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Released: Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15

DocBook tags in OpenOffice.org

Contents

  1. Top Level Elements
  2. Meta Information
  3. Nested Elements
  4. In-Line Elements
  5. Sections
  6. Tables
  7. Lists
  8. Links
  9. Graphics
  10. Index

For the following instructions to work, ensure that the DocBook stylesheets have been enabled. See the User Guide if this has not already been done. Currently the stylesheets only support <article> and <chapter> as top-level elements.

The Stylist and Navigator also need to be displayed:


1. Top-Level Elements

To import an existing Article or Chapter

In the File Open dialog select the appropriate DocBook filter (Article or Chapter) in the File Type combo-box. An existing DocBook document can then be imported to OpenOffice.org.

To export an Article or Chapter

Similarly, in the File Save As dialog select the appropriate DocBook filter in the File Type combo-box.
NOTE: It is possible with the current filter to import an article and export it as a chapter, or go from chapter to article.

Creating an Article or Chapter

It is possible to create and save a new DocBook document in OpenOffice.org.


2. Meta Information

The info sections currently supported match the top-level elements: <articleinfo> and <chapterinfo>

Creating an Articleinfo

The ArticleInfo can contain the meta information about the Article, such as author details and copyright.

The above steps can also be followed to create a Chapterinfo, replacing Chapter for Article were necessary.


3. Nested Elements

Early in the DocBook project there were difficulties mapping nested DocBook XML elements to the internal OpenOffice.org XML format. An example of how nested tags are now supported is the menuchoice element that can contain several guimenu elements.

NOTE: This is the initial fix for the problem of nesting DocBook XML tags in OpenOffice.org. The main purpose was to retain the information on a round-trip import and export of a DocBook document. It is not ideally suited to creating DocBook content in OpenOffice.org.

Nesting Guimenus and Guimenuitem inside a Menuchoice

OpenOffice.org bookmarks with reserved names are used to represent the parent element when nesting tags. The convention used is to follow the element name by an underscore and a number. The first element in the document will be numbered 0 (e.g. menuchoice_0) and subsequent elements of the same type will increment this number (e.g. menuchoice_1 menuchoice_2 etc.). For another example of how to use nested tags, see Meta Information where an Authorgroup is used to contain Author's.


4. In-Line Elements

DocBook in-line elements are, in general, mapped to OpenOffice.org Custom Styles.

The following instructions show how to create a DocBook subscript element.

The same procedure can be used for all of the DocBook Custom Character styles.


5. Sections

Initially the DocBook project used OpenOffice.org sections to enforce the nesting of DocBook sections. Feedback has shown that authors wish to use the common word processing styles such as Heading1, Heading2, etc. The following instructions describe how to create a <sect1> that contains a <sect2>


6. Tables

Formal and Informal DocBook tables are represented by a standard OpenOffice.org tables.

Creating a Table

Creating an Informaltable

An <informaltable> is constructed in the same fashion as the formal table above, the only difference is that the table Caption is not specified.


7. Lists

The various DocBook lists are represented by custom and standard OpenOffice.org list styles.

Creating a Varlist containing Varlistentrys

Creating an Orderedlist containing Listitems

Creating an Unorderedlist containing Listitems


8. Links

The different methods of linking available in DocBook are supported in OpenOffice.org

How to create a Footnote

TBD

How to create a Note

How to create an Xref

There is support for <xref> with a linkend attribute. If the element to be referenced does not already have an id attribute then an id can be created with an OpenOffice.org cross-reference.

Create an id attribute for a <sect1>

Create the <xref>

Link, Ulink and Olink

The filter has round trip support for importing and exporting DocBook links.


9. Graphics

How to create a MediaObject

TBD


10. Index

How to create an Indexterm

NOTE: After discussions with authors the decision was made to only support simplified indexterms in the future. Few authors use spanning indexterms with startofrange and endofrange values or reference elements with a zone attribute.

How to create an Index

At present it is not possible to create a DocBook index in OpenOffice.org. However, the import and export filters should retain any index tags in an existing DocBook document.

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