[O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[Balaji Bikshandi]

Greetings Torsten. 

I use a transparent terminal over the PDF and then screenshot it!

This is, as you would expect, an ultralight and ultrafast solution. 

In fact, I use mupdf to open the PDF, then open the venerable SC spreadsheet calculator in a transparent terminal over it. Once ‘filled’, I just take a screenshot! Then use Imagemagick to convert it.

But, you would get the idea that many other possibilities open this way ;)

(I am not a programmer but an Intensive care specialist doctor in Australia. I am a heavy user of Linux, emacs and orgmode.) 

I sincerely hope this contribution as a non programmer helps you and others.

Please do publish this in the mailing list if you think it is beneficial. 

Cheers,
Balaji
Dr. Balaji Bikshandi


Sent from my iPhone

Re: [O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[Ihor Radchenko]

Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> writes:

> I use a transparent terminal over the PDF and then screenshot it!
>
> This is, as you would expect, an ultralight and ultrafast solution. 
>
> In fact, I use mupdf to open the PDF, then open the venerable SC spreadsheet calculator in a transparent terminal over it. Once ‘filled’, I just take a screenshot! Then use Imagemagick to convert it.

Interesting.
May you expand a bit on how exactly you do it?

In particular, how does Org mode enter the picture? I imagine that you
need to align the text layout in the Org file to fit the underlying PDF,
but I am not sure if Org is the most suitable program to achieve such
alignment. Something like M-x artist-mode might probably be more flexible.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[Balaji Bikshandi]

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Hi Ihor,

Glad you are interested. I have attached the screenshot showing how it is possible from within Org-mode! I concur on the need for font sizing and zooming the terminal at times. But for the most part I find it just works for various types of PDFs. I have filled multi-page documents but yes you will have to screenshot the pages separately. 

I am sure you will get the idea but please let me know if you require clarification. Hope this helps you like it does to me. 

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Cheers
Balaji 
Sent from my iPhone

> On 18 Jul 2024, at 5:00 PM, Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> wrote:
> 
> Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> writes:
> 
>> I use a transparent terminal over the PDF and then screenshot it!
>> 
>> This is, as you would expect, an ultralight and ultrafast solution.
>> 
>> In fact, I use mupdf to open the PDF, then open the venerable SC spreadsheet calculator in a transparent terminal over it. Once ‘filled’, I just take a screenshot! Then use Imagemagick to convert it.
> 
> Interesting.
> May you expand a bit on how exactly you do it?
> 
> In particular, how does Org mode enter the picture? I imagine that you
> need to align the text layout in the Org file to fit the underlying PDF,
> but I am not sure if Org is the most suitable program to achieve such
> alignment. Something like M-x artist-mode might probably be more flexible.
> 
> --
> Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
> Org mode contributor,
> Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
> Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
> or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>

Re: [O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[Leo Butler]

Hi Balaji,

This is an ingenious solution, but wouldn't something like xournal(++)
be easier to use[1]?

A drawback to either method is that the PDF file that is created no
longer has the form data available for subsequent edits. This is a
serious drawback when one needs to fill in some parts of a PDF form and
then pass it on to a colleague who needs to fill in other parts.

At the moment, my solution is to use pdftk to generate an FDF file, fill
in the textfields & buttons using some guesswork, and then use pdftk to
generate a new PDF. If I need to insert an image, then I resort to a
using a python library (pymupdf). All of this is done within an org
document, of course.

It would be really nice to have an org-babel/org-export library that
could parse the FDF file into some structure understood and easily
edited in Org (e.g. an Org document fragment with some special labels,
perhaps) and also be able to generate a new FDF with the edited
structure.

Best regards,
Leo


[1] https://xournalpp.github.io/
    https://xournalpp.github.io/guide/whirlwind-tour/#annotating-pdf-files



On Fri, Jul 19 2024, Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> wrote:

