Re: [xsl] [FO] image on even, table on odd, repeating image if the table is more than one page

["G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 2012-07-11 13:32 +0200, Geert Bormans wrote:
> I have a part list table that I need to show on the odd page of a PDF
> I have an image that goes with the part list, that I have to show on 
> the even page.
> In case the table breaks over multiple pages, I need to keep the 
> table on the odd pages only
> and I need to repeat the image on each opposite even page.
>
> Does anyone have an idea on how to do this?

I think this can be done with markers, but I haven't got the time 
this morning to write up a working mock-up:

 (1) - create a page sequence master that alternates the odd page having
       a body region for content with the even page having a body region
       without content ... this will flow the table on only the odd pages
 (2) - in a perimeter region for the even page, create an absolute block
       container the same size as odd-page-body-region, and in that container
       retrieve, in order, one marker for each diagram that might be
       needed by the table
 (3) - define all diagram markers as empty
 (4) - when flowing the table, put the image associated with content into
       that diagram's marker, clearing out the marker when the diagram is
       no longer relevant

> I would prefer something that works with FOP
> If this can't be done with FOP, please suggest an alternative

Your requirement is quite particular ... off the top I cannot think 
of an alternative.  And I haven't tested the above, but I would write 
my test following those steps.

Sadly, having written out the algorithm I worry this won't work 
because the markers are defined in the flow *after* the page on which 
you want the images ... I now think the above steps will put the 
images on the even page *after* the odd page, which is not what you need.

You may be out of luck.  There is no "look ahead" in XSL-FO ... I 
can't see a way of knowing what to put on page "n" based on content 
on page "n+1".

No problem with the odd-page-only table flowing ... I just think you 
can't get the images to work.

I hope this helps, even if it isn't a solution, in that I hope it 
helps to know that there may not be a pure XSL-FO solution.  With 
post-processing you might be able to swap pages in some way ... but I 
think that would be untenable.

. . . . . . . . . . . Ken


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