ouch: the beginning of the end

[Dr. Hawkins]

On Thu, Mar 2, 2017 at 5:02 PM, Alejandro Tejada via use-livecode <
use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:

> I have used LiveCode (then MetaCard) to write content
> in PDF templates, so I do not understand the requirement
> that file should have no changes.
>

The file I upload needs to be indistinguishable from the pdf the court
issues to fill in at any arbitrary density.

At the moment, I'm simply recreating by pasting into fields.  What *should* be
happening is placing fields over an eps made from the court's own pdf.

This particular form was the breaking point:
http://www.nvb.uscourts.gov/downloads/mmm/forms/NVB105-3_OrderDebtorsMtnReferraltoMMM.pdf

I have created paragraph by paragraph, but I now have a clerk insisting
that it be this exact pdf--so I have to go back to my original plan.  With
livecode, this *should* happen by turning it into page by page eps's,
putting each on a card, and laying fields over them, and then "printing" to
a pdf file.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of eps support, the only possible way is to
make png's, put the fields in front of those, delete the png when printing,
and then use shell tools (pdftk, pdfjar, pdftools, etc.)  to overlay each
page of my livecode output onto the form pdf.

This is fairly straightforward on unix (mac, linux).  However, I need to
insure that the third party software is installed, and for good measure,
support at least two ways of doing it.

Windows?  beats me.

iOS?  I'd be shocked if the tools are there.  I'd have to license the code.

android?  beats me again.

But all in all, I've lost "write once".


-- 
Dr. Richard E. Hawkins, Esq.
(702) 508-8462