Stock-based compensation (Details 1)	9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010
Fair value assumptions of stock options
Expected dividend yield		1.39%
Minimum [Member]
Fair value assumptions of stock options
Expected volatility	43.10%	42.90%
Expected dividend yield	1.28%	1.35%
Risk-free interest rate	1.89%	2.27%
Expected life of the option (in years)	5.4	5.4
Maximum [Member]
Fair value assumptions of stock options
Expected volatility	45.10%	44.20%
Expected dividend yield	1.28%	1.40%
Risk-free interest rate	2.25%	3.18%
Expected life of the option (in years)	6.3	6.3

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The estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 123R
-Paragraph A240
-Subparagraph e(2)(c)

+ Details

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- Definition

The period of time a share-based award is expected to be outstanding. A share-based award's expected term shall be determined based on, among other factors, the instrument's contractual term and the effects of employees' expected exercise and post-vesting employment termination behavior. An entity is required to aggregate individual awards into relatively homogeneous groups.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 123R
-Paragraph A240
-Subparagraph e(2)(a)

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 14
-Section D
-Subsection 2

+ Details

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- Definition

The estimated measure of the percentage amount by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 123R
-Paragraph A240
-Subparagraph e(2)(b)

+ Details

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- Definition

The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 123R
-Paragraph A240
-Subparagraph e(2)(d)

+ Details

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