Let me see, part of this problem is XSL(T), part of the problem is how to pass the result to Acrobat, right?
At the moment I'm pretty busy solving a little problem over here but I'll get back with a style sheet bit to extract the stylesheetname from the XML file (that should be possible, or am I completely insane? Should be similar to parsing processing instructions, not?). The parameter thing is pretty simple and works basically like passing paramters to templates (use the -param switch for Xalan). This might require a change in fop though, as I don't think passing a parameter is available via fop. Later, Michiel $ -----Original Message----- $ From: Alastair Growcott [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] $ Sent: dinsdag 26 maart 2002 14:55 $ To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] $ Subject: RE: XML parsing $ $ $ > on at the moment and one can create new calls to programs to $ > open a file (tools, folder options, file types tab). Suppose $ > you simply define an option to "view as PDF" or something? $ > You can specify a call to fop (with a call to the style sheet $ > that will filter out what exactly to do with the style sheet $ > called in the XML document) there and see what happens. $ $ $ That is basically what I am doing at the moment, but there are two $ problems. Firstly the script to view as PDF needs to know the exact $ stylesheet to use. When opening XML in IE, IE reads the stylesheet to $ use from the XML file, so the whole thing is simplified. If FOP could $ read the stylesheet to use in the same way, then the whole thing would $ be simple. At the moment, to read my XML defined in my CCR DTD, I use $ ccr_fo.xsl, and I have to run a specific script to specify that $ stylesheet. To run that specific script I need to use a different file $ extension. Hence for each DTD you need a different file $ extension, which $ basically is the opposite of the purposes of XML being a meta data $ language. $ $ The second problem is that when using a different extension with an $ "View as PDF", I cannot find a way to have FOP pass the data $ directly to $ PDF. This means that my script consists of two steps - Use FOP to $ compile to PDF, and then run Acrobat Reader to view the $ interim file. At $ the end of the process the interim file is still lurking around. Plus $ running a script opens a DOS prompt window that looks $ unnecessary. Since $ IE can use Acrobat Reader as a plug-in, it would be nice if we could $ display in IE as a PDF file without having any other windows $ mysteriously (to a user) appearing. $ $ I like your idea to have one stylesheet that converts to either PDF or $ HTML. Could you give me some simple code that detects a parameter and $ either does one thing or another. One day IE will no doubt display XSL $ FO, and it won't be needed :) $ $ Lastly, I see that Acrobat Reader can run plug-ins. It would $ be nice to $ open the XML file directly to Acrobat Reader, which detects that it is $ an XML file (AR already has some XML functionality relating to forms, $ but I have no idea what, how, when, or where), and pre-processes it $ using FOP and the relevant style sheet. Anyone have any idea how to $ write Acrobat Reader plug-ins? $ $
