[docbook-apps] Unexpected XSL-FO formatting changes in versions of DocBook XSL after 1.65-1

["Steve Whitlatch" <swhitlat at getnet dot net>]

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to upgrade a DocBook XSL customization layer used by a document whose formatting I thought I had settled using version 1.65-1 of the DocBook XSL stylesheets. Starting with version 1.66-0 and continuing with all subsequent versions of the DocBook XSL stylesheets up to 1.67-2, the formatted output controlled by the following changed: 

*****************************************
  <!-- font-family, font-size, and color of the chapter titles. Includes a matching colored rule beneath the chapter title text. -->
  <xsl:template match="title" mode="chapter.titlepage.recto.auto.mode">  
    <fo:block color="#336666" xmlns:fo="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Format"; 
           xsl:use-attribute-sets="chapter.titlepage.recto.style" 
           margin-left="{$title.margin.left}" 
           font-size="20pt" 
           font-weight="bold"
           font-style="italic"
           font-family="GillSans-BoldItalic"
           border-bottom-style="solid"
           border-bottom-width="3pt"
           border-bottom-color="#336666"
           space-after="9pt">
      <xsl:call-template name="component.title">
        <xsl:with-param name="node" select="ancestor-or-self::chapter[1]"/>
      </xsl:call-template>
    </fo:block>
  </xsl:template>
*****************************************

By "formatted output," I mean as rendered to PDF by FOP after running the DocBook XML through xsltproc. 

I've run some tests keeping the versions of xsltproc and FOP consistent. >From DocBook XSL stylesheet versions 1.65-1 to (1.66-0 through 1.67-2), most everything is the same except for two minor but significant changes. I'd like to get back to the old appearance.

- chapter title font is no longer rendered in the 
PDF at 20pt, but rather at about 14pt 
(a default set somewhere else? ignoring font-size="20pt"?).

- the space between the bottom of the chapter title 
text and the 3pt rule beneath it changed from being 
about 3pt (nice looking) to about 10pt (way too much, 
looks bad).

I know it doesn't work, but I'm looking for something that would have the same affect as 
border-bottom-space-before="-6pt"
to pull the rule up, but that may not be necessary if I can get the chapter title font-size back to 20pt.

I'm not saying that a bug was introduced between DocBook XSL versions 1.65-1 and 1.66-0. I don't know that. Perhaps a bug was corrected and my customization layer is still trying to accommodate for a bug that no longer exists.

If necessary, the entire XSL customization layer is online at:
http://www.getnet.net/~swhitlat/DocBook/XSL_Project_XSL.html


Any help is appreciated. Thanks,

Steve Whitlatch