[Desktop_printing] Microsoft XPS specification

Kurt Pfeifle k1pfeifle at gmx.net
Thu Apr 20 17:53:42 PDT 2006


On Thursday 20 April 2006 23:50, Hin-Tak Leung wrote:
> Kurt Pfeifle wrote:
> > On Thursday 20 April 2006 22:33, Giuseppe Ghibò wrote:
> > 
> >> IMHO what instead we've not yet seen is a free graphical tool for Linux
> >> capable of editing (and modifying) EPS and PDF files
> > 
> > Actually, Scribus can do this.
> > 
> > Well, with a twist. It will import a PS or an EPS file and transform
> > it into its own native format, while preserving distinct objects as
> > distinct objects. (And after editing the PS, you can then re-export
> > it as PS or EPS, or as PDF even).
> > 
> > Works even with sophisticated hand-crafted PS code such as Mike 
> > Sweet's CUPS test page ("/usr/share/cups/data/testprint.ps").
> 
> Glad to hear. In the sense of being able to import and make sense of
> postscript/pdf code and do some editing, I believe some of the tools
> in the KDE camp (possibly Kword or one of Koffice's family) can import
> pdf as well,

Yes it (KWord) can. It is not stellar in its results. But "good 
enough" for many occasions already where you may want to edit/modify 
a text document (or the text parts of a compount document) and create 
a new one from it. Just don't expect any good layout fidelity from it
(yet).

> although I have no first-hand experience with it, so the KDE 
> people among us might want to commment on this.
> 
> And given the similiarity of SVG and postscript (I read the spec some years
> ago and it more or less read like postscript with XML syntax...and then 1/2 of 
> the SVG spec authors from Adobe), I expect some native SVG tools -
> possbly inkscape - can very likely develop postscript editing capability
> and manipulate postscript code somewhat natively.

I never tried it before, but you made me now do it: indeed, 
Inkscape does also import CUPS' testprint.ps file, preserves objects 
and makes them editable. Possibly the import is even faster than how 
Scribus does it  :-)

BTW, the quickest way to test the most current Inkscape build is via 
klik ( see also http://klik.atekon.de/wiki/User%27s_FAQ ) by using 
the  "klik://inkscape-latest"  shortcut once you have the klik client 
installed.  klik://inkscape-latest today gives you the SVN version 
built on 19th of April.

> But again, if there is 
> somebody who is more familiar with inkscape can possibly want to 
> comment... 
> 
> HT

Cheers,
Kurt




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