeating data from a table.  I need to  find
> the table in the fo file that the data relates to and insert the data in the
> correct row and then iterate the relevant row for however many times there
> is data for the particular fields.
>
> 2.    I need to be able to identify blocks of text - possibly containing
> tables - that are to be repeated a specific number of times as specified in
> the XML file.
>
> 3.    I need to be able to identify blocks of text etc in the fo file, which
> are conditional ie they are only rendered if certain criteria are met a
> specified in the XML.
>
> 4.    I need to be able to delete a specific row or column from a table
> depending on whether conditions specified in the XML file are met or not.
> If a column is deleted is it possible somehow to proportionately increase
> the size of the remaining columns so that they absorb the deleted column's
> width?
>
> 5.    Finally, how can you deal with the problem of gender alternatives in
> the xsl-fo eg he/she, him/her.  Is there any simple way of setting out the a
> series of alternative statements in the fo filw and then passing to the fo
> file the required gender with the result that it will manipulate the
> alternative statements as required?
>
> Any help/pointers very much appreciated.


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Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
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Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
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