[Refdb-users] User feedback 4

[David N. <dav...@bi...>]

[...continued]

8.  In multiple citations html output contains a single hyperlink to the 
first reference.  I seem to recall reading about this in a previous 
thread on refdb-users.  IIRC, you said it was non-trivial to correct and 
(?) you were not planning to do anything about it in a hurry.  It's not 
a major issue for me but I include it in my list.

9.  make clean doesn't remove .aux or .fo files.

10. May I suggest adding support for the Apache FO processor: FOP.  I 
find its output much cleaner than pdfxmltex.  Some of the problems with 
the pdfxmltex output of my text document are:
- header (document title) is only two words, but is split across two lines
- header and footer separation lines only cross left half of page
- revision history output squeezed to left side of page
- table of contents header starts _inside_ left margin while other 
headers start _at_ left margin
- inclusion of "rubbish" text at top left of each output page: - -4pc - -4pc
- tables have no vertical or horizontal lines
- page numbers not horizontally centred
I mention this not because I expect you to correct the deficiencies of 
pdfxmltex, but as a reason to support FOP.  In my test document, FOP 
outputted pdf with none of the above-mentioned flaws.  In fact, it's 
output was indistinguishable from that of RenderX's (commercially 
available) xep processor.  In addition, on my machine at least, FOP is 
faster than pdfxmltex.

It is easy, of course, to use the .fo file from the make process as 
input for FOP, but it would be nice to add the option to refdb and 
automate the process.

11. I have an XSL customisation layer for Norm Walsh's stylesheets.  
With standard docbook it is trivial to use a customisation stylesheet 
which imports the main stylesheet and overrides the relevant 
parameters.  It is difficult, however, to see how this can easily be 
done with refdb.  The base stylesheets are created anew each time make 
is run.  I see that these stylesheets basically call on refdb 
stylesheets docbk-refdb-XX which themselves call on Norm Walsh's 
stylesheets.  If I were to modify the docbk-refdb-XX stylesheets (the 
most accessible answer for me) to override certain parameters, I would 
have to do the whole thing over next time I upgrade refdb.

I wonder whether a structural solution using refdb is possible.  Perhaps 
a build-time configure option to point to fo|html|xhtml customisation 
stylesheets which can then be included in the makefile generated 
stylesheets.

12.  Finally, I come to the questions asked by everybody who reaches the 
point of having a fully functional refdb system -- where are the 
styles?!  I have read the refdb-user archives and know your standard 
response -- go forth and modify existing ones/write your own.  I respect 
that and intend to begin the long journey to XSL mastery.  Can you, 
however,  point to any current efforts under way to modify/create refdb 
styles that I can plagiarise/piggyback on/learn from?


That's all the feedback I have for now, except to repeat again how 
impressed I am with refdb.  For want of a better word, it is an ... 
elegant ... solution to a bibliographic problem.

Regards,
David.