Re^3: Converting RTF documents to PDF format

In theory, the OpenOffice.org suite of programs can do that, and in theory, these programs are also automatable. I say in theory because these programs need to be scripted either in their own, weird StarBASIC programming language or through an object model that is weird and unusable even for the standards of Java Object Model Designers. It would be a project producing many thanks if somebody made the filters of OOo into stand-alone converter programs, but the OOo build process is rather unapproachable.

Comment on Re^3: Converting RTF documents to PDF format

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^4: Converting RTF documents to PDF format by Fletch (Bishop) on Feb 14, 2005 at 14:32 UTC
I've had OK luck using the Python OO.org automation stuff that's available. It interfaces with the same whacked out object model as the Java stuff, but it wasn't too hard to get it to convert an `.sxc` spreadsheet into an Excel file with some luck and experimenting. Granted it's still not Perl, but it's not hard to pick up enough shudder Python to get something working.	[reply]
Re^5: Converting RTF documents to PDF format by Corion (Patriarch) on Feb 14, 2005 at 14:37 UTC
I did look at the Object Model, and if you ever had a look at the Microsoft Office Object Model, you know that using the OpenOffice.org object model is akin to having no templating system when you want to output text - all text in OOo must be created programmatically, and cursor placement as well - where the MSOffice model gives you collections to manipulate a document, OOo only allows you document creation but no (convenient) modification methods. Of course, this problem stems from the fact that OOo is basically StarOffice, which was written by Sun in Java, and not oriented at the (existing, and even then well-working) MS Office object model. If one were to write an office suite, copying the MS Office object model is the best way.	[reply]