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.IX Title "PDF::Builder::Docs 3"
.TH PDF::Builder::Docs 3 2026-02-08 "perl v5.42.0" "User Contributed Perl Documentation"
.\" For nroff, turn off justification. Always turn off hyphenation; it makes
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.nh
.SH NAME
PDF::Builder::Docs \- Additional documentation for Builder module
.SH "SOME SPECIAL NOTES"
.IX Header "SOME SPECIAL NOTES"
.SS "Software Development Kit"
.IX Subsection "Software Development Kit"
There are four levels of involvement with PDF::Builder. Depending on what you
want to do, different kinds of installs are recommended.
.IP 1. 4
Simply installing PDF::Builder as a prerequisite for running some other
package. All you need to do is install the CPAN package for PDF::Builder, and
it will load the .pm files into your Perl library. If the other package prereqs
PDF::Builder, its installer may download and install PDF::Builder automatically.
.Sp
Note that PDF::Builder has a number of \fIoptional\fR prerequisites. It will
happily install and run without them, but advanced functionality (possibly
including that needed by another package) will \fBnot\fR be available unless you
manually install the desired packages. See "Optional Libraries" or the
\&\f(CW\*(C`README\*(C'\fR file for the list of optional packages.
.IP 2. 4
You want to write a Perl program that uses PDF::Builder functions. In
addition to installing PDF::Builder from CPAN, you will want documentation on
it. Obtain a copy of the product from GitHub
(https://github.com/PhilterPaper/Perl\-PDF\-Builder) or as a gzipped tar file from CPAN.
This includes a utility to
build (from POD) a library of HTML documents, as well as examples (examples/
directory) and contributed sample programs (contrib/ directory).
.IP 3. 4
You want to modify PDF::Builder files. In addition to the CPAN and GitHub
distributions, you \fImay\fR choose to keep a local Git repository for tracking
your changes. Depending on whether or not your PDF::Builder copy is being used
for production purposes, you may want to do your editing and testing in the Perl
library installation (\fIlive\fR) or in a different place. The "t" tests (t/
directory) and examples provide good regression tests to ensure that you haven\*(Aqt
broken anything. If you do your editing on the live code, don\*(Aqt forget when done
to copy the changes back into the master version you keep!
.IP 4. 4
You want to contribute to the development of PDF::Builder. You will need a
local Git repository (and a GitHub account), so that when you\*(Aqve got it all
done, you can issue a "Pull Request" to bring it to our attention. We can\*(Aqt
guarantee that your work will be incorporated into the project, but at least we
will look at it. From time to time, a new CPAN version will be issued.
.PP
If you want to make substantial changes for public use, and can\*(Aqt come to a
meeting of minds with us, you can even start your own GitHub project and
register a new CPAN project (that\*(Aqs what we did, \fIforking\fR PDF::API2). Please
don\*(Aqt just assume that we don\*(Aqt want your changes \-\- at least propose what you
want to do in writing, so we can consider it. We\*(Aqre always looking for people to
help out and expand PDF::Builder.
.SS "Optional Libraries"
.IX Subsection "Optional Libraries"
PDF::Builder can make use of some optional libraries, which are not \fIrequired\fR
for a successful installation. If you want improved speed and capabilities for
certain functions, you may want to install and use these libraries.
PDF::Builder\*(Aqs \f(CW\*(C`README\*(C'\fR file lists the minimum versions needed, and
\&\f(CW\*(C`INFO/Prereq_fixes\*(C'\fR lists known updates needed for some.
.IP \(bu 4
Perl::Critic
.Sp
Needed if running \f(CW\*(C`tools/1_pc.pl\*(C'\fR to check the library content.
.IP \(bu 4
Graphics::TIFF
.Sp
PDF::Builder inherited a rather slow, buggy, and limited
TIFF image library from PDF::API2. If Graphics::TIFF (available on CPAN, uses
libtiff.a) is installed, PDF::Builder will use that instead, unless you specify
that it is to use the old, pure Perl library. The only time you might want to
consider this is when you need to pass an open filehandle to \f(CW\*(C`image_tiff\*(C'\fR
instead of a file name. See resolved bug reports RT 84665 and RT 118047, as well
as \f(CW\*(C`image_tiff\*(C'\fR, for more information.
.IP \(bu 4
Image::PNG::Libpng
.Sp
PDF::Builder inherited a rather slow and buggy pure
Perl PNG image library from PDF::API2. If Image::PNG::Libpng (available on
CPAN, uses libpng.a) is installed, PDF::Builder will use that instead, unless
you specify that it is to use the old, pure Perl library. Using the new library
will give you improved speed, the ability to use 16 bit samples, and the
ability to read interlaced PNG files. See resolved bug report RT 124349, as well
as \f(CW\*(C`image_png\*(C'\fR, for more information.
.IP \(bu 4
HarfBuzz::Shaper
.Sp
This library enables PDF::Builder to handle complex
scripts (Arabic, Devanagari, etc.) as well as non\-LTR writing systems. It is
also useful for Latin and other simple scripts, for ligatures and improved
kerning. HarfBuzz::Shaper is based on a set of HarfBuzz libraries, which it
will attempt to build if they are not found. See \f(CW\*(C`textHS\*(C'\fR for more
information.
.IP \(bu 4
Text::Markdown
.Sp
This library is used if you want to format "Markdown"
style code in PDF::Builder, via the \f(CWcolumn()\fR method. It translates a certain
dialect of Markdown into HTML, which is then further processed.
.IP \(bu 4
HTML::TreeBuilder
.Sp
This library is used to format HTML input into a
data structure which PDF::Builder can interpret, via the \f(CWcolumn()\fR method.
Note that if Markdown input is used, it will also need HTML::TreeBuilder to
handle the HTML the Markdown is translated to.
.IP \(bu 4
Pod::Simple::XHTML
.Sp
This library is used if you wish to generate the HTML documentation from the
POD and PM source, using \f(CW\*(C`docs/buildDoc.pl\*(C'\fR. Note that the full set of
documentation can also be found online at
https://www.catskilltech.com/FreeSW/product/PDF\-Builder/title/PDF%3A%3ABuilder/freeSW_full
under the "Documentation" link. This online documentation is updated at
every CPAN release, but not necessarily when the GitHub repository is updated.
.IP \(bu 4
SVGPDF
.Sp
This library is used to convert SVG image files into PDF primitives, so SVG
images may be included in a PDF.
.PP
Note that the installation process will \fBnot\fR attempt to install these
libraries automatically. If you don\*(Aqt wish to use one or more of them, you are
free to not install the optional librarie(s). If you may want to make use of
one or more, consider installing them \fIbefore\fR installing PDF::Builder, so
that any t\-tests and/or examples that make use of these libraries may be run
during installation and checkout of PDF::Builder. Remember, you can \fIalways\fR
install an optional library later, if you want to make use of it.
.SS "Strings (Character Text)"
.IX Subsection "Strings (Character Text)"
Perl, and hence PDF::Builder, use strings that support the full range of
Unicode characters. When importing strings into a Perl program, for example
by reading text from a file, you must be aware of what their character encoding
is. Single\-byte encodings (default is \*(Aqlatin1\*(Aq), represented as bytes of value
0x00 through 0xFF (0..255), will produce different results if you do something
that depends on the encoding, such as sorting, searching, or comparing any
two non\-ASCII characters. This also applies to any characters (text) hard
coded into the Perl program.
.PP
You can always decode the text from external encoding (ASCII, UTF\-8, Latin\-3,
etc.) into the Perl (internal) UTF\-8 multibyte encoding. This uses one to four
bytes to represent each character. See pragma \f(CW\*(C`utf8\*(C'\fR and module \f(CW\*(C`Encode\*(C'\fR for
details about decoding text. Note that only TrueType fonts (\f(CW\*(C`ttfont\*(C'\fR) can
make direct use of UTF\-8\-encoded text. Other font types (core, T1, etc.) can
only use single\-byte encoded text. If your text is ASCII, Latin\-1, or CP\-1252,
you \fIcan\fR just leave the Perl strings as the default single\-byte encoding.
.PP
Then, there is the matter of encoding the \fIoutput\fR to match up with available
font character sets. You\*(Aqre not actually \fItranslating\fR the text on output, but
are telling the output system (and Reader) what encoding the output byte stream
represents, and what character glyphs they should generate.
.PP
If you confine your text to plain ASCII (0x00 .. 0x7F byte values) or even
Latin\-1 or CP\-1252 (0x00 .. 0xFF byte values), you can
use default (non\-UTF\-8) Perl strings and use the default output encoding
(WinAnsiEncoding), which is more\-or\-less Windows CP\-1252 (a superset
in turn, of ISO\-8859\-1 Latin\-1). If your text uses any other characters, you
will need to be aware of what encoding your text strings are (in the Perl string
and for declaring output glyph generation).
See "Core Fonts", "PS Fonts" and "TrueType Fonts" in "FONT METHODS"
for additional information.
.SS "Supported Perl Versions"
.IX Subsection "Supported Perl Versions"
PDF::Builder intends to support all major Perl versions that were released in
the past six years, plus one, in order to continue working for the life of
most long\-term\-stable (LTS) server distributions.
See the table
\&\fBFirst release in each branch of Perl\fR x.xxxx0 "Major" release dates.
.PP
For example, a version of PDF::Builder released on 2018\-06\-05 would support
the last major version of Perl released \fIon or after\fR 2012\-06\-05 (5.18), and
then one before that, which would be 5.16. Alternatively, the last major
version of Perl released \fIbefore\fR 2012\-06\-05 is 5.16.
.PP
The intent is to avoid expending unnecessary effort in supporting very old
(obsolete) versions of Perl.
.PP
\fIAnticipated Support Cutoff Dates\fR
.IX Subsection "Anticipated Support Cutoff Dates"
.PP
\&\fBNote\fR that these are \fInot\fR hard and fast dates. In particular, we develop
on Strawberry Perl, which sometimes falls a little behind the official Perl
release!
.PP
Also, due to user requests to allow \fInew\fR releases of PDF::Builder to run on
earlier versions of Perl, we will try to stretch the lifetime of earlier Perl
versions. Eventually, some older Perl versions will have to be dropped if and
when we start making use of newer Perl operators and constructs. Nevertheless,
it is still \fInot\fR a good idea to continue to use very old Perl versions that
are beyond their support cutoff dates \-\- they become vulnerable to security
attacks, and bugs do not get fixed.
.IP \(bu 4
5.28 current minimum supported version. Out of support, so use at your own risk.
.IP \(bu 4
5.30 future minimum supported version, until next PDF::Builder release after 20 June, 2026.
.IP \(bu 4
5.32 future minimum supported version, until next PDF::Builder release after 20 May, 2027.
.IP \(bu 4
5.34 not released under Strawberry Perl, expected to be skipped
.IP \(bu 4
5.36 future minimum supported version, until next PDF::Builder release after 28 May, 2028. This is currently our primary development version.
.IP \(bu 4
5.38 future minimum supported version, until next PDF::Builder release after 02 Jul, 2029.
.IP \(bu 4
5.40 future minimum supported version, until next PDF::Builder release after 09 June, 2030. This is currently the maximum tested version.
.IP \(bu 4
5.42 future minimum supported version, until next PDF::Builder release after 03 July, 2031.
.PP
If you need to use this module on a server with an extremely out\-of\-date version
of Perl, consider using either plenv or Perlbrew to run a newer version of Perl
without needing admin privileges.
.PP
On the other hand, any feature in PDF::Builder should continue to work
unchanged for the life of most long\-term\-stable (LTS) server distributions.
Their lifetime is usually about six (6) years. Note that this does \fBnot\fR
constitute a statement of warranty, but that we \fIintend\fR to try to keep any
particular release of PDF::Builder working for a period of years. Of course,
it helps if you periodically update your Perl installation to something
released in the recent past.
.PP
\fISome Internal Details\fR
.IX Subsection "Some Internal Details"
.PP
Some of the following may be a bit scary or confusing to beginners, so don\*(Aqt
be afraid to skip over it until you\*(Aqre ready for it...
.PP
Perl (and PDF::Builder) internally use strings which are either single\-byte
(ISO\-8859\-1/Latin\-1) or multibyte UTF\-8 encoded (there is an internal flag
marking the string as UTF\-8 or not).
If you work \fIstrictly\fR in ASCII or Latin\-1 or CP\-1252 (each a superset of the
previous), you should be OK in not doing anything special about your string
encoding. You can just use the default Perl single byte strings (internally
marked as \fInot\fR UTF\-8) and the default output encoding (WinAnsiEncoding).
.PP
If you intend to use input from a variety of sources, you should consider
decoding (converting) your text to UTF\-8, which will provide an internally
consistent representation (and your Perl code itself should be saved in UTF\-8,
in case you want to use any hard coded non\-ASCII characters). In any string,
non\-ASCII characters (0x80 or higher) would be converted to the Perl UTF\-8
internal representation, via \f(CW\*(C`$string = Encode::decode(MY_ENCODING, $input);\*(C'\fR.
\&\f(CW\*(C`MY_ENCODING\*(C'\fR would be a string like \*(Aqlatin1\*(Aq, \*(Aqcp\-1252\*(Aq, \*(Aqutf8\*(Aq, etc. Similar
capabilities are available for declaring a \fIfile\fR to be in a certain encoding.
.PP
Be aware that if you use UTF\-8 encoding for your text, that only TrueType font
output (\f(CW\*(C`ttfont\*(C'\fR) can handle it directly. Corefont and Type1 output will
require that the text will have to be converted back into a single\-byte encoding
(using \f(CW\*(C`Encode::encode\*(C'\fR), which may need to be declared with \f(CW\*(C`encode\*(C'\fR (for
\&\f(CW\*(C`corefont\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`psfont\*(C'\fR). If you have any characters \fInot\fR found in the
selected single\-byte \fIencoding\fR (but \fIare\fR found in the font itself), you
will need to use \f(CW\*(C`automap\*(C'\fR to break up the font glyphs into 256 character
planes, map such characters to 0x00 .. 0xFF in the appropriate plane, and
switch between font planes as necessary.
.PP
Core and Type1 fonts (output) use the byte values in the string (single\-byte
encoding only!) and provide a byte\-to\-glyph mapping record for each plane.
TrueType outputs a group of four hexadecimal digits representing the "CId"
(character ID) of each character. The CId does not correspond to either the
single\-byte or UTF\-8 internal representations of the characters.
.PP
The bottom line is that you need to know what the internal representation of
your text is, so that the output routines can tell the PDF reader about it
(via the PDF file). The text will not be translated upon output, but the PDF
reader needs to know what the encoding in use is, so it knows what glyph to
associate with each byte (or byte sequence).
