At 10:32 AM 2/1/02 -0600, you wrote: >step to use XSL:FO to generate PDF since we already had XML being generated. >One of the real blessings of this approach is our clients can customize the >look and feel of the application by changing the XSL files without our ever >opening a Java source file.
We also have a web based service here, and currently are using the same approach as you are, but the problems we encouter are the following: If you generate XSL:FO from XML, the XSLT(stylesheet) can become very complicated, at least for us because: We generate a lot of tables, and they are quite different what concerns the formatting/color. That means, there has to be a section in the XSLT for each type of table and complicated if-then-else decisions to decide which formatting to apply and how. Take into account also, that up to now you have to manually code in the column width of each column in every table for FOP, this is a nightmare! In other words, changing the XSLT is much, much, much more painfull than changing a java source file(supposing the use of iText). An alternative for having a simpler XSLT, would be to encode most of the formatting in the XML, but then you would have XML with formatting information, and if you want to change the look and feel you have to change the java source that is generating the XML. I think the use of XSLT is only usefull if you have a standardized look and feel, like every table looks the same way, etc... But even then, if you decide that you need a new table it is very difficult to define a new formatting using XSLT to generate XSL:FO. XSL:FO is a complicated language, and the complexity transfers to the generating XSLT(which is cumbersome enough on its own), which looks like a big messy thing here at the company. Our XSLT files are currently VERY long and MESSY. It would be much simpler to code the same thing in Java, take a look at the iText page and their examples(http://www.lowagie.com/iText/). And if you still need your XML, you can take this approach: 1. Generate XML from Java for whatever you need. 2. Generate the PDF from Java using iText. I think this is probably the approach we are gonna take here... And if you code smartly you can arrange is to also not have to change the java source for a change of look and feel. Just store the formatting information in a '.properties' file like: tableBackGroundColor=red tableFont=Roman8 etc... Then you can change the look and fell by just editing that properties file... I will nail down the weaknesses of the XML->PDF approach: 1. XSL:FO is a very complicated and messy language 2. XSLT is also kinda complicated to use, at least if you have to do complicated formatting... Best regards...Roland --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
