Hi Jacqueline,
You can't use fo:table for this purpose.
Use the column-count and column-gap attribute of the fo:region-body element.
If you use the XEP renderer, then you could also use the rx:flow-section
(see http://www.renderx.com/reference.html#Flow_sections)
Cheers,
Jost
---------
Jost Klopfstein
Axos Technologies Inc.
FO template development
Visit us at http://www.axostech.com
For forms use FormMapper: http://www.FormMapper.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jacqueline Radebaugh" <jrad@xxxxxxx>
To: <xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 10:53 AM
Subject: [xsl] Creating newspaper columns with fo:table
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()<$characterPositionCount]">
<fo:table-row>
<fo:table-cell>
<fo:block text-align="left" margin-left="1em">
<xsl:value-of select="label"/>
</fo:block>
</fo:table-cell>
<fo:table-cell>
<fo:block text-align="left">
<xsl:value-of select="name"/>
</fo:block>
</fo:table-cell>
</fo:table-row>
<fo:table-row>
<fo:table-cell>
<xsl:for-each select="value">
<fo:block margin-left="3em">
<xsl:value-of select="label"/>
</fo:block>
</xsl:for-each>
</fo:table-cell>
<fo:table-cell>
<xsl:for-each select="value">
<fo:block>
<xsl:value-of select="name"/>
</fo:block>
</xsl:for-each>
</fo:table-cell>
</fo:table-row>
</xsl:for-each>
</fo:table-body>
</fo:table>
</fo:block>
</fo:table-cell>
<fo:table-cell>
<fo:block>
<fo:table table-layout="fixed" width="40%">
<fo:table-column column-width="5em"/>
<fo:table-column column-width="15em"/>
<fo:table-column column-width="15em"/>
<fo:table-column column-width="5em"/>
<fo:table-body>
<xsl:for-each
select="characterPosition[position()>$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