.PP
Note that some operating systems and Perl flavors are reputed to be strict
about encoding names. For example, \fBlatin1\fR (an alias) may be rejected as
invalid, while \fBiso\-8859\-1\fR (a canonical value) will work.
.PP
By the way, it is recommended that you be using \fIat least\fR Perl 5.10 if you
are going to be using any non\-ASCII characters. Perl 5.8 may be a little
unpredictable in handling such text.
.SS "Rendering Order"
.IX Subsection "Rendering Order"
For better or worse, for compatibility purposes, PDF::Builder continues the
same rendering model as used by PDF::API2 (and possibly its predecessors). That
is, all graphics \fIfor one graphics object\fR are put into one record, and all
text output \fIfor one text object\fR goes into another
record. Which one is output first, is whichever is declared first. This can
lead to unexpected results, where items are rendered in (apparently) the
wrong order. That is, text and graphics items are not necessarily output
(rendered) in the same order as they were created in code. Two items in the
same object (e.g., \f(CW$text\fR) \fIwill\fR be rendered in the same order as they were
coded, but items from different objects may not be rendered in the expected
order. The following example (source code and annotated PDF excerpts) will
hopefully illustrate the issue:
.PP
.Vb 3
\& use strict;
\& use warnings;
\& use PDF::Builder;
\&
\& # demonstrate text and graphics object order
\& #
\& my $fname = "objorder";
\&
\& my $paper_size = "Letter";
\&
\& # see the text and graphics stream contents
\& my $pdf = PDF::Builder\->new(compress => \*(Aqnone\*(Aq);
\& $pdf\->mediabox($paper_size);
\& my $page = $pdf\->page();
\& # adjust path for your operating system
\& my $fontTR = $pdf\->ttfont(\*(AqC:\e\eWindows\e\eFonts\e\etimesbd.ttf\*(Aq);
\& # or \*(AqC:/Windows/Fonts/timesbd.ttf\*(Aq will also work on Windows
.Ve
.PP
For the first group, you might expect the "under" line to be output, then the
filled circle (disc) partly covering it, then the "over" line covering the
disc, and finally a filled rectangle (bar) over both lines. What actually
happened is that the \f(CW$grfx\fR graphics object was declared first, so everything
in that object (the disc and bar) is output first, and the text object \f(CW$text\fR
(both lines) comes afterwards. The result is that the text lines are on \fItop\fR
of the graphics drawings.
.PP
.Vb 2
\& # \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
\& # 1. text, orange ball over, text over, bar over
\&
\& my $grfx1 = $page\->gfx();
\& my $text1 = $page\->text();
\& $text1\->font($fontTR, 20); # 20 pt Times Roman bold
\&
\& $text1\->fillcolor(\*(Aqblack\*(Aq);
\& $grfx1\->strokecolor(\*(Aqblue\*(Aq);
\& $grfx1\->fillcolor(\*(Aqorange\*(Aq);
\&
\& $text1\->translate(50,700);
\& $text1\->text_left("This text should be under everything.");
\&
\& $grfx1\->circle(100,690, 30);
\& $grfx1\->fillstroke();
\&
\& $text1\->translate(50,670);
\& $text1\->text_left("This text should be over the ball and under the bar.");
\&
\& $grfx1\->rect(160,660, 20,70);
\& $grfx1\->fillstroke();
\&
\& % \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- group 1: define graphics object first, then text
\& 11 0 obj << /Length 690 >> stream % obj 11 is graphics for (1)
\& 0 0 1 RG % stroke blue
\& 1 0.647059 0 rg % fill orange
\& 130 690 m ... c h B % draw and fill circle
\& 160 660 20 70 re B % draw and fill bar
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 12 0 obj << /Length 438 >> stream % obj 12 is text for (1)
\& BT
\& /TiCBA 20 Tf % Times Roman Bold 20pt
\& 0 0 0 rg % fill black
\& 1 0 0 1 50 700 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "under" line
\& 1 0 0 1 50 670 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "over" line
\& ET
\& endstream endobj
.Ve
.PP
The second group is the same as the first, with the only difference being
that the text object was declared first, and then the graphics object. The
result is that the two text lines are rendered first, and then the disc and
bar are drawn \fIover\fR them.
.PP
.Vb 2
\& # \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
\& # 2. (1) again, with graphics and text order reversed
\&
\& my $text2 = $page\->text();
\& my $grfx2 = $page\->gfx();
\& $text2\->font($fontTR, 20); # 20 pt Times Roman bold
\&
\& $text2\->fillcolor(\*(Aqblack\*(Aq);
\& $grfx2\->strokecolor(\*(Aqblue\*(Aq);
\& $grfx2\->fillcolor(\*(Aqorange\*(Aq);
\&
\& $text2\->translate(50,600);
\& $text2\->text_left("This text should be under everything.");
\&
\& $grfx2\->circle(100,590, 30);
\& $grfx2\->fillstroke();
\&
\& $text2\->translate(50,570);
\& $text2\->text_left("This text should be over the ball and under the bar.");
\&
\& $grfx2\->rect(160,560, 20,70);
\& $grfx2\->fillstroke();
\&
\& % \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- group 2: define text object first, then graphics
\& 13 0 obj << /Length 438 >> stream % obj 13 is text for (2)
\& BT
\& /TiCBA 20 Tf % Times Roman Bold 20pt
\& 0 0 0 rg % fill black
\& 1 0 0 1 50 600 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "under" line
\& 1 0 0 1 50 570 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "over" line
\& ET
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 14 0 obj << /Length 690 >> stream % obj 14 is graphics for (2)
\& 0 0 1 RG % stroke blue
\& 1 0.647059 0 rg % fill orange
\& 130 590 m ... h B % draw and fill circle
\& 160 560 20 70 re B % draw and fill bar
\& endstream endobj
.Ve
.PP
The third group defines two text and two graphics objects, in the order that
they are expected in. The "under" text line is output first, then the orange
disc graphics is output, partly covering the text. The "over" text line is now
output \-\- it\*(Aqs actually \fIover\fR the disc, but is orange because the previous
object stream (first graphics object) left the fill color (also used for text)
as orange, because we didn\*(Aqt explicitly set the fill color before outputting
the second text line. This is not "inheritance" so much as it is whatever the
graphics (drawing) state (used for both "graphics" and "text") is left in at
the end of one object, it\*(Aqs the state at the beginning of the next object.
If you wish to control this, consider surrounding the graphics or text calls
with \f(CWsave()\fR and \f(CWrestore()\fR calls to save and restore (push and pop) the
graphics state to what it was at the \f(CWsave()\fR. Finally, the bar is drawn over
everything.
.PP
.Vb 2
\& # \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
\& # 3. (2) again, with two graphics and two text objects
\&
\& my $text3 = $page\->text();
\& my $grfx3 = $page\->gfx();
\& $text3\->font($fontTR, 20); # 20 pt Times Roman bold
\& my $text4 = $page\->text();
\& my $grfx4 = $page\->gfx();
\& $text4\->font($fontTR, 20); # 20 pt Times Roman bold
\&
\& $text3\->fillcolor(\*(Aqblack\*(Aq);
\& $grfx3\->strokecolor(\*(Aqblue\*(Aq);
\& $grfx3\->fillcolor(\*(Aqorange\*(Aq);
\& # $text4\->fillcolor(\*(Aqyellow\*(Aq);
\& # $grfx4\->strokecolor(\*(Aqred\*(Aq);
\& # $grfx4\->fillcolor(\*(Aqpurple\*(Aq);
\&
\& $text3\->translate(50,500);
\& $text3\->text_left("This text should be under everything.");
\&
\& $grfx3\->circle(100,490, 30);
\& $grfx3\->fillstroke();
\&
\& $text4\->translate(50,470);
\& $text4\->text_left("This text should be over the ball and under the bar.");
\&
\& $grfx4\->rect(160,460, 20,70);
\& $grfx4\->fillstroke();
\&
\& % \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- group 3: define text1, graphics1, text2, graphics2
\& 15 0 obj << /Length 206 >> stream % obj 15 is text1 for (3)
\& BT
\& /TiCBA 20 Tf % Times Roman Bold 20pt
\& 0 0 0 rg % fill black
\& 1 0 0 1 50 500 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "under" line
\& ET
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 16 0 obj << /Length 671 >> stream % obj 16 is graphics1 for (3) circle
\& 0 0 1 RG % stroke blue
\& 1 0.647059 0 rg % fill orange
\& 130 490 m ... h B % draw and fill circle
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 17 0 obj << /Length 257 >> stream % obj 17 is text2 for (3)
\& BT
\& /TiCBA 20 Tf % Times Roman Bold 20pt
\& 1 0 0 1 50 470 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "over" line
\& ET
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 18 0 obj << /Length 20 >> stream % obj 18 is graphics for (3) bar
\& 160 460 20 70 re B % draw and fill bar
\& endstream endobj
.Ve
.PP
The fourth group is the same as the third, except that we define the fill color
for the text in the second line. This makes it clear that the "over" line (in
yellow) was written \fIafter\fR the orange disc, and still before the bar.
.PP
.Vb 2
\& # \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
\& # 4. (3) again, a new set of colors for second group
\&
\& my $text3 = $page\->text();
\& my $grfx3 = $page\->gfx();
\& $text3\->font($fontTR, 20); # 20 pt Times Roman bold
\& my $text4 = $page\->text();
\& my $grfx4 = $page\->gfx();
\& $text4\->font($fontTR, 20); # 20 pt Times Roman bold
\&
\& $text3\->fillcolor(\*(Aqblack\*(Aq);
\& $grfx3\->strokecolor(\*(Aqblue\*(Aq);
\& $grfx3\->fillcolor(\*(Aqorange\*(Aq);
\& $text4\->fillcolor(\*(Aqyellow\*(Aq);
\& $grfx4\->strokecolor(\*(Aqred\*(Aq);
\& $grfx4\->fillcolor(\*(Aqpurple\*(Aq);
\&
\& $text3\->translate(50,400);
\& $text3\->text_left("This text should be under everything.");
\&
\& $grfx3\->circle(100,390, 30);
\& $grfx3\->fillstroke();
\&
\& $text4\->translate(50,370);
\& $text4\->text_left("This text should be over the ball and under the bar.");
\&
\& $grfx4\->rect(160,360, 20,70);
\& $grfx4\->fillstroke();
\&
\& % \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- group 4: define text1, graphics1, text2, graphics2 with colors for 2
\& 19 0 obj << /Length 206 >> stream % obj 19 is text1 for (4)
\& BT
\& /TiCBA 20 Tf % Times Roman Bold 20pt
\& 0 0 0 rg % fill black
\& 1 0 0 1 50 400 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "under" line
\& ET
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 20 0 obj << /Length 671 >> stream % obj 20 is graphics1 for (4) circle
\& 0 0 1 RG % stroke blue
\& 1 0.647059 0 rg % fill orange
\& 130 390 m ... h B % draw and fill circle
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 21 0 obj << /Length 266 >> stream % obj 21 is text2 for (4)
\& BT
\& /TiCBA 20 Tf % Times Roman Bold 20pt
\& 1 1 0 rg % fill yellow
\& 1 0 0 1 50 370 Tm % position text
\& <0037 ... 0011> Tj % "over" line
\& ET
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& 22 0 obj << /Length 52 >> stream % obj 22 is graphics for (4) bar
\& 1 0 0 RG % stroke red
\& 0.498039 0 0.498039 rg % fill purple
\& 160 360 20 70 re B % draw and fill rectangle (bar)
\& endstream endobj
\&
\& # \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
\& $pdf\->saveas("$fname.pdf");
.Ve
.PP
The separation of text and graphics means that only some text methods are
available in a graphics object, and only some graphics methods are available
in a text object. There is much overlap, but they differ. There\*(Aqs really no
reason the code couldn\*(Aqt have been written (in PDF::API2, or earlier) as
outputting to a single object, which would keep everything in the same order as
the method calls. An advantage would be less object and stream overhead in the
PDF file. The only drawback might be that an object might more easily
overflow and require splitting into multiple objects, but that should be rare.
.PP
You should always be able to manually split an object by simply ending output
to the first object, and picking up with output to the second object, \fIso long
as it was created immediately after the first object.\fR The graphics state at
the end of the first object should be the initial state at the beginning of the
second object. \fBHowever,\fR use caution when dealing with text objects \-\- the
PDF specification states that the Text matrices are \fInot\fR carried over from
one object to the next (\fBBT\fR resets them), so you may need to reset some
settings.
.PP
.Vb 4
\& $grfx1 = $page\->gfx();
\& $grfx2 = $page\->gfx();
\& # write a huge amount of stuff to $grfx1
\& # write a huge amount of stuff to $grfx2, picking up where $grfx1 left off
.Ve
.PP
\fIRendering with a shared (mixed) object\fR
.IX Subsection "Rendering with a shared (mixed) object"
.PP
In any case, now that you understand the rendering order and how the order
of object declarations affects it, how text and graphics are drawn can now be
completely controlled as desired. There is really no need to add another "both"
type object that will handle all graphics and text objects, as that would
probably be a major code bloat for very little benefit. However, it could be
considered in the future if there is a demonstrated need for it, such as
serious PDF file size bloat due to the extra object overhead when interleaving
text and graphics output.
.PP
There is not currently a general facility for mixed\-use objects, but a limited
example is the current implementation of underline, line\-through, and overline
text (within \f(CWcolumn()\fR markup); which are performed within the text object,
temporarily exiting (ET) to graphics mode to draw the lines, and then returning
(BT) to text mode. This was done so that baseline coordinate adjustments could
be easily made. Since "BT" resets some text settings, this needs to be done
with care!
.PP
A number of PDF\-producing products out there mix their text and graphics into a
single object. So long as PDF::Builder is \fInot\fR expecting to pick apart a
"text" or "graphics" stream from an existing PDF file, in order to look inside
it, this should not be expected to cause any problems. However, if you add a
new text\-only or graphics\-only object to an existing PDF via PDF::Builder, you
need to be aware of the rendering order. Presumably the new object(s) will be
\&\fIafter\fR the original one, but you should be aware of what\*(Aqs going on. A text,
graphics, or mixed object is all the same to a PDF reader, which cares only
for who has the lower object number (to be rendered first).
.PP
\fIGraphics state left by existing PDFs\fR
.IX Subsection "Graphics state left by existing PDFs"
.PP
There was a problem recently reported (ticket 231) which suggested that the
expected rendering order of output wasn\*(Aqt being respected. What it turned out
to be was that a utility ("Canva") used to generate a template PDF, was writing
graphics commands to a single stream (a mixed graphics and text stream, rather than
separate streams, but that\*(Aqs not important here). Apparently it was leaving
the PDF it created with a graphics state of \fBtransparent\fR "fill" mode. Further
text (as well as filled graphics draws) added by the user in PDF::Builder (open
PDF, open_page, add graphics and text in new streams) was still being drawn,
but was made invisible when rendered! Remember that text is by default (render
mode 0) drawn only with fill, not outlined. The solution was to first use the
\&\f(CWegstate()\fR call to set transparency back to 0 (off), making "fill" opaque
again. See \f(CW\*(C`examples/060_transparency\*(C'\fR for a code sample, or ticket 231.
