Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Zhichu Chen]

Hi everyone,

I've seen some marvelous samples on Adobe' official site about dynamic
barcoded forms using XML:

http://www.adobe.com/products/server/barcodedpaperforms/pdfs/sample_barcoded_demo.pdf

can someone tell me that is it possible to build such pdfs using ConTeXt?

Yours,
Chen

Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Am 2006-10-10 um 17:53 schrieb Zhichu Chen:

> I've seen some marvelous samples on Adobe' official site about dynamic
> barcoded forms using XML:
> can someone tell me that is it possible to build such pdfs using  
> ConTeXt?

Not yet ;-)

I can think of 3 possibilities for a static barcodes module:
- draw the bars with MetaPost
- use psTricks/pdfTricks
- call GNU barcode externally
- use barcode fonts (makes no sense...)
That would be interesting for price tags, ISBN or the like.

But dynamical stuff like Adobe's must probably get drawn with  
JavaScript (or perhaps Flash?).

I guess it would be *possible* but you'd have to hire a good  
programmer...


Greetlings from Lake Constance!
Hraban
---
http://www.fiee.net/texnique/
http://contextgarden.net
http://www.cacert.org (I'm an assurer)

Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Hans Hagen]

Zhichu Chen wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I've seen some marvelous samples on Adobe' official site about dynamic
> barcoded forms using XML:
>
> http://www.adobe.com/products/server/barcodedpaperforms/pdfs/sample_barcoded_demo.pdf
>
> can someone tell me that is it possible to build such pdfs using ConTeXt?
>
>   
you mean forms? sure ; ths data can be sent to a server which then can 
send back a result

barcodes ... if i need them i will play with metapost a bit (i never 
looked into barcodes)

Hans

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Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Martin Schröder]

2006/10/10, Henning Hraban Ramm <hraban@fiee.net>:
> I can think of 3 possibilities for a static barcodes module:
> - draw the bars with MetaPost
> - use psTricks/pdfTricks
> - call GNU barcode externally
> - use barcode fonts (makes no sense...)
> That would be interesting for price tags, ISBN or the like.

GNU barcode works reasonably well. You have to trim the produced ps a
bit, but that's easy.

Best
   Martin

Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Am 2006-10-10 um 22:40 schrieb Hans Hagen:

> barcodes ... if i need them i will play with metapost a bit (i never
> looked into barcodes)

I collected some docs on barcodes for a project some years ago, I  
could sent that to you or anyone else.
But I guess the best would be to look into the code of GNU barcode  
(only one C file, AFAIR).


Greetlings from Lake Constance!
Hraban
---
http://www.fiee.net/texnique/
http://contextgarden.net
http://www.cacert.org (I'm an assurer)

Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Zhichu Chen]

Thank you misters,

Drawing static barcodes is very easy, but I really like the dynamic
barcoded forms. I've downloaded some examples which is written in
java, and it says that it uses XML. I've heard that ConTeXt can use
XML but when I've finished reading the example.pdf (it is talking
about XML in ConTeXt, right?), I totally have no idea about it. I love
ConTeXt so much that I wish it can do everything.

By the way, I have another question: how can we make reader-extension
pdfs? I mean we can save, add anotations, etc., using Adobe Reader 7
or above. It is another cool function.


On 10/11/06, Martin Schröder <martin@oneiros.de> wrote:
> 2006/10/10, Henning Hraban Ramm <hraban@fiee.net>:
> > I can think of 3 possibilities for a static barcodes module:
> > - draw the bars with MetaPost
> > - use psTricks/pdfTricks
> > - call GNU barcode externally
> > - use barcode fonts (makes no sense...)
> > That would be interesting for price tags, ISBN or the like.
>
> GNU barcode works reasonably well. You have to trim the produced ps a
> bit, but that's easy.
>
> Best
>   Martin
> _______________________________________________
> ntg-context mailing list
> ntg-context@ntg.nl
> http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
>


-- 
Sincerely yours,
Chen
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Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Martin Schröder]

2006/10/11, Zhichu Chen <zhichu.chen@gmail.com>:
> By the way, I have another question: how can we make reader-extension
> pdfs? I mean we can save, add anotations, etc., using Adobe Reader 7
> or above. It is another cool function.

That is protected by DRM from Adobe; you need software from Adobe for this.

Best
   Martin

Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Hans Hagen]

� wrote:
> 2006/10/11, Zhichu Chen <zhichu.chen@gmail.com>:
>   
>> By the way, I have another question: how can we make reader-extension
>> pdfs? I mean we can save, add anotations, etc., using Adobe Reader 7
>> or above. It is another cool function.
>>     
>
> That is protected by DRM from Adobe; you need software from Adobe for this.
>   
indeed, but what one can do is submit the form to a url and get back an updated document, which is permitted (kind of roundtrip system)

this only works if one runs inside a browser; technically this server can run on the local machine so you can have a local roundtrip 

Hans 

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Re: Can ConTeXt make dynamic barcoded forms?

[Henning Hraban Ramm]

Am 2006-10-11 um 04:48 schrieb Zhichu Chen:
> Drawing static barcodes is very easy,

Then you could easily write a barcode module for ConTeXt? That would  
be nice!


Greetlings from Lake Constance!
Hraban
---
http://www.fiee.net/texnique/
http://contextgarden.net
http://www.cacert.org (I'm an assurer)