Apache OpenOffice Wiki - User contributions [en]

Writer/ToDo/PDF Import

2008-01-11T13:51:33Z

Fernand: /* Motivation */

==Motivation==

PDF is a widely used format to exchange documents containing text and graphics between different applications and different platforms. OpenOffice.org is currently able to create such PDF documents via export filters that are already available within every major OpenOffice.org application. Unfortunately, OpenOffice.org is not able to import PDF documents back again, although this is one of the more often requested features.

See [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=10384 issue 10384] for further details.

Most Professional Editing tools as QuarkExpress etc.. offers the posibility to place a PDF-Page as a graphic. For now we uses a workaround making from the PDF-page a EPS with tiff-preview who can now be placed in a OO-doc.
The previeuw is low-resolution but the EPS is printed in its original resolution and also in de wanted CMYK colorspace because the PS-print drivers do not alter the EPS to RGB
There are many reasons why this feature would be usefull, but placing fuly layouted tables (made in Calc) into WriterDocs is one of the most important.
In Quark you can select a PDF, choose the pagenr and place it as a normal graphic.
When it can bedone then it will be importand that the CMYK is preserved

==Goals for a PDF import==

The document created by importing a PDF file should resemble the original as close as possible; nevertheless PDF per se does not lend itself to that end easily: most PDF files contain no information about layout or document structure at all. Therefore a PDF file will never be able to be imported on a 1:1 basis. We have to define goals to define what level of similarity must be achieved on a basis of feasibility.

These goals should be treated as paramount:
* all text that is visible in the original PDF document should be imported
* text attributes: font family, font size, weight (bold, not bold), style (italic, not italic) should be imported together with the respective text.
* all drawing elements (images, vector graphics) should be imported.
* if the implementation has to choose between layout fidelity and editability, lean towards layout.

Additionally there are some goals that would greatly enhance the import result, all of these features can by their nature only be implemented with heuristic methods since PDF (unless the file uses tagged PDF) does not contain structural information. The following text features should be detected (sequence in descending importance):
* Paragraphs
* Enumerations
* Titles
* Underlined text
* subscript/superscript

=== Use-Cases===
There are 3 use cases for a PDF-input filter. To better understand what should be developed, I will separately address these use cases:

* '''Text-Stream Import'''
* '''Text + Layout Import''' (non-editable)
* '''Text + Layout Import''' (fully editable)
[[User:Discoleo|Discoleo]] 18:37, 7 October 2007 (CEST)

=== Text-Stream Import ===

Sometimes, people want to import mainly the '''text-stream''' to edit it in their preferred program and use it in their '''own work'''. In these instances, the exact layout is not that important, and what the import filter should do is:
* generate a continuous text stream [i.e. NOT just every line terminated by CR/LF, like the current Adobe Acrobat select tool]
* optimally detect some text-structure:
** like sub-/super-script
** paragraphs
** tables
** underlined text

=== Text + Layout (as background) ===

Users need sometimes to complete a document/form. Often, governments and other institutions publish official documents in pdf-format (simple PDFs, NOT pdf-forms), BUT one cannot add/write any text to these simple pdf documents.

The import-filter should therefore:
* import the pdf (both text-streams and layout) as a '''background'''
* users shall be able to write new text in the foreground, overlaid over the background document
** however, this should be handled better than pasting the pdf-document as an image and writing over the image
** images create bigger size; poor zooming; difficulty accurately positioning new text to fit the existing text line, ...
** it should be possible to position the cursor on the baseline of an existing text-line, so that newly written text fits the existing text
** the tool should detect existing text-box boundaries, so that one can write new text extending from those boundaries
* optimally, some minimal 'pdf-editing' features should be possible
** move whole sections (text+graphic+layout from the remaining document) downwards, e.g. if the new text does NOT fit in the existing free space

=== Text + Layout (fully editable) ===

Of course, this would be a nice feature, BUT - considering the pdf format -, this seems a little bit elusive.

However, pdf-documents saved by OOo should contain additional information, that should allow importing them in OOo in a fully editable state. At least OOo-generated documents shall allow this editing mode.

Another approach could be to allow importing PDF to Impress or Draw to edit the complete layout, by treating it as a poster instead of a document (which may be repaginated etc).

