Re: [XXE] Cannot convert to PDF using Apache FOP

[Hussein Shafie]

Emre O. wrote:


thanks for your fast response. Now I tried the same with DocBook 5.0
Files and it works/converts to pdf. like a charm.

My main intention is that I have the new task at work to overhaul our
technical documentations.

How we did it until now:

  * Word -> pdf -> chm


XMLmind XML Editor (but not XMLmind DocBook Editor, not XMLmind DITA 
Editor) Professional Edition includes, at no additional costs, in the 
form of an add-on, another XMLmind product called:


XMLmind Word To XML

To make it simple, it may be used to automatically convert DOCX to DITA 
or DOCX to DocBook.


You should take a serious look at:

http://www.xmlmind.com/w2x/

because this technology could really help you in what you are planning 
(explained below).






  * No Modules


What I am planning:

  * xml editor in this case xml docbook
  * modularizing the actual technical documentation
  * creating any kind of combination of different xml/pdf from the modules


OK.







I have 2 questions to answer and present it in a week to my colleagues:

  * How can I adjust the actual docbook v5.0 stylesheet (company logo,
etc.)?



Sure. This is even an FAQ:
---
How do I customize the HTML, PDF, RTF, etc, generated using the "Convert 
Document" menu?

---
http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/faq.html#custom_deliverables





And is it possible to convert it to .pdf without problems?


Yes. In principle, you can convert a DocBook 5 document to PDF with the 
help of *customized* DocBook XSL stylesheets (and Apache FOP) without 
any problem.





  * Should I go with Dita or docbook (your personal opinion please)?


Difficult to give you a clear answer.

- I prefer the DocBook vocabulary: "out of the box", well-thought and 
richer than DITA's.


- DITA modules (called maps and topics) are more mature technology than 
DocBook v5.1 modules (called assemblies and topics).


Of course, it's always possible to author a large DocBook  simply 
including s and s by the means of XInclude.


- I prefer the DITA XSL stylesheets (which are 100% XMLmind's work) 
because I find them easier to customize without programming.


This being said, all XMLmind products support DITA and DocBook equally well.



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Re: [XXE] Cannot convert to PDF using Apache FOP

[Hussein Shafie]

Emre O. wrote:


How can I convert my XML files to PDF without buying RenderX and
instead of that using Apache FOP?


There is nothing special to do for that. Apache FOP being installed by 
default, simply use "Convert Document|Convert to PDF".





Emre O. later wrote:

I think I finally managed to install Apache FOP,


Don't understand. Apache FOP is installed by default in XMLmind DocBook 
Editor.





but I still can not create PDF files. I attached 2 images, I hope you can help 
me to fix the problem.



Sure, but the screenshots are not sufficient. I need your document to be 
able to reproduce the problem here. This kind of issue is always 
specific to the input document and not to FOP or to XMLmind.


Please send me a ".zip" containing all the files comprising your DocBook 
v5+ document.


Note that the error message suggests that the input document is not 
DocBook v5+.


Also please note that the DocBook stylesheets (not our work; 
https://github.com/docbook/xslt10-stylesheets/releases) cannot convert 
DocBook v5.1 *topics* yet. DocBook v5.1 assemblies referencing topics 
are OK. Standalone DocBook v5.1 chapters and sections are OK. Not 
standalone topics.


When this is the case, this error message is printed on the console by 
the DocBook stylesheets:


---
ERROR: Document root element for FO output must be one of the following 
elements: appendix article bibliography book chapter colophon dedication 
glossary index part preface qandaset refentry reference sect1 section 
set setindex

---

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