Can CSS3 and XSL-FO Replace CSS2 for Paginated Documents?
Since CSS2 was established as a standard in 1998, the use of XSL-FO (XSL Formatting Objects) has been a recommended approach for generating PDF documents from XML or XHTML content. However, advancements in CSS have raised questions about the continued relevance of XSL-FO.
XSL-FO vs. CSS2/CSS3
XSL-FO allows for fine-tuning of text formatting, pagination, footnotes, and other elements specific to printed media. CSS2, while providing limited support for such features, lacked the comprehensiveness of XSL-FO.
CSS3 and Paginated Media
With the introduction of CSS3 media queries, paged media can be defined and applied to elements, enabling the creation of documents with features similar to those offered by XSL-FO. Tools like PrinceXML and WebKit's print module demonstrate the capabilities of CSS3 in generating paginated documents with control over page layout, margins, and headers/footers.
The Future of XSL-FO
In October 2013, W3C announced the discontinuation of XSL-FO 2.0, citing a lack of participation in the development process. This decision suggests a shift towards CSS3 as the primary standard for paginated media on the web.
Benefits of CSS3 over XSL-FO
- Simplicity: CSS is more accessible and easier to learn compared to XSL-FO.
- Integration: CSS is part of the web standards family, making it compatible with HTML, XHTML, and SVG.
- Scalability: CSS3's capabilities extend beyond print media, making it suitable for a wider range of applications.
- Cost-effectiveness: Developing CSS templates is generally cheaper than XSL-FO templates.
Conclusion
While XSL-FO remains useful for legacy systems and niche applications, CSS3 has emerged as the preferred choice for creating paginated documents on the web. Its simplicity, integration, scalability, and growing software support make it the more versatile and future-proof option.
The above is the detailed content of Can CSS3 Replace XSL-FO for Creating Paginated Documents?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Hot AI Tools

Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free

Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Article

Hot Tools

Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor

SublimeText3 Chinese version
Chinese version, very easy to use

Zend Studio 13.0.1
Powerful PHP integrated development environment

Dreamweaver CS6
Visual web development tools

SublimeText3 Mac version
God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)

Hot Topics

CSS blocks page rendering because browsers view inline and external CSS as key resources by default, especially with imported stylesheets, header large amounts of inline CSS, and unoptimized media query styles. 1. Extract critical CSS and embed it into HTML; 2. Delay loading non-critical CSS through JavaScript; 3. Use media attributes to optimize loading such as print styles; 4. Compress and merge CSS to reduce requests. It is recommended to use tools to extract key CSS, combine rel="preload" asynchronous loading, and use media delayed loading reasonably to avoid excessive splitting and complex script control.

ThebestapproachforCSSdependsontheproject'sspecificneeds.Forlargerprojects,externalCSSisbetterduetomaintainabilityandreusability;forsmallerprojectsorsingle-pageapplications,internalCSSmightbemoresuitable.It'scrucialtobalanceprojectsize,performanceneed

No,CSSdoesnothavetobeinlowercase.However,usinglowercaseisrecommendedfor:1)Consistencyandreadability,2)Avoidingerrorsinrelatedtechnologies,3)Potentialperformancebenefits,and4)Improvedcollaborationwithinteams.

CSSismostlycase-insensitive,butURLsandfontfamilynamesarecase-sensitive.1)Propertiesandvalueslikecolor:red;arenotcase-sensitive.2)URLsmustmatchtheserver'scase,e.g.,/images/Logo.png.3)Fontfamilynameslike'OpenSans'mustbeexact.

Autoprefixer is a tool that automatically adds vendor prefixes to CSS attributes based on the target browser scope. 1. It solves the problem of manually maintaining prefixes with errors; 2. Work through the PostCSS plug-in form, parse CSS, analyze attributes that need to be prefixed, and generate code according to configuration; 3. The usage steps include installing plug-ins, setting browserslist, and enabling them in the build process; 4. Notes include not manually adding prefixes, keeping configuration updates, prefixes not all attributes, and it is recommended to use them with the preprocessor.

CSScounterscanautomaticallynumbersectionsandlists.1)Usecounter-resettoinitialize,counter-incrementtoincrease,andcounter()orcounters()todisplayvalues.2)CombinewithJavaScriptfordynamiccontenttoensureaccurateupdates.

In CSS, selector and attribute names are case-sensitive, while values, named colors, URLs, and custom attributes are case-sensitive. 1. The selector and attribute names are case-insensitive, such as background-color and background-Color are the same. 2. The hexadecimal color in the value is case-sensitive, but the named color is case-sensitive, such as red and Red is invalid. 3. URLs are case sensitive and may cause file loading problems. 4. Custom properties (variables) are case sensitive, and you need to pay attention to the consistency of case when using them.

CSSselectorsandpropertynamesarecase-insensitive,whilevaluescanbecase-sensitivedependingoncontext.1)Selectorslike'div'and'DIV'areequivalent.2)Propertiessuchas'background-color'and'BACKGROUND-COLOR'aretreatedthesame.3)Valueslikecolornamesarecase-insens
