Significant Accounting Policies - Weighted Average Useful Lives for Each Major Category of Amortizable Intangible Assets (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Patent/Technology Costs [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average useful lives for each major category of amortizable intangible assets	14 years
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average useful lives for each major category of amortizable intangible assets	18 years
Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average useful lives for each major category of amortizable intangible assets	5 years	2 years
Trade Names [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average useful lives for each major category of amortizable intangible assets	16 years	15 years