.SS "Notes on Reader support of features"
.IX Subsection "Notes on Reader support of features"
PDF Readers are complex pieces of software, written by different groups at
different times. Thus, they may differ in how they support features and handle
non\-standard (i.e., not quite meeting standards) content! Most Readers out
there support all or most features up through PDF 1.7, and some support PDF 2.x
features. Note that PDF::Builder supports PDF 1.4 for the most part, with a few
PDF 1.5 features added. Most any Reader out there \fIshould\fR (in theory) support
any PDF produced with PDF::Builder.
.PP
There is no official \fIreference implementation\fR of a Reader, although Adobe\*(Aqs
Acrobat Reader (\fIAAR\fR, a free download) is so prevalent that it is almost a
\&\fIde facto\fR standard. At least, we \fItry\fR to get PDF::Builder and its tests and
examples to run on AAR. Sometimes it can be difficult, as, for example, the
handling of save (\fBq\fR) and restore (\fBQ\fR) operators (commands) within a text
stream. The PDF standard sort of suggests that these apply only to the Graphics
Stream, and possibly shouldn\*(Aqt appear in a Text Stream. Most Readers appear to
just ignore q and Q within a text stream, and AAR usually seems to, but certain
combinations of stream size and compression seem to trigger a warning in AAR
upon load! This particular case is now a moot point, as \f(CWsave()\fR and
\&\f(CWrestore()\fR have been reverted to being no\-ops (with a single warning message
given if found) in a Text Stream.
.PP
We have been advised that certain stream operators may not be strictly allowed
within certain parts of a stream (particularly certain graphics state operators
after path construction has started). No Reader seems to give problems with
this at the moment, but users should be aware that the ordering of their
PDF::Builder calls \fImay\fR need to be updated at some point, to get PDFs usable
on all Readers. If necessary, we will add code to enforce this (or at least,
warn of potential problems). Please feel free to report if you find such
restrictions are necessary.
.PP
Also note that not all \fIfilters\fR (including compression methods) may be
supported on all Readers. For example, at this time, AAR (and a number of other
Readers) apparently do not support CCITT Group 4 Fax compression (for some TIFF
images). This remains under investigation.
.SS "PDF Versions Supported"
.IX Subsection "PDF Versions Supported"
When creating a PDF file using the functions in PDF::Builder, the output is
marked as PDF 1.4. This does not mean that all \fIPDF\fR functionality up through
1.4 is supported! There are almost surely features missing as far back as the
PDF 1.0 standard.
.PP
The big problem is when a PDF of version 1.5 or higher is imported or opened
in PDF::Builder. If it contains content that is actually unsupported by this
software, there is a chance that something will break. This does not guarantee
that a PDF marked as "1.7" will go down in flames when read by PDF::Builder,
or that a PDF written back out will break in a Reader, but the possibility is
there. Much PDF writer software simply marks its output as the highest version
of PDF at the time (usually 1.7), even if there is no content beyond, say, 1.2.
There is \fIsome\fR handling of PDF 1.5 items in PDF::Builder, such as cross
reference streams, but support beyond 1.4 is very limited. All we can say is to
be careful when handling PDFs whose version is above 1.4, and test thoroughly,
as they may break at some point.
.PP
PDF::Builder includes a simple version control mechanism, where the initial
PDF version to be output (default 1.4) can be set by the programmer. Input
PDFs greater than 1.4 (current output level) will receive a warning (can be
suppressed) that the output level will be raised to that level. The use of PDF
features greater than the current output level will likewise trigger a warning
that the output level is to be raised to the necessary level. If this is not
desired, you should avoid using those PDF features which are higher than the
desired PDF output level.
.SS History
.IX Subsection "History"
PDF::API2 was originally written by Alfred Reibenschuh, derived from Martin
Hosken\*(Aqs Text::PDF via the Text::PDF::API wrapper.
In 2009, Otto Hirr started the PDF::API3 fork, but it never went anywhere.
In 2011, PDF::API2 maintenance was taken over by Steve Simms.
In 2017, PDF::Builder was forked by Phil M. Perry, who desired a more aggressive
schedule of new features and bug fixes than Simms was providing, although some
of Simms\*(Aqs work \fIhas\fR been ported from PDF::API2.
.PP
According to Alfred Reibenschuh\*(Aqs 2005 presentation
"pdfapi2_for_fun_and_profit_APW2005.pdf" (on
http://pdfapi2.sourceforge.net, an unmaintained site), the history of PDF::API2
(the predecessor to PDF::Builder) goes as such:
.IP \(bu 4
First Code implemented based on PDFlib\-0.6 (AFPL)
.IP \(bu 4
Changed to Text::PDF with a total rewrite as Text::PDF::API (procedural)
.IP \(bu 4
Unmaintainable Code triggered rewrite into new Namespace PDF::API2 (object\-oriented, LGPL)
.IP \(bu 4
Object\-Structure streamlined in 0.4x
.PP
At Simms\*(Aqs request, the name of the new offering was changed from PDF::API4
to PDF::Builder, to reduce the chance of confusion due to parallel development.
Perry\*(Aqs intent is to keep all internal methods as upwardly compatible with
PDF::API2 as possible, although it is likely that there will be some drift
(incompatibilities) over time. At least initially, any program written based on
PDF::API2 should be convertible to PDF::Builder simply by changing "API2"
anywhere it occurs to "Builder". See the INFO/KNOWN_INCOMP known
incompatibilities file for further information.
.PP
\fIThanks...\fR
.IX Subsection "Thanks..."
.PP
Many users have helped out by reporting bugs and requesting enhancements. A
special shout out goes to those who have contributed code and tests, or
coordinated their package development with the needs of PDF::Builder:
Ben Bullock, Cary Gravel, Gregor Herrmann, Petr Pisar, Jeffrey Ratcliffe,
Steve Simms (via PDF::API2 fixes), and Johan Vromans.
Drop me a line if I\*(Aqve overlooked your contribution!
.SH "DETAILED NOTES ON METHODS"
.IX Header "DETAILED NOTES ON METHODS"
\&\fBNote:\fR older versions of this package named various (hash element) options
with leading dashes (hyphens) in the name, e.g., \*(Aq\-encode\*(Aq. The use of a dash
is now optional, and options are documented with names \fInot\fR using dashes.
While the use of dashed option names is deprecated and discouraged, they will
remain legal for some time to come. At some point in the future, it is possible
that support for dashed names will be withdrawn, so it would be good practice
to start using undashed names in new and revised code.
.SS "After saving a file..."
.IX Subsection "After saving a file..."
Note that a PDF object such as \f(CW$pdf\fR cannot continue to be used after saving
an output PDF file or string with \f(CW$pdf\fR\->\f(CWsave()\fR, \f(CWsaveas()\fR, or
\&\f(CWstringify()\fR. There is some cleanup and other operations done internally
which make the object unusable for further operations. You will likely receive
an error message about \fBcan\*(Aqt call method new_obj on an undefined value\fR if
you try to keep using a PDF object.
.SS IntegrityCheck
.IX Subsection "IntegrityCheck"
The PDF::Builder methods that open an existing PDF file, pass it by the
integrity checker method, \f(CW\*(C`$self\->IntegrityCheck(level, content)\*(C'\fR. This method
servers two purposes: 1) to find any \f(CW\*(C`/Version\*(C'\fR settings that override the
PDF version found in the PDF heading, and 2) perform some basic validations on
the contents of the PDF.
.PP
The \f(CW\*(C`level\*(C'\fR parameter accepts the following values:
.IP 0 4
Do not output any diagnostic messages; just return any version override.
.IP 1 4
.IX Item "1"
Output error\-level (serious) diagnostic messages, as well as returning any version override.
.Sp
Errors include, in no place was the /Root object specified, or if it was, the indicated object was not found. An object claims another object as its child (/Kids list), but another object has already claimed that child. An object claims a child, but that child does not list a Parent, or the child lists a different Parent.
.IP 2 4
.IX Item "2"
Output error\- (serious) and warning\- (less serious) level diagnostic messages, as well as returning any version override. \fBThis is the default.\fR
.IP 3 4
.IX Item "3"
Output error\- (serious), warning\- (less serious), and note\- (informational) level diagnostic messages, as well as returning any version override.
.Sp
Notes include, in no place was the (optional) /Info object specified, or if it was, the indicated object was not found. An object was referenced, but no entry for it was found among the objects. (This may be OK if the object is not defined, or is on the free list, as the reference will then be ignored.) An object is defined, but it appears that no other object is referencing it.
.IP 4 4
.IX Item "4"
Output error\-, warning\-, and note\-level diagnostic messages, as well as returning any version override. Also dump the diagnostic data structure.
.IP 5 4
.IX Item "5"
Output error\-, warning\-, and note\-level diagnostic messages, as well as returning any version override. Also dump the diagnostic data structure and the \f(CW$self\fR data structure (generally useful only if you have already read in the PDF file).
.PP
The version is a string (e.g., \*(Aq1.5\*(Aq) if found, otherwise \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR (undefined value) is returned.
.PP
For controlling the "automatic" call to IntegrityCheck (via opens), the level
may be given with the option (flag) \f(CW\*(C`diaglevel => \fR\f(CIn\fR\f(CW\*(C'\fR, where \f(CW\*(C`n\*(C'\fR is between 0 and 5.
.SS "Preferences \- set user display preferences"
.IX Subsection "Preferences - set user display preferences"
.ie n .IP $pdf\->preferences(%options) 4
.el .IP \f(CW$pdf\fR\->preferences(%options) 4
.IX Item "$pdf->preferences(%options)"
Controls viewing preferences for the PDF.
.PP
\fIPage Mode Options\fR
.IX Subsection "Page Mode Options"
.IP fullscreen 4
.IX Item "fullscreen"
Full\-screen mode, with no menu bar, window controls, or any other window visible.
.IP thumbs 4
.IX Item "thumbs"
Thumbnail images visible.
.IP outlines 4
.IX Item "outlines"
Document outline visible.
.PP
\fIPage Layout Options\fR
.IX Subsection "Page Layout Options"
.IP singlepage 4
.IX Item "singlepage"
Display one page at a time.
.IP onecolumn 4
.IX Item "onecolumn"
Display the pages in one column.
.IP twocolumnleft 4
.IX Item "twocolumnleft"
Display the pages in two columns, with odd\-numbered pages on the left.
.IP twocolumnright 4
.IX Item "twocolumnright"
Display the pages in two columns, with odd\-numbered pages on the right.
.PP
\fIViewer Options\fR
.IX Subsection "Viewer Options"
.IP hidetoolbar 4
.IX Item "hidetoolbar"
Specifying whether to hide tool bars.
.IP hidemenubar 4
.IX Item "hidemenubar"
Specifying whether to hide menu bars.
.IP hidewindowui 4
.IX Item "hidewindowui"
Specifying whether to hide user interface elements.
.IP fitwindow 4
.IX Item "fitwindow"
Specifying whether to resize the document\*(Aqs window to the size of the displayed page.
.IP centerwindow 4
.IX Item "centerwindow"
Specifying whether to position the document\*(Aqs window in the center of the screen.
.IP displaytitle 4
.IX Item "displaytitle"
Specifying whether the window\*(Aqs title bar should display the
document title taken from the Title entry of the document information
dictionary.
.IP afterfullscreenthumbs 4
.IX Item "afterfullscreenthumbs"
Thumbnail images visible after Full\-screen mode.
.IP afterfullscreenoutlines 4
.IX Item "afterfullscreenoutlines"
Document outline visible after Full\-screen mode.
.IP printscalingnone 4
.IX Item "printscalingnone"
Set the default print setting for page scaling to none.
.IP simplex 4
.IX Item "simplex"
Print single\-sided by default.
.IP duplexflipshortedge 4
.IX Item "duplexflipshortedge"
Print duplex by default and flip on the short edge of the sheet.
.IP duplexfliplongedge 4
.IX Item "duplexfliplongedge"
Print duplex by default and flip on the long edge of the sheet.
.PP
\fIPage Fit Options\fR
.IX Subsection "Page Fit Options"
.PP
These options are used for the \f(CW\*(C`firstpage\*(C'\fR layout, as well as for
Annotations, Named Destinations and Outlines.
For Annotations and Named Destinations, the first form given is for the
fit as a hash element (option), while the second is as given as a list (before
any options).
.IP "\*(Aqfit\*(Aq => 1" 4
.IX Item "'fit' => 1"
.PD 0
.IP \*(Aqfit\*(Aq 4
.IX Item "'fit'"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with its contents magnified just
enough to fit the entire page within the window both horizontally and
vertically. If the required horizontal and vertical magnification
factors are different, use the smaller of the two, centering the page
within the window in the other dimension. Bottom line: the entire page is
shown, as large as possible.
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfith\*(Aq => $top" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfith\*(Aq => \f(CW$top\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fith' => $top"
.PD 0
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfith\*(Aq, $top" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfith\*(Aq, \f(CW$top\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fith', $top"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with the vertical coordinate \f(CW$top\fR
positioned at the top edge of the window and the contents of the page
magnified just enough to fit the entire width of the page within the
window. Bottom line: like \*(Aqfit\*(Aq, but scrolled vertically to put desired y
coordinate at the very top edge.
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitv\*(Aq => $left" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitv\*(Aq => \f(CW$left\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitv' => $left"
.PD 0
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitv\*(Aq, $left" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitv\*(Aq, \f(CW$left\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitv', $left"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with the horizontal coordinate
\&\f(CW$left\fR positioned at the left edge of the window and the contents of the
page magnified just enough to fit the entire height of the page within
the window. Bottom line: like \*(Aqfit\*(Aq, but scrolled horizontally to put desired x
coordinate at the very left edge.
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitr\*(Aq => [ $left, $bottom, $right, $top ]" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitr\*(Aq => [ \f(CW$left\fR, \f(CW$bottom\fR, \f(CW$right\fR, \f(CW$top\fR ]" 4
.IX Item "'fitr' => [ $left, $bottom, $right, $top ]"
.PD 0
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitr\*(Aq, $left, $bottom, $right, $top" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitr\*(Aq, \f(CW$left\fR, \f(CW$bottom\fR, \f(CW$right\fR, \f(CW$top\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitr', $left, $bottom, $right, $top"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with its contents magnified just
enough to fit the rectangle specified by the coordinates \f(CW$left\fR, \f(CW$bottom\fR,
\&\f(CW$right\fR, and \f(CW$top\fR entirely within the window both horizontally and
vertically. If the required horizontal and vertical magnification
factors are different, use the smaller of the two, centering the
rectangle within the window in the other dimension. Bottom line: defines a
\&\fIviewport\fR into the page by giving its corners. Cf. \*(Aqxyz\*(Aq, but all 4 corners
of the viewport rectangle are given.
