[clue-tech] Solution for converting complex XHTML to PDF?

[Greg Knaddison - GVS]

On 5/10/07, Dan Harris <dan at drivefaster.net> wrote:
> I'm working on a project that needs to convert many complex XHTML documents with
> heavy use of images, tables and CSS to PDF.  This needs to run in a completely
> automated fashion.  I have looked at XSL-FOP and HTMLDoc but both have
> limitations that don't meet the requirements at hand.  XSL-FOP doesn't
> understand CSS and HTMLDoc has very limited support for CSS, and at that, only
> in the latest development version.

Agreed - in my last review of those tools they came up short for the
task you describe.

>
> In order to accomplish this, I'm wondering if it might be possible to manipulate
> Firefox or KHTML via some fancy API calls to print a document to postscript,
> then call ps2pdf on the resulting file.  I have been googling for a while trying
> to find resources on how to accomplish this, but I'm not finding anything that
> fits my parameters.  Maybe this isn't possible?
>
> Anyone done this before or have a recommended tool for accomplishing this?
>

I haven't done it - but I do believe that the Pearl Crescent Page
Saver can do scripted creation of png.  png2pdf should be relatively
easy.  Right?

https://pearlcrescent.com/products/pagesaver/
and
http://png2pdf.sourceforge.net/

Greg