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Conference vaxuum::online_bookbuilding

Title:Online Bookbuilding
Notice:This conference is write-locked: see note 1.3.
Moderator:VAXUUM::UTT
Created:Fri Aug 12 1988
Last Modified:Mon Jul 15 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:440
Total number of notes:2134

47.0. "Device Converter and Symbolic References" by GIZMOE::SKOGLUND () Thu Dec 15 1988 12:12

I had two problems getting an existing profile and source files to work
with the ONLINE doctype and the BOOKREADER destination.

One problem was having the graphics files in one directory and the text
files in another directory.  (I fixed that by putting everything in
one directory and not using a symbolic reference as part of the file
specification with the <figure_file> for the BOOKREADER output device.)

The other problem was having the symbolic reference to my graphics directory
left in the <figure_file> lines for LN03 and POSTSCRIPT output devices. (I
don't understand why the device conversion for BOOKREADER is even looking
at those lines for LN03 and POSTSCRIPT output devices, but making changes 
to those lines and those lines only made the sucker work!)

The .LIS file gave no indication that any problem at all existed, but device
conversion ended without completing a .DECW$BOOK file.

When I have both the graphics and the text files in the same directory and
I eliminate all symbolic references as part of the graphics file 
specifications, my profile and source files run fine with the ONLINE doctype
and the BOOKREADER destination.  (This is using the 11-Nov baselevel of the
online bookbuilding tools.)

My questions is - Are each of the two problems I've described characteristic 
of the 11-Nov baselevel of the online bookbuilding tools, or is the 
installation of the software on my microVAX askew?
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
47.1Examples pleaseDUKOLA::FITZELLput nifty saying hereFri Dec 16 1988 09:449
    You should be able to have graphics files in other directories an
    example of how this was coded will help us determine if there is
    a problem with symbolic references as part of a file spec. 
    
    Use the /log qualifier /lis doesn't work for the device conversion
    phase because the bookbuilding tools aren't really part of Document
    yet.
    
    Mike
47.2examplesGIZMOE::SKOGLUNDFri Dec 16 1988 12:4658
    Thanks for the information on using the /log qualifier to find out
    what the device converter is doing.
    
    My approach for using a symbolic reference with a file specification
    and that works fine for LNO3 and POSCRIPT destinations with the REPORT
    and the OVERHEADS doctypes is as follows:

     <define_symbol>(dir_graphics\$disk2:[skoglund.graphics])
        .
        .
        .

     <figure>
     <figure_file>(ln03\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.vt\16\wide)  
     <figure_file>(postscript\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.ps\16\wide) 
     <endfigure>
        .
        .
        .

    This approach did not work with more than one figure in the BOOKREADER
    destination environment shown as follows:

     <figure>
     <figure_file>(ln03\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.vt\16\wide)  
     <figure_file>(postscript\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.ps\16\wide) 
     <figure_file>(bookreader\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.ps\20\wide) 
     <endfigure>

    With the text and graphics files in the same directory, this coding
    also did not work for the ONLINE doctype and the BOOKREADER destination: 

     <figure>
     <figure_file>(ln03\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.vt\16\wide)  
     <figure_file>(postscript\<reference>(dir_graphics)filename.ps\16\wide) 
     <figure_file>(bookreader\filename.ps\20\wide) 
     <endfigure>

    This coding did work:

     <figure>
     <figure_file>(ln03\filename.vt\16\wide)  
     <figure_file>(postscript\filename.ps\16\wide) 
     <figure_file>(bookreader\filename.ps\20\wide) 
     <endfigure>

    Another puzzling aspect of this to me is that the symbolic reference did
    work with the ONLINE doctype and BOOKREADER destination for one figure
    in one element of a profile, but it didn't work when I added another
    figure in another element of the profile.  

    My question remains - Is this behavior characteristic of the 11-Nov
    bookbuilding tools or is something wrong with the software
    installation on my system and/or with the way I'm using the software?

    Thank you.
47.3WHOOPS!GIZMOE::SKOGLUNDFri Dec 16 1988 15:424
    Sorry for the typo.  All the file extensions with the BOOKREADER
    destination in reply 47.2 should be .RAGS, not .PS.
47.4CLOSET::UTTWed Feb 15 1989 12:0022
    This problem turned out to be a bug in the way I was handling symbols
    under a special set of circumstances involving <define_symbol>
    and formal elements, to wit:
    
    <define_symbol>(my_fig_dir\user3$:[smith.figures])
    ...
    <reference>(fig_one)
    ...
    <figure>(The First Figure\fig_one)
    <figure_file>(bookreader\<reference>(my_fig_dir)fig.file\20)
    <endfigure>
    
    The use of the <reference> tag within the <figure_file> tag got the tag
    translator confused about which symbol was associated with the figure
    itself, a crucial detail for the online book since the converter then
    thought it was being passed an undefined symbol and aborted. (None of
    this is relevant for hardcopy and the right thing happens.) 
    
    This will be fixed in the next baselevel of the online bookbuilding
    tools.
    
    Mary