.IP "\*(Aqfitb\*(Aq => 1" 4
.IX Item "'fitb' => 1"
.PD 0
.IP \*(Aqfitb\*(Aq 4
.IX Item "'fitb'"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with its contents magnified just
enough to fit its bounding box entirely within the window both
horizontally and vertically. If the required horizontal and vertical
magnification factors are different, use the smaller of the two,
centering the bounding box within the window in the other dimension.
Similar to \*(Aqfit\*(Aq.
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitbh\*(Aq => $top" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitbh\*(Aq => \f(CW$top\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitbh' => $top"
.PD 0
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitbh\*(Aq, $top" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitbh\*(Aq, \f(CW$top\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitbh', $top"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with the vertical coordinate \f(CW$top\fR
positioned at the top edge of the window and the contents of the page
magnified just enough to fit the entire width of its bounding box
within the window. Like \*(Aqfitb\*(Aq, but scrolled vertically so that \f(CW$top\fR is
at the top edge of the display.
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitbv\*(Aq => $left" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitbv\*(Aq => \f(CW$left\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitbv' => $left"
.PD 0
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqfitbv\*(Aq, $left" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqfitbv\*(Aq, \f(CW$left\fR" 4
.IX Item "'fitbv', $left"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with the horizontal coordinate
\&\f(CW$left\fR positioned at the left edge of the window and the contents of the
page magnified just enough to fit the entire height of its bounding
box within the window. Like \*(Aqfitb\*(Aq, but scrolled horizontally so that \f(CW$left\fR
is at the left edge of the display.
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqxyz\*(Aq => [ $left, $top, $zoom ]" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqxyz\*(Aq => [ \f(CW$left\fR, \f(CW$top\fR, \f(CW$zoom\fR ]" 4
.IX Item "'xyz' => [ $left, $top, $zoom ]"
.PD 0
.ie n .IP "\*(Aqxyz\*(Aq, $left, $top, $zoom" 4
.el .IP "\*(Aqxyz\*(Aq, \f(CW$left\fR, \f(CW$top\fR, \f(CW$zoom\fR" 4
.IX Item "'xyz', $left, $top, $zoom"
.PD
Display the page designated by \f(CW$page\fR, with the coordinates \f(CW\*(C`[$left, $top]\*(C'\fR
positioned at the \fBtop\-left corner\fR of the viewport and the contents of
the page \fBmagnified\fR by the factor \f(CW$zoom\fR. An \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR value for any of the
parameters \f(CW$left\fR, \f(CW$top\fR, or \f(CW$zoom\fR specifies that the current value of
that parameter is to be retained unchanged. So, if you are viewing a page at
a certain location and zoom factor, your new page should be positioned at the
same x,y and be at the same zoom (if all three are \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR). Cf. \*(Aqfitr\*(Aq, but
only one corner is given, along with the magnification.
.PP
\fIInitial Page Options\fR
.IX Subsection "Initial Page Options"
.ie n .IP "firstpage => [ $page, %options ]" 4
.el .IP "firstpage => [ \f(CW$page\fR, \f(CW%options\fR ]" 4
.IX Item "firstpage => [ $page, %options ]"
Specifying the page (either a page number or a page object) to be
displayed, plus one of the location options listed above in "Page Fit Options".
.PP
\fIExample\fR
.IX Subsection "Example"
.PP
.Vb 6
\& $pdf\->preferences(
\& fullscreen => 1,
\& onecolumn => 1,
\& afterfullscreenoutlines => 1,
\& firstpage => [$page, fit => 1],
\& );
.Ve
.SS "info Example"
.IX Subsection "info Example"
.Vb 11
\& %h = $pdf\->info(
\& \*(AqAuthor\*(Aq => "Alfred Reibenschuh",
\& \*(AqCreationDate\*(Aq => "D:20020911000000+01\*(Aq00\*(Aq",
\& \*(AqModDate\*(Aq => "D:YYYYMMDDhhmmssOHH\*(Aqmm\*(Aq",
\& \*(AqCreator\*(Aq => "fredos\-script.pl",
\& \*(AqProducer\*(Aq => "PDF::Builder",
\& \*(AqTitle\*(Aq => "some Publication",
\& \*(AqSubject\*(Aq => "perl ?",
\& \*(AqKeywords\*(Aq => "all good things are pdf"
\& );
\& print "Author: $h{\*(AqAuthor\*(Aq}\en";
.Ve
.SS "XMP XML example"
.IX Subsection "XMP XML example"
.Vb 10
\& $xml = $pdf\->xmpMetadata();
\& print "PDFs Metadata reads: $xml\en";
\& $xml=<
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\& Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)
\&
\&
\&
\&
\& Adobe Systems Incorporated
\&
\&
\&
\&
\& PDF Reference, version 1.6
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\&
\& EOT
\&
\& $xml = $pdf\->xmpMetadata($xml);
\& print "PDF metadata now reads: $xml\en";
.Ve
.SS """BOX"" METHODS"
.IX Subsection """BOX"" METHODS"
\&\fBA general note:\fR Use care if specifying a different Media Box (or other "box")
for a page, than the global "box" setting, to define the whole "chain" of boxes
on the page, to avoid surprises. For example, to define a global Media Box
(paper size) and a global Crop Box, and then define a new page\-level Media Box
\&\fIwithout\fR defining a new page\-level Crop Box, may give odd results in the
resultant cropping. Such combinations are not well defined.
.PP
All dimensions in boxes default to the default User Unit, which is points (1/72
inch). Note that the PDF specification limits sizes and coordinates to 14400
User Units (200 inches, for the default User Unit of one point), and Adobe
products (so far) follow this limit for Acrobat and Distiller. It is worth
noting that other PDF writers and readers may choose to ignore the 14400 unit
limit, with or without the use of a specified User Unit. Therefore, PDF::Builder
does not enforce any limits on coordinates \-\- it\*(Aqs \fIyour\fR responsibility to
consider what readers and other PDF tools may be used with a PDF you produce!
Also note that earlier Acrobat readers had coordinate limits as small as 3240
User Units (45 inches), and \fIminimum\fR media size of 72 or 3 User Units.
.PP
\fIUser Units (userunit)\fR
.IX Subsection "User Units (userunit)"
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $pdf\->userunit($number)
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
The default User Unit in the PDF coordinate system is one point (1/72 inch). You
can think of it as a scale factor to enable larger (or even, smaller) documents.
This method may be used (for PDF 1.6 and higher) to set the User Unit to some
number of points. For example, \f(CWuserunit(72)\fR will set the scale multiplier to
72.0 points per User Unit, or 1 inch to the User Unit. Any number greater than
zero is acceptable, although some readers and tools may not handle User Units of
less than 1.0 very well.
.Sp
Not all readers respect the User Unit, if you give one, or handle it in exactly
the same way. Adobe Distiller, for one, does not use it. How User Units are
handled may vary from reader to reader. Adobe Acrobat, at this writing, respects
User Unit in version 7.0 and up, but limits it to 75000 (giving a maximum
document size of 15 million inches or 236.7 miles or 381 km). Other readers and
PDF tools may allow a larger (or smaller) limit.
.Sp
\&\fBYour Mileage May Vary:\fR Some readers ignore a global
User Unit setting and do \fInot\fR have pages inherit it (PDF::Builder duplicates
it on each page to simulate inheritance). Some readers may give spurious
warnings about truncated content when a Media Box is changed while User Units
are being used. Some readers do strange things with Crop Boxes when a User Unit
is in effect.
.Sp
Depending on the reader used, the effect of a larger User Unit (greater than 1)
may mean lower resolution (chunkier or coarser appearance) in the rendered
document. If you\*(Aqre printing something the size of a highway billboard, this may
not matter to you, but you should be aware of the possibility (even with
fractional coordinates). Conversely, a User Unit of less than 1.0 (if permitted)
reduces the allowable size of your document, but \fImay\fR result in greater
resolution.
.Sp
A global (PDF level) User Unit setting is inherited by each page (an action by
PDF::Builder, not necessarily automatically done by the reader), or can be
overridden by calling userunit in the page. Do not give more than one global
userunit setting, as only the last one will be used.
Setting a page\*(Aqs User Unit (if \f(CW\*(C`$page\->\*(C'\fR instead) is permitted (overriding
the global setting for this page). However, many sources recommend against
doing this, as results may not be as expected (once again, depending on the
quirks of the reader).
.Sp
Remember to call \f(CW\*(C`userunit\*(C'\fR \fIbefore\fR calling anything having to do with page
or box sizes, or coordinates. Especially when setting \*(Aqnamed\*(Aq box sizes, the
methods need to know the current User Unit so that named page sizes (in points)
may be scaled down to the current User Unit.
.RE
.PP
\fIMedia Box (mediabox)\fR
.IX Subsection "Media Box (mediabox)"
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $pdf\->mediabox($name)
\&
\& $pdf\->mediabox($name, orient => \*(Aqorientation\*(Aq )
\&
\& $pdf\->mediabox($w,$h)
\&
\& $pdf\->mediabox($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury)
\&
\& ($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury) = $pdf\->mediabox()
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
Sets the global Media Box (or page\*(Aqs Media Box, if \f(CW\*(C`$page\->\*(C'\fR instead).
This defines the width and height (or by corner
coordinates, or by standard name) of the output page itself, such as the
physical paper size. This is normally the largest of the "boxes". If any
subsidiary box (within it) exceeds the media box, the portion of the material
or boxes outside of the Media Box will be ignored. That is, the Media Box is
the One Box to Rule Them All, and is the overall limit for other boxes (some
documentation refers to the Media Box as "clipping" other boxes). In
addition, the Media Box defines the overall \fIcoordinate system\fR for text and
graphics operations.
.Sp
If no arguments are given, the current Media Box (global or page) coordinates
are returned instead. The former \f(CW\*(C`get_mediabox\*(C'\fR (page only) function was
\&\fBdeprecated\fR and has been removed. In addition,
when \fIsetting\fR the Media Box, the resulting coordinates are returned. This
permits you to specify the page size by a name (alias) and get the dimensions
back, all in one call.
.Sp
Note that many printers can \fBnot\fR print all the way to the
physical edge of the paper, so you should plan to leave some blank margin,
even outside of any crop marks and bleeds. Printers and on\-screen readers are
free to discard any content found outside the Media Box, and printers may
discard some material just inside the Media Box.
.Sp
A \fIglobal\fR Media Box is \fBrequired\fR by the PDF spec; if not explicitly given,
PDF::Builder will set the global Media Box to US Letter size (8.5in x 11in).
This is the media size that will be used for all pages if you do not specify
a \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR call on a page. That is,
a global (PDF level) mediabox setting is inherited by each page, or can be
overridden by setting mediabox in the page. Do not give more than one global
mediabox setting, as only the last one will be used.
.Sp
If you give a single string name (e.g., \*(AqA4\*(Aq), you may optionally add an
orientation to turn the page 90 degrees into Landscape mode:
\&\f(CW\*(C`orient => \*(AqL\*(Aq\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`orient => \*(Aql\*(Aq\*(C'\fR. \f(CW\*(C`orient\*(C'\fR is the only option
recognized, and a string beginning with an \*(AqL\*(Aq or \*(Aql\*(Aq (for Landscape) is the
only value of interest (anything else is treated as Portrait mode). The \fIy\fR
axis still runs from 0 at the bottom of the page to what used to be the page
\&\fIwidth\fR (now, \fIheight\fR) at the top, and likewise for the \fIx\fR axis: 0 at left
to (former) \fIheight\fR at the right. That is, the coordinate system is the same
as before, except that the height and width are different.
.Sp
The lower left corner does not \fIhave\fR to be 0,0. It can be any values you want,
including negative values (so long as the resulting media\*(Aqs sides are at least
one point long). \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR sets the coordinate system (including the origin)
of the graphics and text that will be drawn, as well as for subsequent "boxes".
It\*(Aqs even possible to give any two opposite corners (such as upper left and
lower right). The coordinate system will be rearranged (by the Reader) to
still be the conventional minimum \f(CW\*(C`x\*(C'\fR and \f(CW\*(C`y\*(C'\fR in the lower left (i.e., you
can\*(Aqt make \f(CW\*(C`y\*(C'\fR \fIincrease\fR from top to bottom!).
.Sp
\&\fBExample:\fR
.RE
.PP
.Vb 4
\& $pdf = PDF::Builder\->new();
\& $pdf\->mediabox(\*(AqA4\*(Aq); # A4 size (595 Pt wide by 842 Pt high)
\& ...
\& $pdf\->saveas(\*(Aqour/new.pdf\*(Aq);
\&
\& $pdf = PDF::Builder\->new();
\& $pdf\->mediabox(595, 842); # A4 size, with implicit 0,0 LL corner
\& ...
\& $pdf\->saveas(\*(Aqour/new.pdf\*(Aq);
\&
\& $pdf = PDF::Builder\->new;
\& $pdf\->mediabox(0, 0, 595, 842); # A4 size, with explicit 0,0 LL corner
\& ...
\& $pdf\->saveas(\*(Aqour/new.pdf\*(Aq);
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
See the PDF::Builder::Resource::PaperSizes source code for the full list of
supported names (aliases) and their dimensions in points. You are free to add
additional paper sizes to this file, if you wish. You might want to do this if
you frequently use a standard page size in rotated (Landscape) mode. See also
the \f(CW\*(C`getPaperSizes\*(C'\fR call in PDF::Builder::Util. These names (aliases) are
also usable in other "box" calls, although useful only if the "box" is the same
size as the full media (Media Box), and you don\*(Aqt mind their starting at 0,0.
.RE
.PP
\fICrop Box (cropbox)\fR
.IX Subsection "Crop Box (cropbox)"
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $pdf\->cropbox($name)
\&
\& $pdf\->cropbox($name, orient => \*(Aqorientation\*(Aq)
\&
\& $pdf\->cropbox($w,$h)
\&
\& $pdf\->cropbox($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury)
\&
\& ($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury) = $pdf\->cropbox()
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
Sets the global Crop Box (or page\*(Aqs Crop Box, if \f(CW\*(C`$page\->\*(C'\fR instead).
