I am glad to see that the expert advice is *don't*. I was given the project of finding an alternative to HTML that allowed pagination and my colleagues' suggestion was to try PDF. I found that by the time a document is in PDF it is decomposed into glyphs and vectors and all of the context information has been filtered out. The answer to my problem was, of course, XSL-FO with an easy and rational path to PDF, but I do not believe there is any way back from PDF to XSL-FO that will not involve pain and heartache.
John Marshall Accurate Software 80 Peach Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1XH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)118 977 3889 Fax: +44 (0)118 977 1260 http://www.accuratesoftware.com <http://www.accuratesoftware.com> -----Original Message----- From: Andreas L. Delmelle [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 09 September 2003 18:31 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Convert existing PDF to XSL-FO tool > From: Ganesh [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > I am not using XSL-FO from XSLT. I using Apache Velocity which has an > inbuilt template language (VTL) to fetch data from Java Beans on to any > text file. The dynamic data are merged with XSL-FO template using > Velocity and the resulting XSL-FO file is then given to FOP for > generating PDF. > Not sure what to make of this: first you don't use XSL-FO from XSLT, but you *are* using an XSL-FO template? (Would the latter be a FO in which some sort of a classic search-and-replace is performed? In that case, I do think XML+XSL-FO is a more than valid alternative. Meaning: perform the merging with Velocity in a 'template XML' that could afterwards be styled - e.g. via Xalan - to deliver the FO) > I agree that reverse compiler are not precise, but I am a novice in > XSL-FO template creation. It would be of great help if any tool can > provide a good start on which I can build on. It would be good enough if > I could copy-paste the PDF file content onto some XSL-FO editor and it > generates the XSL-FO for me. Is anybody aware of such a XSL-FO editor?. > I heard of XMLSpy, when I searched the Google, but not sure which is > best for my requirement(ie., with existing PDF and free if possible). First of all, I know of no such tool ( In fact there are AFAIK no tools that take a pdf as basis and deliver some other output-format, I guess the process would just be too complicated ). Also, difficulties would probably arise when a tool like this would deliver XSL-FO containing tags or constructs not yet supported by FOP ... Second, I think XMLSpy would not help you out here ( AFAIK they do offer an alternative to FOP, so I cannot help but NOT recommend you this ... ;) ) And third, I really think this would not be a good way for an XSL-FO-novice to start learning XSL-FO template creation. Start from scratch as this will definitely learn you more about what the fo-tags do... (first-hand experience and all that) If you insist, however, on having someone/something else perform the pdf to fo translation, send us a pdf and I would be more than willing to help you on your way to make a fo for that kind of layout. Greetz, Andreas Delmelle --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Accurate Software [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.accuratesoftware.com Europe . North America . Australasia . Africa The information in this email is confidential and privileged and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity listed above. If you are neither the intended individual, or entity listed above, nor the person responsible for the delivery of this email to the intended recipients, you are hereby notified that any unauthorised distribution, copying or use of this email is prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the Accurate system manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or on +44 (0)118 977 3889. The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the views held by the Accurate Group. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
