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| 55 | <H1><A NAME="SECTION0014100000000000000000"> |
| 56 | 12.1 <tt class="module">formatter</tt> -- |
| 57 | Generic output formatting</A> |
| 58 | </H1> |
| 59 | |
| 60 | <P> |
| 61 | <A NAME="module-formatter"></A> |
| 62 | |
| 63 | <P> |
| 64 | This module supports two interface definitions, each with multiple |
| 65 | implementations. The <em>formatter</em> interface is used by the |
| 66 | <tt class="class">HTMLParser</tt> class of the <tt class="module"><a href="module-htmllib.html">htmllib</a></tt> module, and the |
| 67 | <em>writer</em> interface is required by the formatter interface. |
| 68 | <a id='l2h-3790' xml:id='l2h-3790'></a> |
| 69 | <P> |
| 70 | Formatter objects transform an abstract flow of formatting events into |
| 71 | specific output events on writer objects. Formatters manage several |
| 72 | stack structures to allow various properties of a writer object to be |
| 73 | changed and restored; writers need not be able to handle relative |
| 74 | changes nor any sort of ``change back'' operation. Specific writer |
| 75 | properties which may be controlled via formatter objects are |
| 76 | horizontal alignment, font, and left margin indentations. A mechanism |
| 77 | is provided which supports providing arbitrary, non-exclusive style |
| 78 | settings to a writer as well. Additional interfaces facilitate |
| 79 | formatting events which are not reversible, such as paragraph |
| 80 | separation. |
| 81 | |
| 82 | <P> |
| 83 | Writer objects encapsulate device interfaces. Abstract devices, such |
| 84 | as file formats, are supported as well as physical devices. The |
| 85 | provided implementations all work with abstract devices. The |
| 86 | interface makes available mechanisms for setting the properties which |
| 87 | formatter objects manage and inserting data into the output. |
| 88 | |
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| 97 | <LI><A href="formatter-interface.html">12.1.1 The Formatter Interface</a> |
| 98 | <LI><A href="formatter-impls.html">12.1.2 Formatter Implementations</a> |
| 99 | <LI><A href="writer-interface.html">12.1.3 The Writer Interface</a> |
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