User Documentation from XML

Question

Hello there, I have my nice set of XML files for a user manual, which I already transform to HTML to make the online manual (simil CHM) with XSLT.

Now, I'd like to make a printable user manual from the same set of XML files. I'd like to generate an ODT or directly a PDF file, but I didn't find any "quick-and-simple" tool to do that.

The internal formatting of a page is HTML (just _<b>_ or _<img>_), the structure is in XML.

Also, I'd like to (automatically) generate an index and a front page.

I was thinking of using QT4.5 , since it can generate ODT even from HTML, but I prefer an already compiled application.

I have a set of about 200 xml files that need to be converted in a "batch" execution.

Any hint?

Answer 1

If you have html files on the net that already look the way you would want the pdf files to look you can use the free and simple tool 'html - pdf converter' here:

http://html-pdf-converter.com/

It's not perfect, but its quick, easy, and free and since you didn't really explain what kind of volume you need i'll assume this is sufficient;

Answer 2

Give the DynamicPDF tools a go. You can take your HTML generation from the XML and spit out a PDF in no time flat!

Answer 3

To generate very neat PDFs from HTML, have a look at Prince XML.

Answer 4

Have you thought of using XSL-FO?

There should be some free tools available. Something like this: XML to PDF.

Answer 5

Deepak Vohra has a list here.