Re: [Gnumed-devel] GNUmed forms printing

[Ian Haywood]

Sebastian Hilbert wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Richard reminded me that there are talented people on this list with little 
> chance to contribute.
> 
> Today I need your help on finding the best way to handle forms in GNUmed.
> Here is what I had in mind.
> 
> requirements:
> - cross platform, write once -deploy on many platforms
> - straight forward way of coming up and editing forms
> - seperate forms from content
> - ideally save a copy of a printed form
> 
> problems:
> - I know no python standard for printing , cross platform that is
> 
> possible solutions:
> - use LATEX for forms, create ps-files, feed them to the printer
> --> LATEX forms are hard to build and maintain ?
It's possible to use a simple extension to LaTeX which makes fixed-position
forms fairly easy, look under gnumed/test-area/ian

> - use reportlab, a python library, abstracted rml (xml) forms if you like, 
> creates pdf
No advantages over LaTeX AFAIK. No real disadvantages either.
> - use the wxpython printing framework for drwaing text and graphics
Good for fixed-position, for longer (possibly multi-page) reports/letters
it gets a bit messier (but doable), you end up partially rewriting 
LaTeX/reportlab.

Ian