Re: [O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[Balaji Bikshandi]

Thanks for the compliments Leo! 

I agree this is more of a simple ‘hack’! I call it the TTO - Transparent 
Terminal Overlay 😊. It had helped me in unusual situations such as when a 
proprietary PDF had ‘fillability’ issues. 

Your solution is ‘designed for purpose’ and sounds wonderful. My best wishes 
and looking forward to its realisation. 

Cheers
Balaji 
 
Sent from my iPhone

> On 23 Jul 2024, at 3:45 AM, Leo Butler <Leo.Butler@umanitoba.ca> wrote:
> 
> Hi Balaji,
> 
> This is an ingenious solution, but wouldn't something like xournal(++)
> be easier to use[1]?
> 
> A drawback to either method is that the PDF file that is created no
> longer has the form data available for subsequent edits. This is a
> serious drawback when one needs to fill in some parts of a PDF form and
> then pass it on to a colleague who needs to fill in other parts.
> 
> At the moment, my solution is to use pdftk to generate an FDF file, fill
> in the textfields & buttons using some guesswork, and then use pdftk to
> generate a new PDF. If I need to insert an image, then I resort to a
> using a python library (pymupdf). All of this is done within an org
> document, of course.
> 
> It would be really nice to have an org-babel/org-export library that
> could parse the FDF file into some structure understood and easily
> edited in Org (e.g. an Org document fragment with some special labels,
> perhaps) and also be able to generate a new FDF with the edited
> structure.
> 
> Best regards,
> Leo
> 
> 
> [1] https://xournalpp.github.io/
>    https://xournalpp.github.io/guide/whirlwind-tour/#annotating-pdf-files
> 
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Jul 19 2024, Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Ihor,
>> 
>> Glad you are interested. I have attached the screenshot showing how it
>> is possible from within Org-mode! I concur on the need for font sizing
>> and zooming the terminal at times. But for the most part I find it
>> just works for various types of PDFs. I have filled multi-page
>> documents but yes you will have to screenshot the pages separately.
>> 
>> I am sure you will get the idea but please let me know if you require
>> clarification. Hope this helps you like it does to me.
>> 
>> x
>> 
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Balaji
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>>> On 18 Jul 2024, at 5:00 PM, Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> writes:
>>> 
>>>> I use a transparent terminal over the PDF and then screenshot it!
>>>> 
>>>> This is, as you would expect, an ultralight and ultrafast solution.
>>>> 
>>>> In fact, I use mupdf to open the PDF, then open the venerable SC
>>>> spreadsheet calculator in a transparent terminal over it. Once
>>>> ‘filled’, I just take a screenshot! Then use Imagemagick to convert
>>>> it.
>>> 
>>> Interesting.
>>> May you expand a bit on how exactly you do it?
>>> 
>>> In particular, how does Org mode enter the picture? I imagine that you
>>> need to align the text layout in the Org file to fit the underlying PDF,
>>> but I am not sure if Org is the most suitable program to achieve such
>>> alignment. Something like M-x artist-mode might probably be more flexible.
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
>>> Org mode contributor,
>>> Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
>>> Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
>>> or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>
>> 
> 
> --
> ---
> Best regards,
> Dr Butler