# \[xml-dev\] integrating complex XSLT-based formatting; OOo styling system?

**URL:** https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/xml-dev-integrating-complex-xslt-based-formatting-ooo-styling-system/18
**Category:** CSL Development
**Created:** [November 29, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/xml-dev-integrating-complex-xslt-based-formatting-ooo-styling-system/18 "2004-11-29T20:11:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Bruce\_D\_Arcus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Bruce\_D\_Arcus](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Bruce_D_Arcus)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/xml-dev-integrating-complex-xslt-based-formatting-ooo-styling-system/18/1 "2004-11-29T20:11:41Z")

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Frédéric wrote:

> In that case, isn’t easier to say ?
> 
> _A title_
> 
> Your title is still italic without a css linking, class is purely  
> semantic, and someone could override your italic choice with his css,  
> what is not possible with @style=“font-style: italic” (there’s so much  
> different biblio citation format).

Let me explain more fully how this system works on the styling front:

There is an XML styling file, a fragment of which would look like:

 , ...

The XSLT uses that file as the basis on which to transform the bib  
data. So, if a user wants to change rendering of titles, they will  
change it in the style file and regenerate the formatting; not locally.  
Your approach does make some sense; I’ll think about it some more.

> You can evaluate my opinion here  
> [http://transfolio.org/03%20architecture\_fr.html#OOo](http://transfolio.org/03%20architecture_fr.html#OOo)

Did you just produce this based on my questions, or were you doing this  
already?

> I know things like MARC21, MODS, UNIMARC, BiblioML, the bibliographic  
> models of Docbook and TEI, and my job is XSL/JAVA.

We’re using MODS.

Bruce