problems generating PDF

problems generating PDF

[Timothy Reaves]

	Hello all.

	I have a (currently) very simple docbook document I'm working on to evaluate docbook.  I have jEdit setup very nicely to help me with this.  Writing the document in docbook isn't really a problem.  The problem is producing output.  Specifically PDF.

	When I generate a PDF document, the basic structure is fine.  However, a portion of the text is in red.  I've no idea why.  There is no tag at that location.  Other portions are itialicised when the should (based on other portions of the document that are tagged similerly).  And finally, another portion has no margin.

	Are these types of problems common with actually generating documents from docbook source?  I can't see how docbook could be useful unless there were a reliable way to actually generate documents from it.

	Any sugestions?

Re: problems generating PDF

[Wookey]

On Tue 31 Jul, Timothy Reaves wrote:
> 	Hello all.
> 
> 	I have a (currently) very simple docbook document I'm working on to
> evaluate docbook.
>   I have jEdit setup very nicely to help me with this.  Writing the
> document in docboo k isn't really a problem.  The problem is producing
> output.  Specifically PDF.
> 
> 	When I generate a PDF document, the basic structure is fine. 
> However, a portion of the text is in red.  I've no idea why. 

hmm, red in HTML output means 'this text is wrong in some way but I'm putting
it in anyway'. Not sure if the same thing can occur in PDF (it hasn't for me
yet), so this may be a red herring.

> There is no tag at that location. 

Check the output of warnings from the SGML processor - it probably complains
about something at this point.

> Other portions are itialicised when the
> should (based on other portions of the document that are t agged
> similerly).  

Don't know about that

> And finally, another portion has no margin.

I've had this when something was wrong with the SGML structure. All the pages
after the point where it goes wrong have their margins completely wrong.
I forget what actually caused it, but it was something like having unbalanced
<sect></sect> tags or starting a chapter inside a chapter.

> 	Are these types of problems common with actually generating documents
> from docbook so urce?  I can't see how docbook could be useful unless there
> were a reliable way to act ually generate documents from it.

It can work fine. I suspect you actually have errors in your SGML and it is
doing its best to do what you said as opposed to what ou meant :-)

Wookey
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