Re: [MacPerl] pod2pdf - someone interested?

[Axel Rose <rose@sj.com>]

> >> I'm seriously considering to write a helper to convert POD documentation
> >> into Adobe's PDF format, which (mind!) doesn't make use of the commercial
> >> distiller.
> >
> >I wouldn't want to interfere with your fun, but MacGS does a pretty good
> >job at
> >ps to pdf translation.
>
>And incidentally, consider
>  http://www.sanface.com/txt2pdf.html
>
>...which is in Perl.  It's quite interesting to look at the code, and at
>its output.

Considered. Thanks for the link.

But no - my view is this:

Every user of MacPerl should get the most out of the included
documentation. HTML output is fine, Shuck is fine but printout is often
a problem. Copying text via the clipboard doesn't preserve formatting.
Only a few Mac users are able to work with LaTeX or (even worse) troff.
So why not use the format that provides best printing results and
functionality in it at the momement - PDF. It has links and bookmarks.
(BTW: I'm not affiliated with Adobe rather as a prepress supporter I am
very unhappy with recent company policies.)

I spoke with Alan Fry about pod2ps. We agreed that a rewrite is probably
a better choice. You would anyway need the commercial distiller for
converting PS files to PDF. MacGS is a choice but not for the casual
MacPerl or even Mac user.

The current distribution of MacPerl has "pod2html", "pod2man",
"pod2text", "pod2latex" somehow hidden in the pod folder. So they are
not in the search path. You have to build a perl wrapper on your own to
run them.

And - exactly beginners often like to print manuals. You can't tell them
get this and this and this module and pay 25$ shareware fee for
"txt2pdf".

My plan is therefore to bundle Pod::Parser and pdflib and my additions
to a single package with a ready MacPerl droplet. You drop a
.pl/.pm/.xs/.plx file on the latter and get a .pdf file. That's it.

If this run's well it could be made to a regular CPAN thing later. Time
will show.

Sorry for the lengthy explanation but I want to save time implementing
something nobody needs or has alternative solutions for.


Many regards


Axel 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Axel Rose, Springer & Jacoby Digital GmbH & Co. KG, mailto:rose@sj.com
  pub PGP key 1024/A21CB825 E0E4 BC69 E001 96E9  2EFD 86CA 9CA1 AAC5
  "... denn alles, was entsteht, ist wert, daß es zugrunde geht ..."

# ===== Want to unsubscribe from this list?
# ===== Send mail with body "unsubscribe" to macperl-request@macperl.org