How to nicely print XHTML to PDF

How to nicely print XHTML to PDF

[Thomas Schrader]

Hi everybody,

would you please put this right, if I'm mistaken.

Isn't ConTeXt capable to typeset XML? And isn't
it really simple to make XHTML from HTML?

So, is there any obstacle against using ConTeXt as
customizable quality-typesetting backend for
(readjusted/simplyfied) (X)HTML pages? What about
power/complexity? How to style output?

I tried Gecko but it's not what I call user-friendly.

What is your opinion?

Kind regards

Thomas Schrader

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Re: How to nicely print XHTML to PDF

[Janko Hauser]

On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 12:18:22 +0100
Thomas Schrader <laborator@web.de> wrote:

> Hi everybody,
> 
> would you please put this right, if I'm mistaken.
> 
> Isn't ConTeXt capable to typeset XML? And isn't
> it really simple to make XHTML from HTML?
> 
In theory, yes :-), practically it can be a huge effort.

> So, is there any obstacle against using ConTeXt as
> customizable quality-typesetting backend for
> (readjusted/simplyfied) (X)HTML pages? What about
> power/complexity? How to style output?
> 

I think pdf from xhtml is a very good usecase for context. Although I
wouldn't think to do it directly, but transform the xhtml somewhat to
a context friendly xml. If you generate modern xhtml on your site, you
will have most of the styling in css files and have mostly structural
information in the xhtml. A tool can decide with the help of the css
definitions in the tags which layout macros it should use.

On the other side I do not think, that this approach is the equivilant
to the print function of the modern browsers.

__Janko Hauser

Re: How to nicely print XHTML to PDF

[Thomas Schrader]

Thank you for helping Janko,

>> ... really simple to make XHTML from HTML?
> ... practically it can be a huge effort.

THAT effort does not put me off at all ... 

>> How to style output?
> A tool can decide with the help of the css
> definitions in the tags which layout macros
> it should use.

That layout macros you're talking about: are
they capable to separate content from layout
in ConTeXt, too? By it's own means?

So, IS it actually possible to directly transform
CSS into ConTeXt layout macros and let the XHTML
untouched?

I agree, that XHTML might be too complex, but with
some pre-print tidy up complexity can be reduced
very well. Unfortunately I've no idea yet what to
do with all that scripting stuff in pages.

Anyway, there's also be the problem to establish a
page model within XHTML.

> ... I do not think, that this approach is the
> equivilant to the print function of the modern
> browsers.

After all, I dare say you're right (sigh). It's
an illusion to introduce real typesetting here,
is it?

Best regards,

Thomas Schrader

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