Re: XML processing

[Simon Pepping <spepping@scaprea.hobby.nl>]

On Mon, Aug 26, 2002 at 12:33:44PM +0100, Robbie Pickering wrote:
> We have for example definitions DEFN which are sometimes followed by an
> example EGPH and sometimes not.
> 
> ...
> <DNUM>3</DNUM>
> <DEFN>a large body, esp. of a person</DEFN>
> <EGPH>he eased his bulk out of the chair</EGPH>
> <DNUM>4</DNUM>
> <DEFN>unpackaged cargo or goods</DEFN>
> 
> I have setup DEFN very simply
> 
> \defineXMLenvironment [DEFN] {}{.}  
> to add a full stop after the definition. It would be nice, though, to be
> able to automatically add a colon instead in those cases where the DEFN
> environment is immediately followed by a EGPH.

This is very difficult, because your tagging has no moment at which
this can be concluded: </DEFN> is too early to know, but when there is
no following EGPH, there is nothing that can trigger the period or
colon. It would be easier if the whole definition would be in a
container: <definition><DNUM/><DEFN/><EGPH/></definition>. Then you
can save EGPH, and </definition> could typeset it with preceding
colon, or it could typeset a period.

> is the XML parsing code robust enough that one could start messing
> around with counters, etc. in the arguments of a \defineXMLenvironment?
> Or is there a better way of going about this?

XML parsing is robust enough. In the docbook mapping a context stack
and a depth counter are maintained. 

Simon

-- 
Simon Pepping
email: spepping@scaprea.hobby.nl