Open Source Web PDF Conversion Software

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Open Source Web PDF Conversion Software

• Presented by
• Bob Messner
• Dr. Michael Mills

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Why Use PDF for Web Content?

• What benefits does a PDF provide over straight
  HTML or Doc Files?

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Why did we need it?

• What were the users wanting?
• How many users needed it?
• What was the college needing?

4
What other options were
available?

• What benefits did we really want?

5
What were the costs of retail products that can
do this?

• Why not Acrobat 7.0?
• Why not a desktop application of any sort?

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Summary of Requirement

• Preserve formatting of files
• Allow anyone access to view them easily
• Ensure that the viewer is free and supported on
  many platforms (Linux, Windows, and Mac)
• Web-based
• Convert Word, Excel, txt, Htm docs to PDF
• Inexpensive and easy to use

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Serv PDF

• Web-based PDF conversion tool
• Foundation on Apache, Python, and Ghostscript
• Ghost Script 8.14
• website http//www.ghostscript.com/
• Spyce (Python in HTML)
• Python 2.3.4
• Website http//spyce.sourceforge.net/

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What is Ghostscript?

• Simply put, Ghostscript can read a Postscript or
  PDF file and display the results on the screen or
  convert them into a form you can print on a
  non-postscript printer.
• ServPDF uses AFPL Ghostscript which is
  distributed with a license called Aladdin Free
  Public License.
• License info statement You may modify the
  Program, create works based on the Program and
  distribute copies of such throughout the world,
  in any medium.

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What is Spyce?

• Webserver built on Apache
• Spyce is a server-side language that supports
  elegant and efficient Python-based dynamic HTML
  generation
• Spyce is distributed under an open source
  license

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What else is included in ServPDF?

• Postscript printer driver
• used to input data into Ghostscript.
• Pre-created pages for the webserver to upload
  documents for conversion.
• Preconfigured connectors to the Ms. Office
  applications for conversion.

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What else do I need?

• MS Office installed on the server
• In order to convert Ms. Office documents the
  server in which you install ServPDF on, must have
  Ms. Office installed as well.
• ServPDF calls on the Ms. Office application to
  open the file and print it to the postscript
  printer that it creates.
• Ghostscript then converts that output to PDF
  format.
• Lets see ServPFDs main conversion screen.

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Configuration Files for ServPDF

• spyceApache.conf
• Used to configure apache to run .spy files
• Spyce.conf
• Defined paths to Ms. Office
• Sets the default port to 8888
• Defines location of temporary folder for file
  conversion
• Index.spy
• Main webpage as displayed in PPT slide 12.
• Use this file to customize the main page with
  your logo, etc

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Get ServPDF

• Download ServPDF
• http//www.goermezer.de
• Any Questions???

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Robert Messner
857-1747
messner_at_dtcc.edu Dr. Michael Mills

857-1750
mmills_at_dtcc.edu