Steve Whitlatch posted to the docbook-apps list on OASIS about a new tool he has developed for DocBook XSL support!
Here's the announcement in it's entirety:
Several months back, I had some discussion on this list about creating a Java GUI that would allow users a mostly point-and-click interface to creating customization layers for use with the DocBook XSL stylesheets. Well, I wrote the application and here it is.
Announcing the first public release of DocBook XSL Configurator! Actualy two releases, one for version 1.65.1 of the DocBook XSL stylesheets and one for version 1.66.1.
They are available for download from Sourceforge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/db-xsl-cfg
DocBook XSL Configurator versions 0.5.2_1651 and version 0.5.3_1661 are alpha, since they have not been widely tested, but I know of no bugs and consider the software fully operational.
You can get a good idea of what DocBook XSL Configurator is and what it does from the following:
******************************************* DocBook XSL Configurator ------------------------ DocBook XSL Configurator is a Java application used to create DocBook XSL FO customization layers. The application presents users with a tabbed pane containing several tables. Each row in each table contains several cells, one of which is editable and contains the text of the default setting for a specific DocBook XSL FO parameter. Users create projects containing paths to DocBook XML, common-customization XSL, an external XSLT processor, etc. Users then click through the tables, select DocBook XSL FO parameters they want to include in a customization layer, edit those parameters, include the customization layer in a project, write out the customization layer as an XSL file, and apply the XSL to the project's XML using the project's specified XSLT processor. DocBook XSL Configurator version 0.5.3_1661 is an alpha release. It supports version 1.66.1 of the DocBook XSL FO parameter set. It does not yet support the DocBook XSL HTML parameter set. Default FO parameter settings, help text, and guidelines for attribute sets ("property sets") are taken from the DocBook XSL package's FO documentation. Attribute set defaults are just guidelines. DocBook XSL Configurator also includes a "From the Wild" table that provides users with nifty little snippets of XSL intended to help with formatting not implemented in the DocBook XSL FO parameter set. Currently, the number of these snippets is very small; however, the "From the Wild" snippet collection has the potential to grow very large and be very helpful. Target Audience --------------- If you are a beginner with DocBook XSL, DocBook XSL Configurator can help you a great deal by bringing all the DocBook XSL FO parameters together, with help, in a GUI. You don't have to switch windows seeking help, and you don't have to manually type out the file containing the XSL FO customization layer. If you are an expert with DocBook XSL, this application may still be of use to you. You may benefit from the speed with which you can create and edit customization layers; you may find that DocBook XSL Configurator projects help you organize documentation sets; or, you may find the application useful for saving customization layers and associating them with specific DocBook XML instances. Requirements and Use -------------------- DocBook XSL Configurator should work with any Java runtime environment compatible with Sun's Java Virtual Machine version 1.4.2 or later. However, each version of DocBook XSL Configurator needs a specific version of the DocBook XSL stylesheets. For example, DocBook XSL Configurator version 0.5.3_1661 needs DocBook XSL stylesheet version 1.66.1. Running a version of DocBook XSL Configurator with a version of the DocBook XSL stylesheets for which it was not intended could produce errors. Running DocBook XSL Configurator requires no adjustments to your CLASSPATH, and the DocBookXSLConfigurator.jar file can be placed anywhere in the file system. To use DocBook XSL Configurator, you first build a project. The project contains information DocBook XSL Configurator uses to help create a PDF or PS file from a valid DocBook XML file. The process would go something like this: 1) Select New Project from the File menu. A New Project dialog appears. 2) Navigate through the dialog, providing the following: - the name of an XSLT processor - the entire option string to be passed to the xslt processor - location of the DocBook XSL stylesheet to use - location of a common-customization XSL file - an FO processor command string - a PDF viewer command string - a PS viewer command string DocBook XSL Configurator uses the information provided to run the programs in your tool chain as external subprocesses. 3) Click through the tables, selecting check boxes for the parameters you want included in your XSL customization layer, and edit the parameter settings as necessary. 4) Save the project. 5) Select parameters and edit them as you like. Then, select Write XSL from the Execute menu. DocBook XSL Configurator presents you with a dialog. Choose a name and a location for the file to save. This is your XSL customization layer. Make certain that the filename and path match with those used when you created the project. Keep the same name and path of this file when you update it. Whenever you wish to change this customization layer, adjust your selections and edited parameters in the GUI, and then overwrite this file by selecting Write XSL from the Execute menu. 6) Select Process XML from the Execute menu. DocBook XSL Configurator runs the XSLT processor specified in your project using the options supplied. You should probably make certain that your XML is actually a valid DocBook XML instance first. While the XSLT processor is running, you can continue with your work. When it's finished, DocBook XSL Configurator presents a dialog box containing any messages produced by the XSLT processor. The dialog box is presented regardless of errors detected. 7) Select Process FO from the Execute menu. DocBook XSL Configurator executes the entire FO processor command string from your project settings. While the FO processor is running, you can continue with your work. It typically takes several minutes to complete. When it's finished, DocBook XSL Configurator presents a dialog box containing any messages produced by the FO processor. The dialog box is presented regardless of errors detected. 8) Select 'Display PDF' or 'Display PS' from the View menu. As with 'Process XML' and 'Process FO', DocBook XSL Configurator runs the project's command string as an external subprocess. When running the PDF or PS viewer command strings, DocBook XSL Configurator presents a dialog box containing messages returned from the subprocess only if it detects something went wrong. Alone, DocBook XSL Configurator will work only partially. To make full use of it, you need the following: - a valid DocBook XML instance. If you are new to DocBook XML, you should begin with Norman Walsh and Leonard Muellner's book, DocBook: The Definitive Guide, available online at: http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/documentation/reference/html/docbook.html - the DocBook XML DTD package installed. You can download it from: http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/ - the DocBook XSL package installed. You can download it from: http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=21935 - some understanding of how the DocBook XSL package works with DocBook XML. Bob Stayton's book, DocBook XSL: The Complete Guide, available online at: http://www.sagehill.net/docbookxsl/index.html, is probably the best resources available for learning DocBook XSL. - an XSLT engine installed. DocBook XSL Configurator will work with any XSLT engine. I use xsltproc, which is part of the libxml2 package. You can download the libxml2 package from http://xmlsoft.org/ You can download precompiled libxml2 binaries for Windows at: http://www.zlatkovic.com/libxml.en.html - an FO processor installed - PDF and PostScript viewers installed **********************************************
Nice work, Steve!
See also: DocBook
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