11.3. The "XMLmind XSL Customizer" application
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### 11.3. The "XMLmind XSL Customizer" application

#### 11.3.1. Introduction

The "XMLmind XSL Customizer" application is a companion application embedded in XMLmind XML Editor and XMLmind XSL Utility.

Figure 9.6. "XMLmind XSL Customizer" main window

This application is invoked by clicking the Edit XSLT stylesheet button found in XMLmind XML Editor and XMLmind XSL Utility. It allows to modify a custom XSLT stylesheet created by clicking the Customize XSLT stylesheet button found in XMLmind XML Editor and XMLmind XSL Utility.

A custom XSLT stylesheet created this way merely imports the stock XSLT stylesheet. Example:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
    <?stylesheet-label ACME Corp. Styles?>
    <xsl:stylesheet version="2.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
      <xsl:import href="xxe-config:dita/xsl/fo/fo.xsl"/>
      <!-- REDEFINE PARAMETERS AND ATTRIBUTE-SETS HERE -->
    </xsl:stylesheet>

"XMLmind XSL Customizer" is not an XSLT editor. However it allows to:

- add or change attributes in some of the attribute sets supported by the XSLT stylesheet,

- change the value of some of the parameters supported by the XSLT stylesheet,

and this, without prior knowledge of XSLT.

#### 11.3.2. Reference

##### Toolbar buttons

New

  Create a customization of an existing XSLT stylesheet. This button displays the standard file chooser dialog box allowing to choose the XSLT stylesheet for which a customization is to be created.

Open

  Open a custom XSLT stylesheet previously created by clicking the New button. This button displays the standard file chooser dialog box allowing to choose the custom XSLT stylesheet to be opened.

Close

  Close currently opened XSLT stylesheet.

Save

  Save the changes made to currently opened XSLT stylesheet.

Save As

  Save currently opened XSLT stylesheet to a different file.

Help

  Display this online help.

Quit

  Close "XMLmind XSL Customizer" main window.

### Tip

Because "XMLmind XSL Customizer" is an (embedded) application and not a modal dialog box, you can keep it open while converting an XML document in XMLmind XML Editor or in XMLmind XSL Utility. This allows to experiment with attribute sets and parameters until you are satisfied with the result of the conversion.

##### Information fields about the currently opened XSLT stylesheet

Description:

  Short description of the currently opened custom XSLT stylesheet. XMLmind XML Editor requires a custom XSLT stylesheet to have such description.

Customization of:

  Read-only text field: URI of the stock XSLT stylesheet for which the currently opened XSLT stylesheet is a customization.

##### Attribute Sets tab buttons

Add

  Add an attribute to one of the attribute sets supported by currently opened XSLT stylesheet.

  This button displays the Add/Edit attribute dialog box. How to use this dialog box is described in the example below.

  Figure 9.7. The Add/Edit attribute dialog box

  ### Note

  XMLmind XSL Customizer is designed for users who cannot “program in XSLT”. These users are expected to enter literal values, not XSLT elements, in the Custom value field. For example, they are expected to enter something like:

      20pt

  as the value of the `font-size` attribute, and not something like:

      <xsl:value-of select="$body.font.master * 2"/>
      <xsl:text>pt</xsl:text>

  However, if the user happens to know what she/he is doing and nevertheless enters one or more XML nodes in the Custom value field, then XMLmind XSL Customizer will ask her/him to confirm that this is really what she/he wants and make it work.

Edit

  Modify currently selected attribute.

  This button displays the Add/Edit attribute dialog box.

Remove

  Remove currently selected attribute.

Documentation

  Start the web browser and make it display the page containing the documentation about currently selected attribute. This button is disabled (grayed) when such documentation is not available. For now, only the DocBook XSL Stylesheets provide some documentation for their attribute sets.

##### Parameters tab buttons

Add

  Set one of the parameters supported by currently opened XSLT stylesheet.

  This button displays the Add/Edit parameter dialog box. How to use this dialog box is described in the example below.

  Figure 9.8. The Add/Edit parameter dialog box

  ### Note

  XMLmind XSL Customizer is designed for users who cannot “program in XSLT”. These users are expected to enter literal values, not XSLT elements, in the Custom value field. For example, they are expected to enter something like:

      40pt

  as the value of the `body.start.indent` parameter, and not something like:

      <xsl:value-of select="$body.font.master * 4"/>
      <xsl:text>pt</xsl:text>

  However, if the user happens to know what she/he is doing and nevertheless enters one or more XML nodes in the Custom value field, then XMLmind XSL Customizer will ask her/him to confirm that this is really what she/he wants and make it work.

Edit

  Modify currently selected parameter.

  This button displays the Add/Edit parameter dialog box.

Remove

  Remove currently selected parameter.

Documentation

  Start the web browser and make it display the page containing the documentation about currently selected parameter. This button is disabled (grayed) when such documentation is not available.

Example 9.3. When converting a DITA map to PDF, give a light gray background to all the topic titles

This is specified by adding attribute `background-color=#CCCCCC` to the attribute-set called `topic-title`.

1. Select the Attribute Sets tab.

2. Click Add. This displays the Add/Edit attribute dialog box.

3. In the "Attribute set name:" combobox, select `topic-title`.

4. In the "Attribute:" combobox, type "`background-color`" or select this commonly used attribute from the drop down list.

   The "Original value:" read-only text field remains empty, indicating that the stock XSLT stylesheet does not specify attribute `topic-title/background-color`.

5. In the "Custom value:" field, type "`#CCCCCC`".

   Or more simply, click "Edit style attribute" and use the `background-color` editor to specify a light gray color.

6. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Example 9.4. When converting a DITA map to PDF, use a 12pt base font size

This is specified by setting parameter `base-font-size` to `12pt`.

1. Select the Parameters tab.

2. Click Add. This displays the Add/Edit parameter dialog box.

3. In the "Parameter name:" combobox, select `base-font-size`.

   The "Original value:" read-only text field changes to "`10pt`", which is the value of parameter `base-font-size` specified in the stock XSLT stylesheet.

4. In the "Custom value:" field, type "`12pt`".

5. Click OK to close the dialog box.

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