Re: [hylafax-users] hylafax future plans?

[Michele Petrazzo - Unipex srl <michele.petrazzo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Lee Howard wrote:
> Michele Petrazzo - Unipex srl wrote:
> > > 4. better/easy way to create cover pages and *archive* them with
> > >  faxes
> >
> > +1!
>
> The biggest difficulty here has been finding the *better* way.  Here
>  are the alternative ways that I've investigated...

After read this mail I spend some time for make tries and, I think to have
found a possible solution with open sources programs and standard formats:
openoffice -> pdf (with fdf) -> a script in someone language -> pdftk ->
pdf filled !

These was my tries:
Open the new OOo 3 (rc1, so the last unstable, but I think IT works
with OOo 2), create a new OOo text document, add some "text box" with the
"form control" dialog. Rename them with a unique name. Export the
document with: file -> export as pdf -> general -> create pdf form ->
submit form -> fdf

Create the fdf file and use pdftk for create the filled pdf file output.
Thats all.

For create the fdf file I use my preferred language (python), but you
can use which you want.

All this, except the pdf creation (with OOo) works without X, that on a
server, normally isn't present.

The unique problem that I see here, it's that pdftk are done in java (on
debian need libgcj and gcj) that can be not present on all the platforms
where hylafax works on.
If this is a problem, I can analyze the pdftk sources for see if there
is the possibility to re-create the pdf-fill operations with python, that
as I can know, it's present in all the os.

Attached here there is the odf file, the pdf one and the python script for
create the fdf and the filled pdf.

Hope this help,
Michele

Attachment: hylafax_test.odt
Description: application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text

Attachment: hylafax_test.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

#!/usr/bin/python

INPUT_PDF = "hylafax_test.pdf" 
OUTPUT_PDF = "hylafax_test_merge.pdf"

import os
from tempfile import mkstemp

def go():
    data_to_fill = {"name": "Michele", 
                "surname": "Petrazzo",  
                "multiline_field": "hylafax\nit's\nthe\nbetter"}
    
    fdf_path_out = create_fdf(data_to_fill)

    pdf_path = INPUT_PDF
    pdf_path_out = OUTPUT_PDF
    
    # pdftk usage: pdftk form.pdf fill_form data.fdf output out.pdf flatten
    
    os.system("/usr/bin/pdftk %s fill_form %s output %s flatten" % 
                (pdf_path, fdf_path_out, pdf_path_out) 
                )
    
    #remove the fdf temp file
    os.remove(fdf_path_out)

def create_fdf(data_to_fill):
    
    data = "%FDF-1.2\x0d%\xe2\xe3\xcf\xd3\x0d\x0a"; # header
    data += "1 0 obj\x0d<< " # open the Root dictionary
    data += "\x0d/FDF << " # open the FDF dictionary
    data += "/Fields [ " # open the form Fields array
    
    for k, v in data_to_fill.iteritems():
        data += '<< /T (%s) /V (%s) /ClrF 2 /ClrFf 1 >> ' % (k, v)

    data += "] \x0d" # close the Fields array
    data += ">> \x0d" # close the FDF dictionary
    data += ">> \x0dendobj\x0d" # close the Root dictionary

    # trailer note the "1 0 R" reference to "1 0 obj" above
    data += "trailer\x0d<<\x0d/Root 1 0 R \x0d\x0d>>\x0d" 
    data += "%%EOF\x0d\x0a" 
    
    fd, path_out = mkstemp(prefix="hylafax_cover_")
    
    file_write = os.fdopen(fd, "wb")
    file_write.write(data)
    file_write.close()
    
    return path_out


if __name__ == '__main__':
    go()