> Hi Ihor,
>
> Glad you are interested. I have attached the screenshot showing how it
> is possible from within Org-mode! I concur on the need for font sizing
> and zooming the terminal at times. But for the most part I find it
> just works for various types of PDFs. I have filled multi-page
> documents but yes you will have to screenshot the pages separately.
>
> I am sure you will get the idea but please let me know if you require
> clarification. Hope this helps you like it does to me.
>
> x
>
>
> Cheers
> Balaji 
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On 18 Jul 2024, at 5:00 PM, Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> writes:
>> 
>>> I use a transparent terminal over the PDF and then screenshot it!
>>> 
>>> This is, as you would expect, an ultralight and ultrafast solution.
>>> 
>>> In fact, I use mupdf to open the PDF, then open the venerable SC
>>> spreadsheet calculator in a transparent terminal over it. Once
>>> ‘filled’, I just take a screenshot! Then use Imagemagick to convert
>>> it.
>> 
>> Interesting.
>> May you expand a bit on how exactly you do it?
>> 
>> In particular, how does Org mode enter the picture? I imagine that you
>> need to align the text layout in the Org file to fit the underlying PDF,
>> but I am not sure if Org is the most suitable program to achieve such
>> alignment. Something like M-x artist-mode might probably be more flexible.
>> 
>> --
>> Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
>> Org mode contributor,
>> Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
>> Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
>> or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>
>

-- 
---
Best regards,
Dr Butler

Re: [O] Generate and fill PDF-forms by org-mode?!

[Balaji Bikshandi]

Thanks for the compliments Leo! 

I agree this is more of a simple ‘hack’! I call it the TTO - Transparent Terminal Overlay 😊. It had helped me in unusual situations such as when a proprietary PDF had ‘fillability’ issues. 

Your solution is ‘designed for purpose’ and sounds wonderful. My best wishes and looking forward to its realisation. 

Cheers
Balaji 
 
Sent from my iPhone

> On 23 Jul 2024, at 3:45 AM, Leo Butler <Leo.Butler@umanitoba.ca> wrote:
> 
> Hi Balaji,
> 
> This is an ingenious solution, but wouldn't something like xournal(++)
> be easier to use[1]?
> 
> A drawback to either method is that the PDF file that is created no
> longer has the form data available for subsequent edits. This is a
> serious drawback when one needs to fill in some parts of a PDF form and
> then pass it on to a colleague who needs to fill in other parts.
> 
> At the moment, my solution is to use pdftk to generate an FDF file, fill
> in the textfields & buttons using some guesswork, and then use pdftk to
> generate a new PDF. If I need to insert an image, then I resort to a
> using a python library (pymupdf). All of this is done within an org
> document, of course.
> 
> It would be really nice to have an org-babel/org-export library that
> could parse the FDF file into some structure understood and easily
> edited in Org (e.g. an Org document fragment with some special labels,
> perhaps) and also be able to generate a new FDF with the edited
> structure.
> 
> Best regards,
> Leo
> 
> 
> [1] https://xournalpp.github.io/
>    https://xournalpp.github.io/guide/whirlwind-tour/#annotating-pdf-files
> 
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Jul 19 2024, Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Ihor,
>> 
>> Glad you are interested. I have attached the screenshot showing how it
>> is possible from within Org-mode! I concur on the need for font sizing
>> and zooming the terminal at times. But for the most part I find it
>> just works for various types of PDFs. I have filled multi-page
>> documents but yes you will have to screenshot the pages separately.
>> 
>> I am sure you will get the idea but please let me know if you require
>> clarification. Hope this helps you like it does to me.
>> 
>> x
>> 
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Balaji
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>>> On 18 Jul 2024, at 5:00 PM, Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Balaji Bikshandi <balaji.md@icloud.com> writes:
>>> 
>>>> I use a transparent terminal over the PDF and then screenshot it!
>>>> 
>>>> This is, as you would expect, an ultralight and ultrafast solution.
>>>> 
>>>> In fact, I use mupdf to open the PDF, then open the venerable SC
>>>> spreadsheet calculator in a transparent terminal over it. Once
>>>> ‘filled’, I just take a screenshot! Then use Imagemagick to convert
>>>> it.
>>> 
>>> Interesting.
>>> May you expand a bit on how exactly you do it?
>>> 
>>> In particular, how does Org mode enter the picture? I imagine that you
>>> need to align the text layout in the Org file to fit the underlying PDF,
>>> but I am not sure if Org is the most suitable program to achieve such
>>> alignment. Something like M-x artist-mode might probably be more flexible.
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
>>> Org mode contributor,
>>> Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
>>> Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
>>> or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>
>> 
> 
> --
> ---
> Best regards,
> Dr Butler