This will define the media size to which the output will
later be \fIclipped\fR. Note that this does \fBnot\fR itself output any crop marks
to guide cutting of the paper! PDF Readers should consider this to be the
\&\fIvisible\fR portion of the page, and anything found outside it \fImay\fR be clipped
(invisible). By default, it is equal to the Media Box, but may be defined to be
smaller, in the coordinate system set by the Media Box. A global setting will
be inherited by each page, but can be overridden on a per\-page basis.
.Sp
A Reader or Printer may choose to discard any clipped (invisible) part of the
page, and show only the area \fIwithin\fR the Crop Box. For example, if your page
Media Box is A4 (0,0 to 595,842 Points), and your Crop Box is (100,100 to
495,742), a reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader may show you a page 395 by
642 Points in size (i.e., just the visible area of your page). Other Readers
may show you the full media size (Media Box) and a 100 Point wide blank area
(in this example) around the visible content.
.Sp
If no arguments are given, the current Crop Box (global or page) coordinates
are returned instead. The former \f(CW\*(C`get_cropbox\*(C'\fR (page only) function was
\&\fBdeprecated\fR and has been removed. If a Crop Box
has not been defined, the Media Box coordinates (which always exist) will be
returned instead. In addition,
when \fIsetting\fR the Crop Box, the resulting coordinates are returned. This
permits you to specify the crop box by a name (alias) and get the dimensions
back, all in one call.
.Sp
Do not confuse the Crop Box with the \f(CW\*(C`Trim Box\*(C'\fR, which shows where printed
paper is expected to actually be \fIcut\fR. Some PDF Readers may reduce the
visible "paper" background to the size of the crop box; others may simply omit
any content outside it. Either way, you would lose any trim or crop marks,
printer instructions, color alignment dots, or other content outside the Crop
Box. \fIA good use of the Crop Box\fR would be limit printing to the area where a
printer \fIcan\fR reliably put down ink, and leave white the edge areas where
paper\-handling mechanisms prevent ink or toner from being applied. This would
keep you from accidentally putting valuable content in an area where a printer
will refuse to print, yet permit you to include a bleed area and space for
printer\*(Aqs marks and instructions. Needless to say, if your printer cannot print
to the very edge of the paper, you will need to trim (cut) the printed sheets
to get true bleeds.
.Sp
A global (PDF level) cropbox setting is inherited by each page, or can be
overridden by setting cropbox in the page.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, only one crop box may be set at this (PDF) level.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, a named media size may have an orientation (l or L) for
Landscape mode.
Note that the PDF level global Crop Box will be used \fIeven if\fR the page gets
its own Media Box. That is, the page\*(Aqs Crop Box inherits the global Crop Box,
not the page Media Box, even if the page has its own media size! If you set the
page\*(Aqs own Media Box, you should consider also explicitly setting the page
Crop Box (and other boxes).
.RE
.PP
\fIBleed Box (bleedbox)\fR
.IX Subsection "Bleed Box (bleedbox)"
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $pdf\->bleedbox($name)
\&
\& $pdf\->bleedbox($name, orient => \*(Aqorientation\*(Aq)
\&
\& $pdf\->bleedbox($w,$h)
\&
\& $pdf\->bleedbox($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury)
\&
\& ($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury) = $pdf\->bleedbox()
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
Sets the global Bleed Box (or page\*(Aqs Bleed Box, if \f(CW\*(C`$page\->\*(C'\fR instead).
This is typically used in printing on paper, where you want
ink or color (such as thumb tabs) to be printed a bit beyond the final paper
size, to ensure that the cut paper \fIbleeds\fR (the cut goes \fIthrough\fR the ink),
rather than accidentally leaving some white paper visible outside. Allow
enough "bleed" over the expected trim line to account for minor variations in
paper handling, folding, and cutting; to avoid showing white paper at the edge.
The Bleed Box is where \fIprinting\fR could actually extend to; the Trim Box is
normally within it, where the paper would actually be \fIcut\fR. The default
value is equal to the Crop Box, but is often a bit smaller. The space between
the Bleed Box and the Crop Box is available for printer instructions, color
alignment dots, etc., while crop marks (trim guides) are at least partly within
the bleed area (and should be printed after content is printed).
.Sp
If no arguments are given, the current Bleed Box (global or page) coordinates
are returned instead. The former \f(CW\*(C`get_bleedbox\*(C'\fR (page only) function was
\&\fBdeprecated\fR and has been removed. If a Bleed Box
has not been defined, the Crop Box coordinates (if defined) will be returned,
otherwise the Media Box coordinates (which always exist) will be returned.
In addition, when \fIsetting\fR the Bleed Box, the resulting coordinates are
returned. This permits you to specify the bleed box by a name (alias) and get
the dimensions back, all in one call.
.Sp
A global (PDF level) bleedbox setting is inherited by each page, or can be
overridden by setting bleedbox in the page.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, only one bleed box may be set at this (PDF) level.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, a named media size may have an orientation (l or L) for
Landscape mode.
Note that the PDF level global Bleed Box will be used \fIeven if\fR the page gets
its own Crop Box. That is, the page\*(Aqs Bleed Box inherits the global Bleed Box,
not the page Crop Box, even if the page has its own media size! If you set the
page\*(Aqs own Media Box or Crop Box, you should consider also explicitly setting
the page Bleed Box (and other boxes).
.RE
.PP
\fITrim Box (trimbox)\fR
.IX Subsection "Trim Box (trimbox)"
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $pdf\->trimbox($name)
\&
\& $pdf\->trimbox($name, orient => \*(Aqorientation\*(Aq)
\&
\& $pdf\->trimbox($w,$h)
\&
\& $pdf\->trimbox($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury)
\&
\& ($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury) = $pdf\->trimbox()
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
Sets the global Trim Box (or page\*(Aqs Trim Box, if \f(CW\*(C`$page\->\*(C'\fR instead).
This is supposed to be the actual dimensions of the
finished page (after trimming of the paper). In some production environments,
it is useful to have printer\*(Aqs instructions, cut marks, and so on outside of
the trim box. The default value is equal to Crop Box, but is often a bit
smaller than any Bleed Box, to allow the desired "bleed" effect.
.Sp
If no arguments are given, the current Trim Box (global or page) coordinates
are returned instead. The former \f(CW\*(C`get_trimbox\*(C'\fR (page only) function was
\&\fBdeprecated\fR and has been removed. If a Trim Box
has not been defined, the Crop Box coordinates (if defined) will be returned,
otherwise the Media Box coordinates (which always exist) will be returned.
In addition, when \fIsetting\fR the Trim Box, the resulting coordinates are
returned. This permits you to specify the trim box by a name (alias) and get
the dimensions back, all in one call.
.Sp
A global (PDF level) trimbox setting is inherited by each page, or can be
overridden by setting trimbox in the page.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, only one trim box may be set at this (PDF) level.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, a named media size may have an orientation (l or L) for
Landscape mode.
Note that the PDF level global Trim Box will be used \fIeven if\fR the page gets
its own Crop Box. That is, the page\*(Aqs Trim Box inherits the global Trim Box,
not the page Crop Box, even if the page has its own media size! If you set the
page\*(Aqs own Media Box or Crop Box, you should consider also explicitly setting
the page Trim Box (and other boxes).
.RE
.PP
\fIArt Box (artbox)\fR
.IX Subsection "Art Box (artbox)"
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $pdf\->artbox($name)
\&
\& $pdf\->artbox($name, orient => \*(Aqorientation\*(Aq)
\&
\& $pdf\->artbox($w,$h)
\&
\& $pdf\->artbox($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury)
\&
\& ($llx,$lly, $urx,$ury) = $pdf\->artbox()
.Ve
.Sp
.RS 4
Sets the global Art Box (or page\*(Aqs Art Box, if \f(CW\*(C`$page\->\*(C'\fR instead).
This is supposed to define "the extent of the page\*(Aqs
\&\fImeaningful\fR content (including [margins])". It might exclude some content,
such as Headlines or headings. Any binding or punched\-holes margin would
typically be outside of the Art Box, as would be page numbers and running
headers and footers. The default value is equal to the Crop Box, although
normally it would be no larger than any Trim Box. The Art Box may often be
used for defining "important" content (e.g., \fIexcluding\fR advertisements) that
may or may not be brought over to another page (e.g., N\-up printing).
.Sp
If no arguments are given, the current Art Box (global or page) coordinates
are returned instead. The former \f(CW\*(C`get_artbox\*(C'\fR (page only) function was
\&\fBdeprecated\fR and has been removed. If an Art Box
has not been defined, the Crop Box coordinates (if defined) will be returned,
otherwise the Media Box coordinates (which always exist) will be returned.
In addition, when \fIsetting\fR the Art Box, the resulting coordinates are
returned. This permits you to specify the art box by a name (alias) and get
the dimensions back, all in one call.
.Sp
A global (PDF level) artbox setting is inherited by each page, or can be
overridden by setting artbox in the page.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, only one art box may be set at this (PDF) level.
As with \f(CW\*(C`mediabox\*(C'\fR, a named media size may have an orientation (l or L) for
Landscape mode.
Note that the PDF level global Art Box will be used \fIeven if\fR the page gets
its own Crop Box. That is, the page\*(Aqs Art Box inherits the global Art Box,
not the page Crop Box, even if the page has its own media size! If you set the
page\*(Aqs own Media Box or Crop Box, you should consider also explicitly setting
the page Art Box (and other boxes).
.RE
.PP
\fISuggested Box Usage\fR
.IX Subsection "Suggested Box Usage"
.PP
See \f(CW\*(C`examples/Boxes.pl\*(C'\fR for an example of using boxes.
.PP
How you define your boxes (or let them default) is up to you, depending on
whether you\*(Aqre duplex printing US Letter or A4 on your laser printer, to be
spiral bound on the bind margin, or engaging a professional printer. In the
latter case, discuss in advance with the print firm what capabilities (and
limitations) they have
and what information they need from a PDF file. For instance, they may not want
a Crop Box defined, and may call for very specific box sizes. For large press
runs, they may print multiple pages (N\-up) duplexed on large web roll
"signatures", which are then intricately folded and guillotined (trimmed) and
bound together into books or magazines. You would usually just supply a PDF
with all the pages; they would take care of the signature layout (which
includes offsets and 180 degree rotations).
.PP
(As an aside, don\*(Aqt count on a commercial printer having
any particular font available, so be sure to ask. Usually they will want you
to embed all fonts used, but ask first, and double\-check before handing over
the print job! TTF/OTF fonts (\f(CWttfont()\fR) are embedded by default, but other
fonts (core, ps, bdf, cjk) are not! A printer \fImay\fR have a core font
collection, but they are free to substitute a "workalike" font for any given
core font, and the results may not match what you saw on your PC!)
.PP
On the assumption that you\*(Aqre using a single sheet (US Letter or A4) laser or
inkjet printer, are you planning to trim each sheet down to a smaller final
size? If so, you can do true bleeds by defining a Trim Box and a slightly
larger Bleed Box. You would print bleeds (all the way to the finished edge)
out to the Bleed Box, but nothing is enforced about the Bleed Box. At the other
end of the spectrum, you would define the Media
Box to be the physical paper size being printed on. Most printers reserve a
little space on the sides (and possibly top and bottom) for paper handling, so
it is often good to define your Crop Box as the printable area. Remember that
the Media Box sets the coordinate system used, so you still need to avoid
going outside the Crop Box with content (most readers and printers will not
show any ink outside of the Crop Box). Whether or not you define a Crop Box,
you\*(Aqre going to almost always end up with white paper on at least the sides.
.PP
For small in\-house jobs, you probably won\*(Aqt need color alignment dots and other
such professional instructions and information between the Bleed Box and the
Crop Box, but crop marks for trimming (if used) should go just outside the Trim
Box (partly or wholly within the Bleed Box), and
be drawn \fIafter\fR all content. If you\*(Aqre \fInot\fR trimming the paper, don\*(Aqt try
to do any bleed effects (including solid background color pages/covers), as
you will usually have a white edge around the sheet anyway (printers leave a
clean, dry route for the feed rollers). Don\*(Aqt count on a PDF document \fInever\fR
being physically printed,
and not just displayed (where you can do things like bleed all the way to the
media edge). Finally, for single sheet printing, an Art Box is
probably unnecessary, but if you\*(Aqre combining pages into N\-up prints, or doing
other manipulations, it may be useful.
.PP
\fIBox Inheritance\fR
.IX Subsection "Box Inheritance"
.PP
What Media, Crop, Bleed, Trim, and Art Boxes a page gets can be a little
complicated. Note that usually, only the Media and Crop Boxes will have a
clear visual effect. The visual effect of the other boxes (if any) may be
very subtle.
.PP
First, everything is set at the global (PDF) level. The Media Box is always
defined, and defaults to US Letter (8.5 inches wide by 11 inches high). The
global Crop Box inherits the Media Box, unless explicitly defined. The Bleed,
Trim, and Art Boxes inherit the Crop Box, unless explicitly defined. A global
box should only be defined once, as the last one defined is the one that will
be written to the PDF!
.PP
Second, a page inherits the global boxes, for its initial settings. You may
call any of the box set methods (\f(CW\*(C`cropbox\*(C'\fR, \f(CW\*(C`trimbox\*(C'\fR, etc.) to explicitly
set (override) any box for \fIthis\fR page. Note that setting a new Media Box for
the page does \fBnot\fR reset the page\*(Aqs Crop Box \-\- it still uses whatever it
inherited from the global Crop Box. You would need to explicitly set the page\*(Aqs
Crop Box if you want a different setting. Likewise, the page\*(Aqs Bleed, Trim, and
Art Boxes will not be reset by a new page Crop Box \-\- they will still inherit
from the global (PDF) settings.
.PP
Third, the page Media Box (the one actually used for output pages), clips or
limits all the other boxes to extend no larger than its size. For example, if
the Media Box is US Letter, and you set a Crop Box of A4 size, the smaller of
the two heights (11 inches) would be effective, and the smaller of the two
widths (8.26 inches, 595 Points) would be effective.
The \fIgiven\fR dimensions of a box are returned on query (get), not the
\&\fIeffective\fR dimensions clipped by the Media Box.
.SS "Outlines (Bookmarks)"
.IX Subsection "Outlines (Bookmarks)"
It is possible to create \fIoutlines\fR (a.k.a. \fIbookmarks\fR) in a PDF document.
You are not limited to entire pages as targets, but can adjust the destination
\&\f(CWdest()\fR to bring up a specific part of a page.
