RE: PDF Generation Utilities
- From: "Homme, James" <james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:05:22 -0400
Hi Don,
Thanks for this info. This sounds and looks like a great utility to work with
PDF. The thing I want to do is work with HTML files, and convert them to PDF.
Thanks.
Jim
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Don Marang
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 10:50 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: PDF Generation Utilities
I am not sure how you plan to send the request to the Linux server or how to
specify more than one web page. What language are you planning to make this
request? Is it for a specific site or a general utility?
In the Ubuntu repository, there is a command line utility to manipulate and
build pdf files. The command and package name are pdftk.
To install, type:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pdftk
Reading the man page will give you some information:
man pdftk
I imagine you could transfer the file from the web site to the server at the
beginning of the script using wget, strip out the unwanted links at the as
desired (or convert them to bookmarks), and build the pdf file. I do not know
whether it would be easier to send the file back to the browser computer or
just notify when processing is complete. Then it can present a Save As dialog
and download the file from the server.
There are probably many approaches to this problem, this is how I would
approach it.
Don Marang
Vinux Software Development Coordinator -
vinuxproject.org<http://www.vinuxproject.org/>
There is just so much stuff in the world that, to me, is devoid of any real
substance, value, and content that I just try to make sure that I am working on
things that matter.
-- Dean Kamen
On 7/29/2011 9:53 AM, Homme, James wrote:
Hi,
Here is what I'd like to do.
Send an accessible HTML file to a server that has a utility running on it that
would then spit back a PDF document that I can print. The utility may need to
be fed a collection of HTML documents that it would assemble into a single file
to print. I would settle for code libraries that can work with this stuff. I
believe that the server environment would be your normal Linux/Apache type
server, but I need to make sure of that.
Here is the process flow.
The customer would click a hyperlink in the current HTML file they are reading.
The utility would do some stuff to make the file look nicer, such as strip
navigational elements to other pages, and whatever else is necessary to make it
look nicer to print.
The HTML file, I suppose, would need to communicate to the utility that it is a
part of a collection of files that the utility needs to get.
The customer would then be directed to that dialog that asks if they want to
download or save the document.
None of this, or as little as possible, must run on the client computer.
Thanks.
Jim
Jim Homme,
Usability Services,
Phone: 412-544-1810.
________________________________
This e-mail and any attachments to it are confidential and are intended solely
for use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have
received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and then
delete it. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not keep, use,
disclose, copy or distribute this e-mail without the author's prior permission.
The views expressed in this e-mail message do not necessarily represent the
views of Highmark Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates.
Other related posts:
