Earnings per Share and Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Outstanding options exercisable (shares)	5,927,274
Outstanding options (shares)	6,326,942		6,817,609
Restricted Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Options granted (shares)	105,000
Unrecognized compensation expense	$ 0.4
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted average period	1 year 5 months 21 days
Vesting period	3 years
Performance Based Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Options granted (shares)	0	0
Performance Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Outstanding options exercisable (shares)	204,000
Outstanding options (shares)	640,000		640,000
Unrecognized compensation expense	0.2
Performance Restricted Stock Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Weighted average fair value of the restricted stock units (usd per share)	$ 1.85	$ 5.16
Outstanding options exercisable (shares)	0
Outstanding options (shares)	9,779,006		10,218,508
Unrecognized compensation expense	2.7
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted average period	1 year
Non-Performance Based Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Weighted average fair value of the restricted stock units (usd per share)	$ 4.32		$ 4.18
Options granted (shares)	275,000
Unrecognized compensation expense	$ 0.9
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted average period	1 year 8 months 21 days
Fair value assumptions, risk free interest rate	1.81%	2.20%
Fair value assumptions, expected volatility rate	86.00%	81.00%
Fair value assumptions, expected life	6 years 7 months 1 day	6 years 8 months
Weighted average fair value of grants (usd per share)	$ 1.27	$ 5.94
Vesting period	3 years

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Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

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Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plans, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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The number of grants made during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

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The weighted average fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

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The weighted average fair value of nonvested awards on equity-based plans excluding option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, revenue or profit achievement stock award plan) for which the employer is contingently obligated to issue equity instruments or transfer assets to an employee who has not yet satisfied service or performance criteria necessary to gain title to proceeds from the sale of the award or underlying shares or units.

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Expected term of share-based compensation awards, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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The estimated measure of the percentage 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.

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

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The number of shares into which fully or partially vested stock options outstanding as of the balance sheet date can be currently converted under the option plan.

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Number of options outstanding, including both vested and non-vested options.

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