Re: [xep-support] Inside/Outside Floats

From: Eliot Kimber <ekimber@innodata-isogen.com>
Date: Sun Jan 30 2005 - 07:28:02 PST

Bob Stayton wrote:

> Both examples of inside/outside floats provided by the processor
> documentation sets used what seemed to me to be tricks. XEP's example used
> negative body-region margins with compensating start and end indents. XSL
> Formatter's example used a zero-width block-container element.

It's not really appropriate to discuss XSL Formatter's implementation
choices here but comparing the two approaches, using a zero-width block
seems like more of a trick then XEP's approach.

The XEP approach is just simple geometry and there are a number of
effects that require the use of negative margins and indents in order to
achieve. It's certainly clever, but it doesn't seem to be a misuse. XSL
Formatter's may just be clever use as well. But the fact that neither
approach works with the other's implementation (given that both
implement the same inside/outside float extension) means that only one
can be correct [cue _Highlander_ theme song. Deep narrator's voice over
montage of burly formatting objects battling each other with wicked-long
swords: "There can be only one...."]

The crux of this issue is, I think, whether RenderX's or Antenna House's
reading of the FO spec is correct. Like I said, I don't yet see how the
spec as written supports Antenna House's interpretation, but they've
also demonstrated that their understanding of the subtleties of the spec
is deeper than mine.

So we'll see. It may be that we've stumbled on an ambiguous part of the
spec that will require appeal to the FO Subgroup for clarification. I
want to avoid taking that step until we're satisfied as a community of
users and implementors that reasonable people can disagree on what the
spec says.

Cheers,

Eliot

-- 
W. Eliot Kimber
Professional Services
Innodata Isogen
9390 Research Blvd, #410
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 372-8122
ekimber@innodata-isogen.com
www.innodata-isogen.com
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Received on Sun Jan 30 07:58:08 2005

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