RE: Best document formatting language -- MIDRANGE-L

I'll just throw out another solution that I use, for PO & Faxing, and that's
XSL-FO , and the FOP from the apache (xml).

There are commercial FO programs as well... But the open source version, has
the features I need...

It's XML, that can be used to produce PDF, and PS, and other formats...  It
has inline keep-together syntax, that allows control over page breaks, so
information is not broken across page breaks in bad spots...

Very nice, it's java...

Tim. 

Some syntax:

I write the data to the IFS, and then run the java program over the
outputted stream file...

....
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<fo:root xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg";
xmlns:fo="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Format";
xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml";
xmlns:lxslt="http://xml.apache.org/xslt";>
   <fo:layout-master-set>
      <fo:simple-page-master margin-right=".25in" margin-left=".25in"
margin-bottom="2cm" margin-top="1cm" page-width="21cm" page-height="29.7cm"
master-name="first">
         <fo:region-before extent="4cm" />

         <fo:region-body margin-top="4cm" margin-bottom="2cm" />

         <fo:region-after extent="1.5cm" />
      </fo:simple-page-master>
   </fo:layout-master-set>

   <fo:page-sequence master-reference="first">
      <fo:static-content flow-name="xsl-region-before">
         <fo:block-container height="1in" width="6in" left="1in" top=".15in"
position="absolute" border-width="0.01mm" border-style="none">
            <fo:block>
               <fo:external-graphic src="everett_logo.gif" />
            </fo:block>
         </fo:block-container>

         <fo:block space-before="1.1in" />     
.....


            <fo:table-body>
               <fo:table-row keep-together="always">
                  <fo:table-cell padding-end="1cm"
border-bottom-color="black" border-bottom-width="1pt" border-style="solid">
                     <fo:block space-before="1mm" font-size="10pt"
text-indent="1mm">
                        <![CDATA[THE EVERETT CLINIC-LK STEVENS]]>
                     </fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm">
                        <![CDATA[LSP2]]>
                     </fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm">
                        <![CDATA[5625 48TH DRIVE NE SUITE A]]>
                     </fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm">
                        <![CDATA[MARYSVILLE, WA]]>
                     </fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm">
                        <![CDATA[98270]]>
                     </fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm">
                        <![CDATA[]]>
                     </fo:block>
                  </fo:table-cell>

                  <fo:table-cell padding-end="1cm"
border-bottom-color="black" border-bottom-width="1pt" border-style="solid">
                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm"
text-align="start" space-before="1mm" font-weight="bold">The Everett
Clinic</fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm"
text-align="start" font-weight="bold">3901 Hoyt Avenue</fo:block>

                     <fo:block font-size="9pt" text-indent="1mm"
text-align="start" font-weight="bold">Everett, Wa 98201</fo:block>
                  </fo:table-cell>
               </fo:table-row>
            </fo:table-body>
         </fo:table>

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces+thatzenbeler=clinitech.net@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces+thatzenbeler=clinitech.net@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Wilt, Charles
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 4:47 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Best document formatting language

Arco,

Just wanted to point out that not all AFP to PDF conversion programs are
limited.

I've been quite happy in the past with Gumbo's Spool-A-Matic, the resulting
PDF is 99.9% accurate to the printout from an *IPDS Laser and the text in
the PDF is actual text.  So the PDFs are smaller and searchable.

http://www.gumbo.com/Licpgm/Spool-a-Matic.html

Also, Brad Stone has one you might want to check out.

http://www.bvstools.com/afptool.html


HTH, 


Charles Wilt
--
iSeries Systems Administrator / Developer Mitsubishi Electric Automotive
America
ph: 513-573-4343
fax: 513-398-1121
 
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Simonse, Arco
(CMK)
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 2:28 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Best document formatting language

Hi all,

I followed the "AS/400 print to PC for almost free" thread with interest. 
May I ask advice for the following: 
 
I have to develop a new application in RPG. Output of this application will
have text and grapics, and will be send to printer, IFS, email and fax.
Using Infoprint 5722IP1 licensed program will probably not be an option.
For email we are using Giovanni Perotti's MMAIL, and our faxsolution is
Hylafax, located on a linuxbox.

Currently we create AFPDS spoolfiles and use Giuseppe Costagliola's AFP2PDF
for translation to pdf, after which the documents are sent to the desired
destinations, all with limited succes. The AFP2PDF program is nice, but
limited in function. (text becomes graphics)

I saw the answer from Rich Duzenbury to the "AS/400 print to PC for almost
free" thread. He's using postscript and pdf as document formatting language.
After taking a look to some postscript basics, I have to admit that it looks
good, but I'm not experienced in document formatting languages. 

So here's my question:
What will be the best document formatting language to create the first
(main) output of an application that can be converted to other formats _on
the iSeries itselves_ ? APFDS, Postscript, PCL, HTML or other?

Thanks,
Arco Simonse
pgmr



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