Comments on: HTML to PDF, why so hard? http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/ reticula, electronica, & oddities Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:32:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Plyd http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-16386 Plyd Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:44:53 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-16386 There is a firefox3 extension that outputs a pdf from an url with command line. That's a way to use Gecko rendering engine. Example: firefox -print http://en.wikipedia.org/ -printmode pdf -printfile wiki-en.pdf I tried, it works very fine. Please also note that it needs an X server. Extension: http://torisugari.googlepages.com/commandlineprint2 There is a firefox3 extension that outputs a pdf from an url with command line. That’s a way to use Gecko rendering engine.

Example:
firefox -print http://en.wikipedia.org/ -printmode pdf -printfile wiki-en.pdf

I tried, it works very fine.
Please also note that it needs an X server.

Extension:
http://torisugari.googlepages.com/commandlineprint2

]]> By: brion http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-11159 brion Sat, 24 May 2008 23:19:31 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-11159 Cooooooool, have to check that out! Cooooooool, have to check that out!

]]> By: Antialize http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-10855 Antialize Wed, 14 May 2008 17:38:37 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-10855 I have have made a simple program using qt and webkit to convert HTML documents to pdf: http://code.google.com/p/wkhtmltopdf/ I have have made a simple program using qt and webkit to convert HTML documents to pdf:

http://code.google.com/p/wkhtmltopdf/

]]> By: Waldir http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-10655 Waldir Wed, 07 May 2008 18:11:59 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-10655 Whiteknight just <a href="http://wikibooks.blogspot.com/2008/05/wikimedia2pdf-tool.html" rel="nofollow">posted</a> about <a href="http://blogpaper.com/mediawiki2pdf" rel="nofollow">mediawiki2pdf</a> (looks like it only works for wikibooks for now) Whiteknight just posted about mediawiki2pdf (looks like it only works for wikibooks for now)

]]> By: Ze'ev http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-10169 Ze'ev Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:09:33 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-10169 Did you try pisa (http://www.htmltopdf.org/). It is a Python module for HTML/CSS to PDF conversion. Did you try pisa (http://www.htmltopdf.org/). It is a Python module for HTML/CSS to PDF conversion.

]]> By: Ryan Lane http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9555 Ryan Lane Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:04:02 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9555 I'd love to see a good solution for this. I'm stuck using HTMLDoc right now, and it is fairly painful due to the lack of CSS support. I'll be watching with anticipation ;). I’d love to see a good solution for this. I’m stuck using HTMLDoc right now, and it is fairly painful due to the lack of CSS support.

I’ll be watching with anticipation ;).

]]> By: Kelson http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9552 Kelson Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:12:11 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9552 Wow... I seem to have a doppelganger. Wow… I seem to have a doppelganger.

]]> By: Hashar http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9451 Hashar Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:20:55 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9451 Ideally, you would want to generate an XML document of the wikitext. The XML could then be converted to PDF, openoffice or XHTML. Have fun with XSL-FO ;o) Ideally, you would want to generate an XML document of the wikitext. The XML could then be converted to PDF, openoffice or XHTML.

Have fun with XSL-FO ;o)

]]> By: Thomas Bleher http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9445 Thomas Bleher Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:01:08 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9445 I agree that the Collection extension seems very hard to maintain in the long run. As to PDF generators, there's also html2fpdf (http://html2fpdf.sourceforge.net/), but I haven't really tried it yet. I agree that the Collection extension seems very hard to maintain in the long run.

As to PDF generators, there’s also html2fpdf (http://html2fpdf.sourceforge.net/), but I haven’t really tried it yet.

]]> By: Kelson http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9444 Kelson Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:49:55 +0000 http://leuksman.com/log/2008/03/27/html-to-pdf-why-so-hard/#comment-9444 The Cairo PDF Backend used by gecko is currently improved. The Moz. Fo. wanted to have an PDF export for FF3, unfortunately this feature seems to have been postponed. It's only a question of time IMHO to have a good HTML2PDF feature inside Gecko. This way of generating PDF files offers following advantages : * simplicity * freeness * guaranty a good rendering (near to the HTML rendering) * do not need maintenance from a dedicated team For these reasons... it seems to me to be the most promising solution. The Cairo PDF Backend used by gecko is currently improved.
The Moz. Fo. wanted to have an PDF export for FF3, unfortunately this feature seems to have been postponed. It’s only a question of time IMHO to have a good HTML2PDF feature inside Gecko.

This way of generating PDF files offers following advantages :
* simplicity
* freeness
* guaranty a good rendering (near to the HTML rendering)
* do not need maintenance from a dedicated team

For these reasons… it seems to me to be the most promising solution.

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