HTML Elements in PDF Output

A variety of html elements are now available for use in formating data in PDF reports created by APPX output processes.

HTML Elements in PDF Output

HTML tags may be embedded within an ALPHA field or a TEXT field to specify how the field value is to be formated when printed.

The field must be added to the image with a widget type of LABEL or TEXT AREA.

The field value must begin with "<html>". The entire contents of the field will then be considered to be HTML text.

If no widget is specified or if a RAW TEXT widget type is specified, the contents of the field will be printed without formating.

The label value of a LABEL widget may contain HTML tags as a way of formating the label value when printed.

Standard APPX text formating within a TEXT field is compatible with html formating as follows:

An APPX end-of-paragraph character ("¶" - xB6/182) has the same effect as a element.
An APPX required space character ("_" - x5F/95) has the same effect as a   (no break space).

When an ALPHA field that contains end-of-paragraph characters ("¶") or underline characters ("_") is printed, these characters are not interpreted as text formating characters and are instead printed like any other characters regardless of whether the field contains HTML elements.

Supported Elements:

Top Level Elements:

HTML - HTML document

Generic Block Level Elements:

CENTER - Centered block
H1 - Level-one heading
H2 - Level-two heading
H3 - Level-three heading
H4 - Level-four heading
H5 - Level-five heading
H6 - Level-six heading
P - Paragraph
PRE - Preformated text

Special Inline Elements:

A - Anchor
BR - Line break
FONT - Font change
SUB - Subscript
SUP - Superscript

Phrase Elements:

EM - Emphasis
STRONG - Strong emphasis

Font Style Elements:

B - Bold text
BIG - Big text
I - Italic text
SMALL - Small text
TT - Teletype text
U - Underlined text

BIG - The enclosed text should be printed one size larger than the current font size. <BIG>...</BIG> is the same as .... BIG tags can be nested in which case the inner text is one size larger than the outer text.

SMALL - The enclosed text should be printed one size smaller than the current font size. ... is the same as .... SMALL tags can be nested in which case the intter text is one size smaller than the outer text.

font size="+n" where n = +1 thru +7

font color=#nnnnnn where #nnnnnn is a RGB hex value.

font color=name is not supported.

font size=1 thru 7

Bugs:

Field with no widget defined attempts to print formated html text. Fields with no widget should not print formated html text.
Field with Raw Text widget attempts to print formated html text. Raw Text widgets should not print formated html text.
SMALL does not work. There is no noticeable difference in the size of the enclosed text.

Comments:

Read what other users have said about this page or add your own comments.

-- AlKalter - 04 Apr 2008

This topic: Main > APPX43Features > HTMLTagsInPDF
Topic revision: r7 - 2008-04-08 - SteveFrizzell