.PP
\fISimple Single\-Level set of Outline\fR
.IX Subsection "Simple Single-Level set of Outline"
.PP
Inserts three outlines (at the same level) in a simple list of 12 pages
(055_outlines example):
.PP
.Vb 1
\& my $doc = PDF::Builder\-> open($infile);
\&
\& $doc\-> outlines
\& \-> outline
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 1 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq1st page (i)\*(Aq );
\&
\& $doc\-> outlines
\& \-> outline
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 4 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq4th page (1)\*(Aq );
\&
\& $doc\-> outlines
\& \-> outline
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 11 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq11th page (7)\*(Aq );
.Ve
.PP
\&\f(CWdest()\fR by default is a link to an entire page (given as the ordinal page
number, \fInot\fR the document\*(Aqs formatted page number). The \f(CWtitle()\fR is what
you see in the Outline or Bookmark section of your PDF Reader.
.PP
\fIA Multi\-level example Outline\fR
.IX Subsection "A Multi-level example Outline"
.PP
It is also possible to define nested (multiple level) outlines. For the same
set of pages as above, we will add two pages nested under \fBpage i\fR and three
pages nested under \fBpage 1\fR. Note that it is common practice to make the top
level \fIsections\fR (e.g., \fIpreface, body, end matter\fR) and put all the real
pages under them, but you still need to have each section "heading" map to a
real page. Thus \fIpreface\fR might point to page \fBi\fR, and have outlines to
\&\fBi, ii,\fR and \fBiii\fR nested below it.
.PP
.Vb 3
\& my $doc = PDF::Builder\-> open($infile);
\& my $root = # Outlines object (root of whole thing)
\& $doc\-> outlines();
\&
\& my $top0 = # Outline object at top level, initially collapsed (closed)
\& $root \-> outline($root)
\& \-> is_open(0)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 1 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq1st page (i)\*(Aq );
\&
\& my $top1 = # Outline object at top level
\& $root \-> outline($root)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 4 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq4th page (1)\*(Aq );
\&
\& my $top2 = # Outline object at top level. no children
\& $root \-> outline($root)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 11 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq11th page (7)\*(Aq );
\&
\& # add lower level bookmarks here. there\*(Aqs no reason that they couldn\*(Aqt be
\& # mixed in with the higher levels above, provided that they come after
\& # their parent is defined.
\&
\& # two pages under the first top\-level page (i)
\& $top0 \-> outline($top0)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 2 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq2nd page (ii)\*(Aq );
\&
\& $top0 \-> outline($top0)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 3 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq3rd page (iii)\*(Aq );
\&
\& # three pages under the second top\-level page (1). the third is
\& # inserted after the first and before the second.
\& my $first =
\& $top1 \-> outline($top1)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 5 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq5th page (2)\*(Aq );
\&
\& $top1 \-> outline($top1)
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 6 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq6th page (3)\*(Aq );
\&
\& $first \-> insert_after()
\& \-> dest( $doc\-> openpage( 7 ))
\& \-> title( \*(Aq7th page (4)\*(Aq );
.Ve
.PP
It is possible to define a single outline (link) as \fBclosed\fR, in which case
all the outlines nested under it will be hidden (with a "closed" twistor).
Try to avoid going more than two levels deep (one level of nesting), as the
Outlines/Bookmarks column is usually fairly narrow.
.SS "FONT METHODS"
.IX Subsection "FONT METHODS"
\fICore Fonts\fR
.IX Subsection "Core Fonts"
.PP
These are the "built\-in" fonts, in the sense that any PDF Reader is guaranteed
to supply and support them. The \fImetrics\fR for the supported fonts are
shipped with PDF::Builder, but not the fonts themselves.
.PP
Core fonts are limited to \fBsingle byte encodings\fR. The default encoding for
the core fonts is WinAnsiEncoding (roughly the CP\-1252/Windows\-1252 superset of
ISO\-8859\-1/Latin\-1). See the \f(CW\*(C`encode\*(C'\fR option below to change this encoding.
.PP
There are some 14 core fonts (regular, \fIitalic\fR, \fBbold\fR, and \fR\f(BIbold\-italic\fR\fB\fR
variants) for Times [serif], Helvetica [sans serif], Courier [fixed pitch];
plus two symbol fonts, Symbol and Zapf Dingbats) that are supposed to be
available on any PDF Reader, \fBalthough other fonts with very similar metrics
are often substituted.\fR
.PP
Windows machines have an additional 14 "core" fonts (15 if you count Bank
Gothic): Georgia [serif], Verdana [sans serif], and Trebuchet [sans serif] in
4 variants each, along with Webdings and Wingdings). These are
\&\fIusually\fR available on a Windows platform (but not guaranteed!). They are
usually not installed by default on Linux, Mac, and other non\-Windows
platforms, so use caution if specifying these fonts.
.PP
PDF::Builder \fIdoes\fR supply the \fBmetrics\fR for the Windows core fonts (as well
as the standard ones), so it should be possible to use PDF::Builder to
generate documents (PDF files) containing these fonts, even if your platform
may not be able to \fIdisplay\fR them. For instance, Font Manager will load the
Windows core fonts on all platforms. It is up to the user to take care in
selecting fonts, if they plan to be able to view documents using those fonts!
On the other hand, the 020_corefonts example will not attempt to create listings
of Windows core fonts unless it is run on a Windows platform.
.PP
Examples
.IX Subsection "Examples"
.PP
.Vb 4
\& $font1 = $pdf\->corefont(\*(AqTimes\-Roman\*(Aq, encode => \*(Aqlatin2\*(Aq);
\& $font2 = $pdf\->corefont(\*(AqTimes\-Bold\*(Aq);
\& $font3 = $pdf\->corefont(\*(AqHelvetica\*(Aq);
\& $font4 = $pdf\->corefont(\*(AqZapfDingbats\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
Core fonts can also be requested via the \f(CWfont()\fR method
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $font5 = $pdf\->font(\*(AqCourier\-Oblique\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
as well as being built into FontManager
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $font6 = $pdf\->get_font(\*(Aqface\*(Aq=>\*(AqTimes\*(Aq, \*(Aqitalic\*(Aq=>1, \*(Aqbold\*(Aq=>0);
.Ve
.PP
Notes and Limitations
.IX Subsection "Notes and Limitations"
.IP \(bu 4
You \fBcannot\fR use UTF\-8 or other multibyte encodings with core fonts, \fIonly\fR
single byte encodings (256 characters maximum). A PDF Reader simply does not
know what to do with a multibyte character, and likely will render it as a
sequence of single characters (producing gibberish). Although most single\-byte
encodings, at least for European languages, are supported, it is possible that
you might encounter an encoding that includes a character \fInot\fR found in a
given font file, or vice\-versa (the font includes characters that the encoding
does not give you access to).
.IP \(bu 4
Do not confuse Unicode character points (such as given with an HTML entity)
with single byte values or multibyte characters. The only way to access a
character defined for a given encoding is with a \fIsingle\fR byte value in the
range 0 to 255. For example, if you can\*(Aqt directly type a "Euro" symbol,
it is \f(CW\*(C`\ex80\*(C'\fR in many encodings \-\- you would use that instead of the
Unicode \f(CW\*(C`\ex{20AC}\*(C'\fR code point or \f(CW\*(C`x\e{E282AC}\*(C'\fR UTF\-8 byte string. It\*(Aqs a
matter of giving a single byte value that the PDF Reader can look up in its
font definition to get the desired glyph. If the "Euro" symbol is not
found in the encoding you\*(Aqre using, well, you\*(Aqre out of luck.
.IP \(bu 4
Be aware of what a given platform (operating system) and editor is using for
its code page when it creates a file with your text to be turned into a PDF!
If you typed a "Euro" but it\*(Aqs, say, a UTF\-8 byte string in the file, you
probably won\*(Aqt get a "Euro" in your PDF.
.IP \(bu 4
Note that core fonts use fixed lists of expected glyphs, along with metrics
such as their widths. This may not exactly match up with whatever local font
file is used by the PDF Reader. It\*(Aqs usually pretty close, but many cases have
been found where the list of glyphs is different between the core fonts and
various local font files, so be aware of this. There is no guarantee that all
glyphs (code points) found in one single\-byte encoding will be found in
another, nor that font metrics are available for all glyphs covered by a given
singe\-byte encoding. If you are writing in English, or even in most Western
European languages, this is usually not a problem with core fonts, but for
other languages and alphabets, it might be.
.IP \(bu 4
Also be aware that a PDF Reader is free to substitute another font which is
similar (but not necessarily identical) to the requested core font. For example,
Windows machines often substitute \fIArial\fR for the requested \fIHelvetica\fR. The
metrics (widths) are the same, but the glyphs are a little different.
.IP \(bu 4
Core fonts are supposed to be available on all PDF Readers, so they are not
embeddable in the PDF (as TTF fonts are). This is not believed to be a problem
for archival (PDF/A) documents, but may become one at some point, so you should
be aware.
.PP
See "font automap" in PDF::Builder::Resource::Font method for information on
accessing more than 256 glyphs in a font, using \fBplanes\fR, \fIalthough there is
no guarantee that future changes to font files will permit consistent results\fR.
.PP
Should you use TTF instead?
.IX Subsection "Should you use TTF instead?"
.PP
If you need to reliably access certain characters not found in common
encodings, please consider using TrueType (TTF) or OpenType (OTF) fonts via the
\&\f(CWttfont()\fR method. Note that you will be responsible for specifying the exact
path and full file name of the TTF file, and making sure the font file is
available on the PDF Writer, and possibly on the Reader (if not embedded).
.PP
This would enable you to use UTF\-8 text, with extended glyph usability, as well
as permitting the font itself to be embedded in the PDF, ensuring that you get
\&\fIexactly\fR the glyphs you want, without any substitutions. Kerning and
ligature support (via HarfBuzz::Shaper) may be more available for TTF fonts.
There are tools, such as \fIFontForge\fR, which can do a fairly good
(though, not perfect) job of converting a Type1 font library (if that\*(Aqs what
your core fonts are, internally) to OTF.
.PP
See also PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont.
.PP
\fIPS Fonts\fR
.IX Subsection "PS Fonts"
.PP
PostScript fonts are also known as "Type 1" fonts. These are not "built\-in"
fonts, and both the PDF Writer and any PDF Reader would need to provide the
desired font files. PostScript fonts used to be very commonly used, but have
fallen out of favor.
.PP
PS (Type 1) fonts are \fInot\fR shipped with PDF::Builder, but are
expected to be found on the machine with the PDF reader. Most PDF readers do
\&\fInot\fR install PS fonts, and it is up to the user of the PDF reader to install
the needed fonts. Unlike TrueType fonts, PS (T1) fonts are not embedded in the
PDF, and must be supplied on the Reader end.
.PP
PS fonts are limited to \fBsingle byte encodings\fR. The default encoding for
the PS fonts is WinAnsiEncoding (roughly the CP\-1252/Windows\-1252 superset of
ISO\-8859\-1/Latin\-1). See the \f(CW\*(C`encode\*(C'\fR option below to change this encoding.
.PP
One characteristic of PS font usage is that \fItwo\fR files are used for each
font: a glyph file (\f(CW\*(C`.pfa\*(C'\fR for ASCII format, \f(CW\*(C`.pfb\*(C'\fR for binary format, or
\&\f(CW\*(C`.t1\*(C'\fR for an extended format), and a metrics file (\f(CW\*(C`.afm\*(C'\fR for an ASCII
format, or \f(CW\*(C`.pfm\*(C'\fR for binary format). A binary glyph file may be used with
an ASCII metrics file, and vice\-versa, if desired or needed. The ASCII and
binary files have the same content, just in different formats.
.PP
\&\fBCaution:\fR the file name given for the glyph file (first argument to \f(CW\*(C`psfont\*(C'\fR)
\&\fImust\fR have a file extension of .pfa, .pfb, or .t1; as the extension will
be checked to see how to parse the file.
.PP
WARNING: End of Adobe Support
.IX Subsection "WARNING: End of Adobe Support"
.PP
\&\fBAdobe has announced an end to support for Type 1 (Postscript/T1) fonts in its
products. The announcement wordings are a bit vague, sometimes referring to
"all products" and other times just to "authoring software". Presumably, Adobe
PDF Readers (as well as Readers supplied by other parties) will continue to
display PDFs with Type 1 fonts for quite some time, although this is by no
means absolutely certain. Note that this does NOT mean that PDF::Builder or
other Third Party authoring tools may not continue to support Type 1 fonts.
This termination by Adobe of support of a now old and obsolete font format does
not affect the use of PDF::Builder for authoring PDFs, nor is it binding on
other non\-Adobe readers and authoring tools. However, using Adobe products for
editing of PDFs with Type 1 fonts, and possibly of displaying them, may no
longer be possible. At any rate, users may want to consider starting to move
away from Type 1 font usage and switch to TTF/OTF or even core fonts, although
it is unknown how long Type 1 Reader support will continue.\fR
.PP
Examples
.IX Subsection "Examples"
.PP
.Vb 2
\& $font1 = $pdf\->psfont(\*(AqTimes\-Book.pfa\*(Aq, afmfile => \*(AqTimes\-Book.afm\*(Aq);
\& $font2 = $pdf\->psfont(\*(Aq/fonts/Synest\-FB.pfb\*(Aq, pfmfile => \*(Aq/fonts/Synest\-FB.pfm\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
PS fonts can also be requested via the \f(CWfont()\fR method
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $font3 = $pdf\->font(\*(Aq/fonts/Times\-Book.t1\*(Aq, afmfile => \*(Aq/fonts/Times\-Book.afm\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
as well as being capable of being loaded into FontManager
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $font4 = $pdf\->get_font(\*(Aqface\*(Aq=>\*(AqTimes\-Book\*(Aq, \*(Aqitalic\*(Aq=>0, \*(Aqbold\*(Aq=>0);
.Ve
.PP
Notes and Limitations
.IX Subsection "Notes and Limitations"
.IP \(bu 4
You \fBcannot\fR use UTF\-8 or other multibyte encodings with PS fonts, \fIonly\fR
single byte encodings (256 characters maximum). A PDF Reader (or Writer!)
simply does not know what to do with a multibyte character, and likely will
render it as a sequence of single characters (producing gibberish). Although
most single\-byte encodings, at least for European languages, are supported, it
is possible that you might encounter an encoding that includes a character
\&\fInot\fR found in a given font file, or vice\-versa (the font includes characters
that the encoding does not give you access to).
.IP \(bu 4
Do not confuse Unicode character points (such as given with an HTML entity)
with single byte values or multibyte characters. The only way to access a
character defined for a given encoding is with a \fIsingle\fR byte value in the
range 0 to 255. For example, if you can\*(Aqt directly type a "Euro" symbol, it is
\&\f(CW\*(C`\ex80\*(C'\fR in many encodings \-\- you would use that instead of the Unicode
\&\f(CW\*(C`\ex{20AC}\*(C'\fR code point or \f(CW\*(C`x\e{E282AC}\*(C'\fR UTF\-8 byte string. It\*(Aqs a matter of
giving a single byte value that the PDF Reader can look up in its font
definition to get the desired glyph. If the "Euro" symbol is not found in the
encoding you\*(Aqre using, well, you\*(Aqre out of luck.