==Implementation==

We will try to come up with a first prototype soon, most probably using an out-of-process xpdf instance to do the parsing (due to license issues). Here's a list of things to do:

{|border="1" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Area !! Title !! State !! [[CWS]]
|-
| Parser || Wrap pdf parser with UNO || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Parser || Connect to xpdf out-of-process || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Tooling || Enhance rendering API to provide truly generic bitmap access || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Canvas || Adapt Canvas implementations to the new API || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Tooling || Adapt VCL's canvastools to be able to import XBitmap generically to VCL bitmap || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Tooling || Enable GraphicImporter to use rendering::XBitmap || style="background:lightyellow;" | 90% || picom
|-
| Import || Read content via UNO || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Import || Combine low-level structure (like stroke and fill) || style="background:lightyellow;" | 90% || picom
|-
| Import || Generate SAX events || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Import || Generate ODF stream || style="background:lightgreen;" | 100% || picom
|-
| Import || Detect text flow: portions || style="background:red;" | 0% || picom
|-
| Import || Detect text flow: lines || style="background:red;" | 0% || picom
|-
| Import || Detect text flow: paragraphs || style="background:red;" | 0% || picom
|-
| Import || Detect text style || style="background:red;" | 0% || picom
|-
| Import || Detect shape style (e.g. shadow) || style="background:red;" | 0% || picom
|-
| Parser || Replacement for xpdf || style="background:red;" | 0% || picom
|-
| CVS || Move pdf import to OOo CVS || style="background:lightyellow;" | 90% || picom
|-

[[Category:Writer|PDF Import]]
[[Category:To-Do|Writer/PDF Import]]
[[Category:PDF|Import Filter]]

Xml/Filters

2007-01-26T14:52:39Z

Fernand: /* Filters and Conversions based on OpenDocument/OpenOffice.org XML */

= Filters and Conversions based on OpenDocument/OpenOffice.org XML =

<table border>
<tr>
<th colspan="2">Filters and Conversions based on OpenDocument/OpenOffice.org XML</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Document</th>
<th>Summary</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://xml.openoffice.org/xmerge/docbook/ OpenOffice.org's DocBook filter]</td>
<td>Allows you to load and save DocBook files with OpenOffice.org through XSLT. The filter is meant as proof of concept and does not support all DocBook elements. Community support is appreciated.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.chez.com/ebellot/ooo2sdbk/ Eric Bellot's DocBook converter]</td>
<td>This is another approach at translating between OpenOffice.org XML and DocBook. Eric Bellot uses Python and XSLT to perform the transformation. With examples and description.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://xml.openoffice.org/xmerge/docbook/sx2ml/ OpenOffice.org XML export to strict XHTML 1.0]</td>
<td>Svante Schubert's XSL transformation for the creation of strict XHTML 1.0 from OpenOffice.org XML. Used for the online version of the [http://api.openoffice.org/docs/DevelopersGuide/DevelopersGuide.xhtml Developers's Guide]. Delivered with StarOffice/OpenOffice.org as optional sample filter</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.hj-gym.dk/~hj/writer2latex Writer2LaTeX]</td>
<td>Henrik Just's Writer2LaTeX converter is a command line utility and also a OO-exportfilter which converts OpenOffice.org documents to LaTeX and HTML. It is written in Java.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://xml.openoffice.org/source/browse/api/odk/examples/cpp/GenericXMLFilter/ Flat XML Filter]</td>
<td>The 'flat' XML filter lets you read and write office documents in plain XML files, i.e. without ZIP packages.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://ooo2txt.fr.st/ OOO2txt]</td>
<td>Frederic Labbe's OOO2txt tool generates a plain text representation of OpenOffice.or documents.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://libwpd.sourceforge.net/ libwpd]</td>
<td>William Lachance's libwpd and WordPerfect filter for OpenOffice.org Writer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://freshmeat.net/projects/soffice2html/ OOo to HTML]</td>
<td>Steve Slaven's StarOffice/OpenOffice.org to HTML converter. Uses XSLTproc and ImageMagick.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://openshore.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/openshore/openshore/parser/src/smrl/RELEASE.html OpenSHORE SMRL Metaparser Filter Package]</td>
<td>A [https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=65882&package_id=195645 JAR filter package] that reads "[http://openshore.sourceforge.net/pdf/OpenSHORE-SMRL-Tutorial.pdf Semantic Markup Rule Language]" (SMRL) specifications and creates [http://OpenSHORE.org OpenSHORE] XML, [http://topicmaps.org/xtm/ XML Topic Maps] (XTM), W3C RDF or [http://www.gupro.de/GXL/ Graph eXchange Language] (GXL) files from OpenDocument Text documents (*.odt).</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.tei-c.org/Software/teioo/ Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)]</td>
<td>This package provides import and export XSLT stylesheets, a template file, to allow Open Office (version 1.1 and later) to open TEI XML documents, and save OO documents as TEI XML. The XSLT stylesheets effectively provide a mapping between the TEI DTD and the OpenOffice schema.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.wieser.at/openoffice/ RDF Ticker Template and Package]</td>
<td>Daten RDF Ticker template and export using XSLT, by Wieser Informationstechnik</td>
</tr>
</table>

