Re: Is XSL:FO for me?

On Feb 18, 2004, at 4:56 PM, Davis, Jeff wrote:

> I am trying determine if this is the right technology for our 
> project.  I need to produce printable documents from XML data.  We 
> currently have a  XSLT file that formats the XML to HTML in the 
> browser but this doesn't print that well.   We want to have page 
> numbers and logical breaks in the formatted data when printing.

It sounds like FO is for you.  Moreover, if you already know 
XSLT/Xpath, then you have a head start.

>  
> I have done some reading on XSL:FO but can't quite get my brain 
> wrapped around it.   I understand all the objects and properties and 
> how they are supposed to work but I can't find anything on how you go 
> about determining page breaks based on the size of the data that fits 
> on a page?
>  
> For example.  If I have some formatted XML data that equals about 4 
> inches high after the style is added  and I have currently formatted 
> the first 8 inches of an 11 inch high document how do I determine that 
> I need to create a page break and start my next page?
>

You don't.  The FO processor does that for you.

You don't "drive" FO — you set things up declaratively, and then 
typically the content itself drives the processing and that creates the 
containers (like pages) for the content to flow into.

>  
> Is it not common to build XSL:FO on the fly from XML data?
>

I don't know how common that is.

HTH,
Mark