.IP \(bu 4
Be aware of what a given platform (operating system) and editor is using for
its code page when it creates a file with your text to be turned into a PDF!
If you typed a "Euro" but it\*(Aqs, say, a UTF\-8 byte string in the file, you
probably won\*(Aqt get a "Euro" in your PDF.
.PP
See "font automap" in PDF::Builder::Resource::Font method for information on
accessing more than 256 glyphs in a font, using \fBplanes\fR, \fIalthough there is
no guarantee that future changes to font files will permit consistent results\fR.
.PP
Should you use TTF instead?
.IX Subsection "Should you use TTF instead?"
.PP
If you need to reliably access certain characters not found in common
encodings, please consider using TrueType (TTF) or OpenType (OTF) fonts via the
\&\f(CWttfont()\fR method. Note that you will be responsible for specifying the exact
path and full file name of the TTF file, and making sure the font file is
available on the PDF Writer, and possibly on the Reader (if not embedded).
.PP
This would enable you to use UTF\-8 text, with extended glyph usability, as well
as permitting the font itself to be embedded in the PDF, ensuring that you get
\&\fIexactly\fR the glyphs you want, without any substitutions or failures due to
lack of the desired files on the Reader. Kerning and
ligature support (via HarfBuzz::Shaper) may be more available for TTF fonts.
There are tools, such as \fIFontForge\fR, which can do a fairly good
(though, not perfect) job of converting a Type1 font library to OTF.
.PP
See also PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::Postscript.
.PP
\fITrueType Fonts\fR
.IX Subsection "TrueType Fonts"
.PP
TrueType (TTF) fonts and their close cousins, OpenType (OTF) fonts, are widely
used. These are often included with many operating systems, although they are
not "built\-in" to PDF, and both the PDF Writer and any PDF Reader (if the font
is \fBnot\fR embedded) would need to provide the desired font files.
.PP
TTF and OTF fonts are \fInot\fR shipped with PDF::Builder, but are expected to be
found on the machine with the PDF Writer (and if needed, the Reader). Most PDF
readers do \fInot\fR install TTF/OTF fonts, and it is up to the user of the PDF
reader to install the needed fonts (if they were not embedded). Note that the
default behavior \fIis\fR to embed the font subset (glyphs actually used) into the
PDF file, so that there is no chance of not having the correct font available
on the reader.
.PP
TTF and OTF fonts are \fBnot\fR limited to single byte encodings, but can use
multibyte encodings such as UTF\-8. The default encoding for these fonts is
WinAnsiEncoding (roughly the CP\-1252/Windows\-1252 superset of
ISO\-8859\-1/Latin\-1). See the \f(CW\*(C`encode\*(C'\fR option below to change this encoding.
.PP
Examples
.IX Subsection "Examples"
.PP
.Vb 2
\& $font1 = $pdf\->ttfont(\*(AqTimes.ttf\*(Aq);
\& $font2 = $pdf\->ttfont(\*(AqGeorgia.otf\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
TTF/OTF fonts can also be requested via the \f(CWfont()\fR method
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $font3 = $pdf\->font(\*(Aq/fonts/Sanskrit.ttf\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
as well as being capable of being loaded into FontManager
.PP
.Vb 1
\& $font4 = $pdf\->get_font(\*(Aqface\*(Aq=>\*(AqBrushScript\*(Aq, \*(Aqitalic\*(Aq=>0, \*(Aqbold\*(Aq=>0);
.Ve
.PP
Notes and Limitations
.IX Subsection "Notes and Limitations"
.IP \(bu 4
\&\fBCAUTION:\fR There is a "gotcha" with TrueType fonts that you need to be aware
of when using them. PDF::Builder outputs to the text stream a list of \fIglyph
IDs\fR as four\-digit hex codes, rather than the list of character byte codes
used by other font types. The intent is to allow more than the standard Unicode
points (alternate glyphs for ligatures and other uses). Don\*(Aqt count on it as
encryption to hide your content (the PDF Reader will just display it anyway!),
even though it \fIdoes\fR make it hard to find specific text in a PDF using a text
editor.
.IP \(bu 4
The \fBTw\fR operator, if used (\f(CW\*(C`$text\->wordspace(n)\*(C'\fR) to adjust
inter\-word spacing, \fBwill be ignored\fR by most, if not all, PDF Readers
(including Adobe products). This is because this operator is looking for actual
ASCII spaces (x20 bytes) in the stream, to apply the width change to. Note that
only ASCII spaces are affected (not other spaces), and not at all for TrueType
and OpenType fonts (because they have 4\-digit glyph IDs, not x20 bytes)!
PDF::Builder has been updated to attempt to respect the \fBTw\fR operator when
using TTF/OTF fonts. If the \f(CW\*(C`Tw\*(C'\fR amount is non\-zero, it will split up
sentences on ASCII spaces (x20) and individually place words on the page. This
necessarily bloats the PDF file size, but is the only way to adjust word
spacing via the \f(CWwordspace()\fR method. Note that again, \fIonly\fR ASCII spaces
(x20) are affected (to match the behavior of the \fBTw\fR operator for other font
types), and other spaces (xA0 required/non\-breaking space, thin space, etc.)
are not handled.
.IP \(bu 4
\&\fBWarning:\fR BaseEncoding is \fInot\fR set by default for TrueType fonts, so
\&\fBtext in the PDF isn\*(Aqt searchable\fR (by the PDF reader) unless a ToUnicode
CMap is included. A ToUnicode CMap \fIis\fR included by default (unicodemap set
to 1) by PDF::Builder, but allows it to be disabled (for performance and file
size reasons) by setting unicodemap to 0. This will produce non\-searchable
text, which, besides being annoying to users, may prevent screen readers and
other aids to disabled users from working correctly!
.IP \(bu 4
Do not confuse Unicode character points (such as given with an HTML entity)
with single byte values or multibyte characters. The only way to access a
character defined for a given encoding is with a \fIsingle\fR code value in the
allowable range. For example, if you can\*(Aqt directly type a "Euro" symbol, it is
\&\f(CW\*(C`\ex80\*(C'\fR in many encodings \-\- you would use that for a single\-byte encoding, or
for UTF\-8, the Unicode \f(CW\*(C`\ex{20AC}\*(C'\fR code point. You would never give the UTF\-8
byte string \f(CW\*(C`x\e{E282AC}\*(C'\fR. It needs to be understandable in the context of the
current encoding, so that the 4\-digit glyph code can be output.
.IP \(bu 4
Be aware of what a given platform (operating system) and editor is using for
its code page when it creates a file with your text to be turned into a PDF!
If you typed a "Euro" but it\*(Aqs, say, a UTF\-8 byte string in the file, and you
are using a single\-byte encoding, you probably won\*(Aqt get a "Euro" in your PDF.
.PP
Where is the font I just added?
.IX Subsection "Where is the font I just added?"
.PP
Well, sometimes you get lucky and can
specify the exact directory that the \f(CW\*(C`.ttf\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`.otf\*(C'\fR file will reside in,
making it easy to specify the path to the font file (for uses such as
\&\f(CWttfont()\fR, \f(CWfont()\fR, or Font Manager calls). Other times, the operating
system will play hide and seek with you, leaving you to expend much time and
energy to track down where the file is. Linux distributions tend to have their
own favorite hiding places for font files, but at least they tend to be
consistent! On the other hand, Windows often decides that it knows better than
you, and will put files in an unexpected place, and under an unexpected name!
.PP
To find out where your TTF or OTF file ended up, if you don\*(Aqt see an obvious
entry in /Windows/Fonts (even if you drag and dropped the font file there),
you need to look in /Users/XXXX/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Fonts,
depending on what user name you were signed on as when you installed the font.
Even then, you may not be done, as the name may have been changed to something
unrecognizable. You may need to look at Windows\*(Aq mapping of font name to
filename.
.PP
In the command shell (command line), or whatever equivalent you like to use,
enter "regedit" to bring up the registry editor. For the top level, choose
(click on) either \f(CW\*(C`HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\*(C'\fR (for global font settings, in
/Windows/Fonts) or \f(CW\*(C`HKEY_CURRENT_USER\*(C'\fR (for fonts installed by whoever is
currently signed on, in /Users/XXXX/AppData...). From there, both have the same
path: \f(CW\*(C`SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion >
Fonts\*(C'\fR. This should bring up a listing of all the installed fonts (full name,
e.g. "Papyrus Regular") and their actual filename ("PAPYRUS.TTF"). For
instance, I just installed (drag and drop into /Windows/Fonts) a blackletter
"Gothic" font named \fIEnglish Towne Medium\fR. It ended up in my /Users/XXXX...
directory as \f(CW\*(C`EnglishTowne.ttf\*(C'\fR.
.PP
You don\*(Aqt need to change anything in the registry, just look. You \fIdo\fR have
the capability to change things, including hiding/showing the font, if you
care to get into those things.
.PP
See also PDF::Builder::Resource::CIDFont::TrueType
.PP
\fICJK Fonts\fR
.IX Subsection "CJK Fonts"
.PP
\&\fBExamples:\fR
.PP
.Vb 2
\& $font = $pdf\->cjkfont(\*(Aqkorean\*(Aq);
\& $font = $pdf\->cjkfont(\*(Aqtraditional\*(Aq);
.Ve
.PP
\&\fBWarning:\fR Unlike \f(CWttfont()\fR, the font file is \fInot\fR embedded in the output
PDF file. This is
evidently behavior left over from the early days of CJK fonts, where the
\&\f(CW\*(C`Cmap\*(C'\fR and \f(CW\*(C`Data\*(C'\fR were always external files, rather than internal tables.
If you need a CJK\-using PDF file to embed the font, for portability, you can
create a PDF using \f(CW\*(C`cjkfont\*(C'\fR, and then use an external utility (e.g.,
\&\f(CW\*(C`pdfcairo\*(C'\fR) to embed the font in the PDF. It may also be possible to use
\&\f(CWttfont()\fR instead, to produce the PDF, provided you can deduce the correct
font file name from examining the PDF file (e.g., on my Windows system, the
"Ming" font would be \f(CW\*(C`$font = $pdf\->ttfont("C:/Program Files/Adobe/Acrobat DC/Resource/CIDFont/AdobeMingStd\-Light.otf")\*(C'\fR.
Of course, the font file used would have to be \f(CW\*(C`.ttf\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`.otf\*(C'\fR.
It may act a little differently than \f(CW\*(C`cjkfont\*(C'\fR (due a a different Cmap), but
you \fIshould\fR be able to embed the font file into the PDF.
.PP
See also PDF::Builder::Resource::CIDFont::CJKFont
.PP
Due to the lack of ongoing support for CJK fonts, and the apparent "arrested
development" of PDF support for them at an early stage of life, we \fIstrongly\fR
recommend that you attempt to directly use TTF or OTF fonts for Far\-Eastern
(CJK) text support (via \f(CWttfont()\fR) before resorting to \f(CWcjkfont()\fR usage!
Also, CJK fonts appear to be unusable as input for synthetic fonts, and
normally aren\*(Aqt embedded in the PDF file (requiring the font file to be
installed on the Reader).
.PP
\fISynthetic Fonts\fR
.IX Subsection "Synthetic Fonts"
.PP
\&\fBWarning:\fR BaseEncoding is \fInot\fR set by default for these fonts, so text
in the PDF isn\*(Aqt searchable (by the PDF reader) unless a ToUnicode CMap is
included. A ToUnicode CMap \fIis\fR included by default (unicodemap set to 1) by
PDF::Builder, but allows it to be disabled (for performance and file size
reasons) by setting unicodemap to 0. This will produce non\-searchable text,
which, besides being annoying to users, may prevent screen
readers and other aids to disabled users from working correctly!
.PP
\&\fBExamples:\fR
.PP
.Vb 4
\& $cf = $pdf\->corefont(\*(AqTimes\-Roman\*(Aq, encode => \*(Aqlatin1\*(Aq);
\& $sf = $pdf\->synfont($cf, condense => 0.85); # compressed 85%
\& $sfb = $pdf\->synfont($cf, bold => 1); # embolden by 10em
\& $sfi = $pdf\->synfont($cf, oblique => \-12); # italic at \-12 degrees
.Ve
.PP
Note that \fICJK\fR fonts (created with the \f(CW\*(C`cjkfont\*(C'\fR method) do \fBnot\fR work
properly with \f(CW\*(C`synfont\*(C'\fR. This is due to a different internal structure of the
\&\fICJK\fR fonts, as compared to \fIcorefont\fR, \fIttfont\fR, and \fIpsfont\fR base fonts.
If you require a synthesized (modified) CJK font, you might try finding the
TTF or OTF original, use \f(CW\*(C`ttfont\*(C'\fR to create the base font, and running
\&\f(CW\*(C`synfont\*(C'\fR against that, in the manner described for embedding "CJK Fonts".
.PP
See also PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::SynFont
.SS "IMAGE METHODS"
.IX Subsection "IMAGE METHODS"
This is additional information on enhanced libraries available for TIFF and
PNG images. See specific information listings for GD, GIF, JPEG, and PNM image
formats. In addition, see \f(CW\*(C`examples/Content.pl\*(C'\fR for an example of placing an
image on a page, as well as using in a "Form".
.PP
\fIWhy is my image flipped or rotated?\fR
.IX Subsection "Why is my image flipped or rotated?"
.PP
Something not uncommonly seen when using JPEG photos in a PDF is that the
images will be rotated and/or mirrored (flipped). This may happen when using
TIFF images too. What happens is that the camera stores an image just as it
comes off the CCD sensor, regardless of the camera orientation, and does not
rotate it to the correct orientation! It \fIdoes\fR store a separate
"orientation" flag to suggest how the image might be corrected, but not all
image processing obeys this flag (PDF::Builder does \fBnot\fR.). For example, if
you take a "portrait" (tall) photo of a tree (with the phone held vertically),
and then use it in a PDF, the tree may appear to have been cut down! (appears
in landscape mode)
.PP
I have found some code that should allow the \f(CW\*(C`image_jpeg\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`image\*(C'\fR routine
to auto\-rotate to (supposedly) the correct orientation, by looking for the Exif
metadata "Orientation" tag in the file. However, three problems arise:
.IP 1. 4
If a photo has been edited, and rotated or flipped in the process, there is no guarantee that the Orientation tag has been corrected.
.IP 2. 4
More than one Orientation tag may exist (e.g., in the binary APP1/Exif header, \fIand\fR in XML data), and they may not agree with each other \-\- which should be used?