Xml/Filters

2007-01-26T14:48:51Z

Fernand: /* Filters and Conversions based on OpenDocument/OpenOffice.org XML */

= Filters and Conversions based on OpenDocument/OpenOffice.org XML =

<table border>
<tr>
<th colspan="2">Filters and Conversions based on OpenDocument/OpenOffice.org XML</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Document</th>
<th>Summary</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://xml.openoffice.org/xmerge/docbook/ OpenOffice.org's DocBook filter]</td>
<td>Allows you to load and save DocBook files with OpenOffice.org through XSLT. The filter is meant as proof of concept and does not support all DocBook elements. Community support is appreciated.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.chez.com/ebellot/ooo2sdbk/ Eric Bellot's DocBook converter]</td>
<td>This is another approach at translating between OpenOffice.org XML and DocBook. Eric Bellot uses Python and XSLT to perform the transformation. With examples and description.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://xml.openoffice.org/xmerge/docbook/sx2ml/ OpenOffice.org XML export to strict XHTML 1.0]</td>
<td>Svante Schubert's XSL transformation for the creation of strict XHTML 1.0 from OpenOffice.org XML. Used for the online version of the [http://api.openoffice.org/docs/DevelopersGuide/DevelopersGuide.xhtml Developers's Guide]. Delivered with StarOffice/OpenOffice.org as optional sample filter</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.hj-gym.dk/~hj/writer2latex Writer2LaTeX]</td>
<td>Henrik Just's Writer2LaTeX converter is a command line utility which converts OpenOffice.org documents to LaTeX and HTML. It is written in Java.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://xml.openoffice.org/source/browse/api/odk/examples/cpp/GenericXMLFilter/ Flat XML Filter]</td>
<td>The 'flat' XML filter lets you read and write office documents in plain XML files, i.e. without ZIP packages.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://ooo2txt.fr.st/ OOO2txt]</td>
<td>Frederic Labbe's OOO2txt tool generates a plain text representation of OpenOffice.or documents.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://libwpd.sourceforge.net/ libwpd]</td>
<td>William Lachance's libwpd and WordPerfect filter for OpenOffice.org Writer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://freshmeat.net/projects/soffice2html/ OOo to HTML]</td>
<td>Steve Slaven's StarOffice/OpenOffice.org to HTML converter. Uses XSLTproc and ImageMagick.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://openshore.cvs.sourceforge.net/*checkout*/openshore/openshore/parser/src/smrl/RELEASE.html OpenSHORE SMRL Metaparser Filter Package]</td>
<td>A [https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=65882&package_id=195645 JAR filter package] that reads "[http://openshore.sourceforge.net/pdf/OpenSHORE-SMRL-Tutorial.pdf Semantic Markup Rule Language]" (SMRL) specifications and creates [http://OpenSHORE.org OpenSHORE] XML, [http://topicmaps.org/xtm/ XML Topic Maps] (XTM), W3C RDF or [http://www.gupro.de/GXL/ Graph eXchange Language] (GXL) files from OpenDocument Text documents (*.odt).</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.tei-c.org/Software/teioo/ Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)]</td>
<td>This package provides import and export XSLT stylesheets, a template file, to allow Open Office (version 1.1 and later) to open TEI XML documents, and save OO documents as TEI XML. The XSLT stylesheets effectively provide a mapping between the TEI DTD and the OpenOffice schema.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[http://www.wieser.at/openoffice/ RDF Ticker Template and Package]</td>
<td>Daten RDF Ticker template and export using XSLT, by Wieser Informationstechnik</td>
</tr>
</table>