Generate PDF document using ReLaXed and TiddlyWiki

[Mohammad]

ReLaXed is a tool which creates PDF documents interactively using HTML or Pug (a shorthand for HTML). It allows complex layouts to be defined with CSS and JavaScript, while writing the content in a friendly, minimal syntax close to Markdown or LaTeX.

https://github.com/RelaxedJS/ReLaXed

Is it possible to use TiddlyWiki to generate PDF using this technology?

[TonyM]

I imagine it could be adapted, but some work would be required. lets see what those capable of such integration say.

Personally I am not sure what the compelling reason would be since I am happy to print to PDF from TiddlyWiki, but if it handled forms and other sophisticated uses I would consider it if the need arose.

There may be value adding this to the tool set and using it with tiddlywiki not in it.

Thanks for sharing

Tony

[Mohammad]

Tony!
 Actually I thought, if we could generate documents like article and reports, and even dissertation using the flexible TW tools and then export to PDF.

I learned ReLaXed and DocOnce have such capability, specially the Doconce (https://github.com/hplgit/doconce) is used to write scientific books. But TW is much more user friendly and it is

quite simpler. That was why I asked this question.

/Mohammad

[TonyM]

Mohammad,

Its true if we incorporated this in tiddlywiki (as a plugin most likely), perhaps with its own wikitext markup then tiddlywiki would join the tools that produce high quality content.

Regards

Tony

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Ciao Mohammad

The quick answer is yes. The real answer is WORK :-).

TW can have any complexity of CSS & JavaScript you want. The PDF aspect is not the issue... since its simply an output format.

The issue is HOW to achieve these kinds of layouts.

It would be via fine-grained control of CSS AND providing CSS defined for printing (in that your PDFs would be generated by "printing" to a PDF file).

Thomas Elmiger recently launched a well thought through way of dealing with sophisticated CSS in TW that might help. Its called BRICKS ...

Discussion: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/TiddlyWiki/qZyhuW3_UyQ

Demo: https://tid.li/tw5/test/bricks.html#Bricks

Best wishes
@TiddlyTweeter

[Mohammad]

Thank you!

 You know, many people have to prepare docs in different formats and it takes a lot of time! For example one topic is used in

their blog, slideshow in their talk (presentation) and used in their report, ....

Imagine when you could have one place to write and then generate all these formats, how much time you will save

and how would simple to maintain all of these.

I think TW may have this capability!

Best

Mohammad

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Mohammad

Part of the problem (generally, not specifically TW) is that the kind of fine control you want in a reliable way is not so easy to achieve in CSS. Generally, PRINT aware layouts are quite good to have in mind when thinking about what layout you want to achieve.

Personally I like academic layouts that follow "Style Manuals" like The Chicago Manual Of Style, or the APA. But these are rarely implemented in CSS--though could be more.

As you will see from Thomas' BRICKS for TW, the number of CSS rules in it is pretty daunting. However, the CSS for TW is far more logical and coherent than you normally encounter. This is largely because its intrinsically modular and without exceptions. So once you get to grips with it, it gets much easier than you may have thought it would be.

Josiah

[Mohammad]

Thank you Josah.

I agree! I am playing with Bricks to learn how it works.