Steven C Kienle wrote :
Actually, there are some companies which are starting to use PDFs as
web-based data entry forms, as opposed to (X)HTML forms. The goal is
to get what people use on the web to better look like what the paper
forms they are used to using. Of course, if browsers supported XSL:FO
directly
then PDFs maybe wouldn't be becoming popular for this....
I think that there is definitely a need for greater typographical and
design control of web-based interfaces than is currently allowed by
XHTML/CSS. To use PDFs as interfaces to the web though is a retrograde
step in my view, as PDF is a binary and proprietary format. It is also
at the 'end of the line' in the production process and almost impossible
to reuse/reflow at a later date (see the current PDF to XSL-FO thread)
(David, I think this is what I meant when I said 'static'...) Much
better to have something that is a standards-based open format (with
support for XForms, DOM events, etc.)
David Carlisle wrote:
Yes all I really meant to suggest that perhaps the route to a "Fo
based browser" is to strengthen the "web-like features" of systems
traditionally thought of as "print preview" rather than to try to
graft FO functionality onto a system with an HTML history.
Not sure that enhanced or extended PDF viewing is the answer though. I
agree that there has been too much 'grafting' of browser technologies
historically, so I wouldn't necessarily advocate doing that either. I
guess that it would just be nice to feed some of the
typographical/design flexibility that FO offers into future versions of
XHTML. Perhaps by XHTML v.5 we'll be somewhere to having a print quality
web experience ;-)
Andy
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