.IP 3. 4
The code would need to uncompress the raster data, swap and/or transpose rows and/or columns, and recompress the raster data for inclusion into the PDF. This is costly and error\-prone.
In any case, the user would need to be able to override any auto\-rotate function.
.PP
For the time being, PDF::Builder will simply leave it up to the user of the
library to take care of rotating and/or flipping an image which displays
incorrectly. It is possible that we will consider adding some sort of query or warning that the image appears to \fInot\fR be "normally" oriented (Orientation value 1 or "Top\-left"), according to the Orientation flag. You can consider either (re\-)saving the photo in an editor such as PhotoShop or GIMP, or using PDF::Builder code similar to the following (for images rotated 180 degrees):
.PP
.Vb 7
\& $pW = 612; $pH = 792; # page dimensions (US Letter)
\& my $img = $pdf\->image_jpeg("AliceLake.jpeg");
\& # raw size WxH 4032x3024, scaled down to 504x378
\& $sW = 4032/8; $sH = 3024/8;
\& # intent is to center on US Letter sized page (LL at 54,207)
\& # Orientation flag on this image is 3 (rotated 180 degrees).
\& # if naively displayed (just $gfx\->image call), it will be upside down
\&
\& $gfx\->save();
\&
\& ## method 0: simple display, is rotated 180 degrees!
\& #$gfx\->image($img, ($pW\-$sW)/2,($pH\-$sH)/2, $sW,$sH);
\&
\& ## method 1: translate, then rotate
\& #$gfx\->translate($pW,$pH); # to new origin (media UR corner)
\& #$gfx\->rotate(180); # rotate around new origin
\& #$gfx\->image($img, ($pW\-$sW)/2,($pH\-$sH)/2, $sW,$sH);
\& # image\*(Aqs UR corner, not LL
\&
\& # method 2: rotate, then translate
\& $gfx\->rotate(180); # rotate around current origin
\& $gfx\->translate(\-$sW,\-$sH); # translate in rotated coordinates
\& $gfx\->image($img, \-($pW\-$sW)/2,\-($pH\-$sH)/2, $sW,$sH);
\& # image\*(Aqs UR corner, not LL
\&
\& ## method 3: flip (mirror) twice
\& #$scale = 1; # not rescaling here
\& #$size_page = $pH/$scale;
\& #$invScale = 1.0/$scale;
\& #$gfx\->add("\-$invScale 0 0 \-$invScale 0 $size_page cm");
\& #$gfx\->image($img, \-($pW\-$sW)/2\-$sW,($pH\-$sH)/2, $sW,$sH);
\&
\& $gfx\->restore();
.Ve
.PP
If your image is also mirrored (flipped about an axis), simple rotation will
not suffice. You could do something with a reversal of the coordinate system, as in "method 3" above (see "Advanced Methods" in PDF::Builder::Content). To mirror only left/right, the second \f(CW$invScale\fR would be positive; to mirror only top/bottom, the first would be positive. If all else fails, you could save a mirrored copy in a photo editor.
90 or 270 degree rotations will require a \f(CW\*(C`rotate\*(C'\fR call, possibly with "cm" usage to reverse mirroring.
Incidentally, do not confuse this issue with the coordinate flipping performed
by some Chrome browsers when printing a page to PDF.
.PP
Note that TIFF images may have the same rotation/mirroring problems as JPEG,
which is not surprising, as the Exif format was lifted from TIFF for use in
JPEG. The cure will be similar to JPEG\*(Aqs.
.PP
\fITIFF Images\fR
.IX Subsection "TIFF Images"
.PP
Note that the Graphics::TIFF support library does \fBnot\fR currently permit a
filehandle for \f(CW$file\fR.
.PP
PDF::Builder will use the Graphics::TIFF support library for TIFF functions, if
it is available, unless explicitly told not to. Your code can test whether
Graphics::TIFF is available by examining \f(CW\*(C`$tiff\->usesLib()\*(C'\fR or
\&\f(CW\*(C`$pdf\->LA_GT()\*(C'\fR.
.PP
Note that the first query is only available once the \f(CW$tiff\fR object has been
created. This may or may not be too late for your purposes.
.IP "= \-1" 4
.IX Item "= -1"
Graphics::TIFF \fIis\fR installed, but your code has specified \f(CW\*(C`nouseGT\*(C'\fR, to
\&\fInot\fR use it. The old, pure Perl, code (buggy!) will be used instead, as if
Graphics::TIFF was not installed.
.IP "= 0" 4
.IX Item "= 0"
Graphics::TIFF is \fInot\fR installed. Not all systems are able to successfully
install this package, as it requires libtiff.a.
.IP "= 1" 4
.IX Item "= 1"
Graphics::TIFF is installed and is being used.
.PP
Options:
.IP "nouseGT => 1" 4
.IX Item "nouseGT => 1"
Do \fBnot\fR use the Graphics::TIFF library, even if it\*(Aqs available. Normally
you \fIwould\fR want to use this library, but there may be cases where you don\*(Aqt,
such as when you want to use a file \fIhandle\fR instead of a \fIname\fR.
.IP "silent => 1" 4
.IX Item "silent => 1"
Do not give the message that Graphics::TIFF is not \fBinstalled\fR. This message
will be given only once, but you may want to suppress it, such as during
t\-tests.
.PP
\fIPNG Images\fR
.IX Subsection "PNG Images"
.PP
PDF::Builder will use the Image::PNG::Libpng support library for PNG functions,
if it is available, unless explicitly told not to. Your code can test whether
Image::PNG::Libpng is available by examining \f(CW\*(C`$png\->usesLib()\*(C'\fR or
\&\f(CW\*(C`$pdf\->LA_IPL()\*(C'\fR.
.PP
Note that the first query is only available once the \f(CW$png\fR object has been
created. This may or may not be too late for your purposes.
.IP "= \-1" 4
.IX Item "= -1"
Image::PNG::Libpng \fIis\fR installed, but your code has specified \f(CW\*(C`nouseIPL\*(C'\fR,
to \fInot\fR use it. The old, pure Perl, code (slower and less capable) will be
used instead, as if Image::PNG::Libpng was not installed.
.IP "= 0" 4
.IX Item "= 0"
Image::PNG::Libpng is \fInot\fR installed. Not all systems are able to successfully
install this package, as it requires libpng.a.
.IP "= 1" 4
.IX Item "= 1"
Image::PNG::Libpng is installed and is being used.
.PP
Options:
.IP "nouseIPL => 1" 4
.IX Item "nouseIPL => 1"
Do \fBnot\fR use the Image::PNG::Libpng library, even if it\*(Aqs available. Normally
you \fIwould\fR want to use this library, when available, but there may be cases
where you don\*(Aqt.
.IP "silent => 1" 4
.IX Item "silent => 1"
Do not give the message that Image::PNG::Libpng is not \fBinstalled\fR. This
message will be given only once, but you may want to suppress it, such as
during t\-tests.
.IP "notrans => 1" 4
.IX Item "notrans => 1"
No transparency \-\- ignore tRNS chunk if provided, ignore Alpha channel if
provided.
.SS "USING SHAPER (HarfBuzz::Shaper library)"
.IX Subsection "USING SHAPER (HarfBuzz::Shaper library)"
.Vb 10
\& # if HarfBuzz::Shaper is not installed, either bail out, or try to
\& # use regular TTF calls instead
\& my $rc;
\& $rc = eval {
\& require HarfBuzz::Shaper;
\& 1;
\& };
\& if (!defined $rc) { $rc = 0; }
\& if ($rc == 0) {
\& # bail out in some manner
\& } else {
\& # can use Shaper
\& }
\&
\& my $fontfile = \*(Aq/WINDOWS/Fonts/times.ttf\*(Aq; # used by both Shaper and textHS
\& my $fontsize = 15; # used by both Shaper and textHS
\& my $font = $pdf\->ttfont($fontfile);
\& $text\->font($font, $fontsize);
\&
\& my $hb = HarfBuzz::Shaper\->new(); # only need to set up once
\& my %settings; # for textHS(), not Shaper
\& $settings{\*(Aqdump\*(Aq} = 1; # see the diagnostics
\& $settings{\*(Aqscript\*(Aq} = \*(AqLatn\*(Aq;
\& $settings(\*(Aqdir\*(Aq} = \*(AqL\*(Aq; # LTR
\& $settings{\*(Aqfeatures\*(Aq} = (); # required
\&
\& # \-\- set language (override automatic setting)
\& #$settings{\*(Aqlanguage\*(Aq} = \*(Aqen\*(Aq;
\& #$hb\->set_language( \*(Aqen_US\*(Aq );
\& # \-\- turn OFF ligatures
\& #push @{ $settings{\*(Aqfeatures\*(Aq} }, \*(Aqliga\*(Aq;
\& #$hb\->add_features( \*(Aqliga\*(Aq );
\& # \-\- turn OFF kerning
\& #push @{ $settings{\*(Aqfeatures\*(Aq} }, \*(Aqkern\*(Aq;
\& #$hb\->add_features( \*(Aqkern\*(Aq );
\& $hb\->set_font($fontfile);
\& $hb\->set_size($fontsize);
\& $hb\->set_text("Let\*(Aqs eat waffles in the field for brunch.");
\& # expect ffl and fi ligatures, and perhaps some kerning
\&
\& my $info = $hb\->shaper();
\& $text\->textHS($info, \e%settings); # strikethru, underline allowed
.Ve
.PP
The package HarfBuzz::Shaper may be optionally installed in order to use the
text\-shaping capabilities of the HarfBuzz library. These include kerning and
ligatures in Western scripts (such as the Latin alphabet). More complex scripts
can be handled, such as Arabic family and Indic scripts, where multiple forms
of a character may be automatically selected, characters may be reordered, and
other modifications made. The examples/HarfBuzz.pl script gives some examples
of what may be done.
.PP
Keep in mind that HarfBuzz works only with TrueType (.ttf) and OpenType (.otf)
font files. It will not work with PostScript (Type1), core, bitmapped, or CJK
fonts. Not all .ttf fonts have the instructions necessary to guide HarfBuzz,
but most proper .otf fonts do. In other words, there are no guarantees that a
particular font file will work with Shaper!
.PP
The basic idea is to break up text into "chunks" which are of the same script
(alphabet), language, direction, font face, font size, and variant (italic,
bold, etc.). These could range from a single character to paragraph\-length
strings of text. These are fed to HarfBuzz::Shaper, along with flags, the font
file to be used, and other supporting
information, to create an array of output glyphs. Each element is a hash
describing the glyph to be output, including its name (if available), its glyph
ID (number) in the selected font, its x and y displacement (usually 0), and
its "advance" x and y values, all in points. For horizontal languages (LTR and
RTL), the y advance is normally 0 and the x advance is the font\*(Aqs character
width, less any kerning amount.
.PP
Shaper will attempt to figure out the script used and the text direction, based on the Unicode range; and a reasonable guess at the language used. The language
can be overridden, but currently the script and text direction cannot be
overridden.
.PP
\&\fBAn important note:\fR the number of glyphs (array elements) may not be equal to
the number of Unicode points (characters) given in the chunk\*(Aqs text string!
Sometimes a character will be decomposed into several pieces (multiple glyphs);
sometimes multiple characters may be combined into a single ligature glyph; and
characters may be reordered (especially in Indic and Southeast Asian languages).
As well, for Right\-to\-Left (bidirectional) scripts such as Hebrew and Arabic
families, the text is output in Left\-to\-Right order (reversed from the input).
.PP
With due care, a Shaper array can be manipulated in code. The elements are more
or less independent of each other, so elements can be modified, rearranged,
inserted, or deleted. You might adjust the position of a glyph with \*(Aqdx\*(Aq and
\&\*(Aqdy\*(Aq hash elements. The \*(Aqax\*(Aq value should be left alone, so that the wrong
kerning isn\*(Aqt calculated, but you might need to adjust the "advance x" value by
means of one of the following:
.IP \fBaxs\fR 4
.IX Item "axs"
is a value to be \fIsubstituted\fR for \*(Aqax\*(Aq (points)
.IP \fBaxsp\fR 4
.IX Item "axsp"
is a \fIsubstituted\fR value (\fIpercentage\fR) of the original \*(Aqax\*(Aq
.IP \fBaxr\fR 4
.IX Item "axr"
\&\fIreduces\fR \*(Aqax\*(Aq by the value (points). If negative, increase \*(Aqax\*(Aq
.IP \fBaxrp\fR 4
.IX Item "axrp"
\&\fIreduces\fR \*(Aqax\*(Aq by the given \fIpercentage\fR. Again, negative increases \*(Aqax\*(Aq
.PP
\&\fBCaution:\fR a given character\*(Aqs glyph ID is \fInot\fR necessarily going to be the
same between any two fonts! For example, an ASCII space (U+0020) might be
\&\f(CW\*(C`<0001>\*(C'\fR in one font, and \f(CW\*(C`<0003>\*(C'\fR in another font (even one
closely related!). A U+00A0 required blank (non\-breaking space) may be output
as a regular ASCII space U+0020. Take care if you need to find a particular
glyph in the array, especially if the number of elements don\*(Aqt match. Consider
making a text string of "marker" characters (space, nbsp, hyphen, soft hyphen,
etc.) and processing it through HarfBuzz::Shaper to get the corresponding
glyph numbers. You may have to count spaces, say, to see where you could break
a glyph array to fit a line.
.PP
The \f(CWadvancewidthHS()\fR method uses the same inputs as does \f(CWtextHS()\fR.
Like \f(CWadvancewidth()\fR, it returns the chunk length in points. Unlike
\&\f(CWadvancewidth()\fR, you cannot override the glyph array\*(Aqs font, font size, etc.
.PP
Once you have your (possibly modified) array of glyphs, you feed it to the
\&\f(CWtextHS()\fR method to render it to the page. Remember that this method handles
only a single line of text; it does not do line splitting or fitting \-\- that
\&\fIyou\fR currently need to do manually. For Western scripts (e.g., Latin), that
might not be too difficult, but for other scripts that involve extensive
modification of the raw characters, it may be quite difficult to split
\&\fIwords\fR, but you still may be able to split at inter\-word spaces.
.PP
A useful, but not exhaustive, set of functions are allowed by \f(CWtextHS()\fR use.
Support includes direction setting (top\-to\-bottom and bottom\-to\-top directions,
e.g., for Far Eastern languages in traditional orientation), and explicit
script names and language (depending on what support HarfBuzz itself gives).
\&\fBNot yet\fR supported are features such as discretionary ligatures and manual
selection of glyphs (e.g., swashes and alternate forms).
.PP
Currently, \f(CWtextHS()\fR can only handle a single text string. We are looking at
how fitting to a line length (splitting up an array) could be done, as well as
how words might be split on hard and soft hyphens. At some point, full paragraph
and page shaping could be possible.