RE: DOCBOOK-APPS: dsssl rtf script usage

[David Cramer <dcramer at broadjump dot com>]

Here's a follow up on the limitations of xmlmind:

The most serious is that page-number-citation isn't supported <http://www.xmlmind.com/foconverter/_distrib/docs/userguide2.html#id.s2.2>. Since the rtf it produces doesn't have any information about styles (eveything is 'Normal'), even the if you use autoformat as I suggested, there are going to be lots of problems. For example, admon titles are bold, so word makes them headings. Finally, autoformat won't get you an index with page numbers. 

So back to the original question: 

I'm not sure if this is the level at which you're asking the question, but if you're on a Linux distribution the docbook-utils package may already be installed (See "Convenience Tools" at http://www.docbook.org/wiki/moin.cgi/DocBookTools). Try 'man jw' (which is wrapped by db2rtf etc.) When processsing xml instead of sgml with DSSSL, you may need the information in this faq: 
http://www.dpawson.co.uk/docbook/dsssl/dssslgeneral.html#d1579e43 

On Windows, there are instructions here: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hoenicka_markus/ntsgml.html

I have to admit that when I try to use DSSSL to go to rtf, the results never look quite as good as I think they could, but there are knowlegable people (not me, btw) on this list who can help you with specific problems. Still, at least there are page number references (and they're even hot :). 

David

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Cramer 
> Sent: Monday, January 20, 2003 12:19 PM
> To: ed.nixon@lynnparkplace.org; docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: RE: DOCBOOK-APPS: dsssl rtf script usage
> 
> 
> Give this a shot: http://www.xmlmind.com/foconverter
> 
> I just did a test run to see if it was worth posting this as 
> a suggstion. The toc doesn't have page numbers, but if you 
> have Word autoformat the document, it will apply styles and 
> then you can insert a word toc that will have page numbers. 
> 
> David
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ed nixon [mailto:ed.nixon@lynnparkplace.org]
> > Sent: Monday, January 20, 2003 11:59 AM
> > To: docbook-apps@lists.oasis-open.org
> > Subject: DOCBOOK-APPS: dsssl rtf script usage
> > 
> > 
> > For someone who uses the DSSSL stylsheets once in a blue 
> > moon, to create 
> > RTF output (using OpenJade presumably) from DB XML, where can 
> > I find a 
> > concise description of the setup, catalog configurations 
> and command 
> > line parameters, please?
> > 
> > Is there a simpler alternative way of getting RTF out of an 
> > DB xml instance?
> > 
> > Thanks and sorry for the FAQ.                  ...edN
> > 
> > 
> > 
>