Welcome!
MissionThe DBCookBook Project aims to create an open source book about DocBook and the DocBook XSL stylesheets written as a cookbook and released under a Creative Commons license.
According to its homepage, “DocBook is a schema (available in several languages including RELAX NG, SGML and XML DTDs, and W3C XML Schema) maintained by the DocBook Technical Committee of OASIS. It is particularly well suited to books and papers about computer hardware and software (though it is by no means limited to these applications).”
Although there is helpful and valuable documentation—be it as a printed book[1] or online[2]—I always felt there is a gap. This gap could be bridged with a guide that only concentrates on problems and their solution in a concise manner explained by step-by-step procedures. Until now, nobody wrote a book that combines possible problems, pitfalls, how-tos, and the benefits in a cookbook style. My book is intented to be such a book. However, it does not seek to replace any other information, be it printed or online. It aims for enhancing the world of DocBook with a different view.
The topics in this book are mostly based on my own experiences with DocBook and the DocBook XSL stylesheets. However, it also includes questions and answers from other sources: from the DocBook mailinglists, other sites that inspired me, or questions from colleagues. It is the nature of such topics that there might be some overlap with other sources. When other authors inspired me, I have included their names. If you think your name is missing, please let me know.
As I have learned (and still do) a lot from the masters of DocBook, it is time to give something back. What you are reading is the first draft of the fruits of these efforts. Currently, this book is available under a Creative Commons license (see Licensed under Creative Commons if you want to know more). I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoy writing it.
1. Audience
This book covers topics which range from very easy to pretty demanding. The more challenging a problem is, the more you need experience from different domains (CSS, FO, XSLT, etc.) As such, this book does not and cannot attempt to teach you DocBook or any such related technology (with the exception of Chapter 1, Knowing DocBook’s Structure). If you want to learn DocBook or need some help with XML or XSLT, search elsewhere. There is plenty of information available either online or printed.
This book is aimed at DocBook users who write and seek answers for their customization problems. However, with some trial and error, it can also be useful for ordinary writers who want to try something out. For readers who want further information, links are included in the See Also section at the end of each topic.
[1] Like the reference DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide from NormanWalsh or BobStayton's DocBook XSL
[2] DavePawson maintains a DocBook FAQ and the previous mentioned books can be found online too.