Amigaguide to PDF

Josh · 24 February 2010, 19:28

Hi altogether,

anyone knows if there's a tool or converter to convert Amigaguide to PDF ?

Thanks in advence.

Cheers Josh

alexh · 25 February 2010, 01:30

If you install PDFCREATOR and WinGuide you can print to a PDF.

Unfortunately (and naturally) active links inside the GUIDE are not preserved.

Shame that WinGuide is not open-source cos it has a few nasty bugs.

Josh · 25 February 2010, 01:43

Thanks alexh!

But... One bug I found already: It doesn't display German umlauts...

I use PDF24 instead PDFCreator on Windows.

Cheers Josh

alexh · 25 February 2010, 11:50

I've written to the Author of WinGuide, Steve Eckles, a games programmer at Team17, see if he'll open source the tool, assuming he still has the sources.

alexh · 01 March 2010, 22:01

Steve has released the source code to me for WinGuide.

It will be tested to make sure it compiles and then a GPL header applied to all files before being released on the Aminet.

Josh · 01 March 2010, 22:48

Cheers Josh

Korodny · 02 March 2010, 00:06

There are tools for converting AmigaGuide to HTML (check Aminet). I'm pretty sure there are several open source solutions for converting HTML to PDF?

Photon · 02 March 2010, 00:29

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea too. The online guides at amigadev.elowar.com are a good initiative, and the links kinda work solely because in a browser you can always go back to last viewed page - dunno if that's a feature in common PDF viewers or if the link is reversible or undoable. It's easy enough to get lost even in the html version, since there are no page numbers. That could perhaps be easily added in the PDF version.

asymetrix · 24 March 2010, 06:00

Here is a program that supposed to export to Html and DocBook XML.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/grotag/

Now if only we could add formatting styles using the XML we could then export really nice looking HTML or PDF via redirected PDF printer.

Also automate the process :-)

alexh · 24 March 2010, 09:11

I promise I'll find some time in two weeks to install Visual Studio 6 and compile the source code for WinGuide. As soon as I can confirm it is all there I'll release it via Aminet.

asymetrix · 02 May 2010, 03:58

@alexh

Any update ? I would also like to have a look at the code for WinGuide.

cheers

alexh · 02 May 2010, 10:02

I have failed to get it to compile. I'll try again this week.

As for you looking at it... unless you are an experienced windows programmer you wont be able to understand it I assure you. I'm a coder and I find it hard going because it uses so much windows stuff

cosmicfrog · 02 May 2010, 10:15

WinGuide would be an excellent tool to use on a pc so good luck with it alexh

I remember trying ages ago only to give up as it had way to many bugs and kept crashing

I bet theres a few windows coders round here that would be willing to help

alexh · 02 May 2010, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicfrog

WinGuide would be an excellent tool to use on a pc

Erm it already is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicfrog

I bet there are a few windows coders round here that would be willing to help

I doubt it... but you never know.. once the code has been published on aminet anyone will be able to play.

asymetrix · 02 May 2010, 15:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

I have failed to get it to compile. I'll try again this week.

As for you looking at it... unless you are an experienced windows programmer you wont be able to understand it I assure you. I'm a coder and I find it hard going because it uses so much windows stuff

I have experience with VisualBasic 6, if it is written in VB6 I am sure I could get it compiling.

alexh · 02 May 2010, 17:43

Pretty sure it's written entirely in VisualC++ with lots of windows visual toolkit stuff.

I'll have another go next week at getting it to compile and as soon as it does and I get a comparable binary to the one out there I'll release it all via the aminet under the existing WinGuide entry. If I cannot get it to compile then I'll release the source on Aminet but under a different entry.

asymetrix · 14 June 2010, 01:58

bump

Minuous · 14 June 2010, 03:18

I have some experience with both Amiga and Windows coding. If someone wants to make a list of the bugs, I will fix some or all of them. (Once the source is available, of course).

billt · 02 August 2011, 04:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

Steve has released the source code to me for WinGuide.

It will be tested to make sure it compiles and then a GPL header applied to all files before being released on the Aminet.

Any progress on that? I just searched aminet and did not find this.

jman · 15 August 2011, 16:09

I like this.

I'm thinking about the effort needed to have a paper copy of books I can't find at a reasonable price, the third edition of the amiga reference manuals set.

Goal: start from the AG or HTML version (that you can find on elowar), produce a PDF that is not a simple dump of the pages, but a reworked version of the manual, with pictures and tables at its place instead of links. Once such a PDF is produced it would be very easy to print and have you own copy on the bookshelf for reference.

How? Let's pick the AHRM, the most useful (imo) of the full set.
How difficult would that be? Trivial task, just a truckload of patience is needed. The full task can be splitted and easily executed in parallel by many operators.

How long would that be? I'd slice the work in the following parts:

1) First divide all the HTML files according to chapters and appendices
1a) With some BASH scripting you can easily cut off the redundant header/footer HTML code from each file and produce a single HTML file per chapter/appendice to reflect the actual table of content of the book.

2) For each chapter/appendice iterate the following subtasks (that is the most boring job):
2a) replace all links with the actual figure
2b) remove other useless HTML code, set style for headers with appropriate HTML CSS.

3) Refine the job: find a suitable font, add covers, add font styling where needed (italic, bold, ...)

4) Once the "master" is done, print-to-PDF tests can start

How does it sound?
Once such a task is done the first copy will be immediately gifted to DLH :-)

24 February 2010, 19:28	#1
Josh Lord of Amiga-Manuals Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kassel / Germany Age: 53 Posts: 552	Amigaguide to PDF Hi altogether, anyone knows if there's a tool or converter to convert Amigaguide to PDF ? Thanks in advence. Cheers Josh

24 March 2010, 06:00	#9
asymetrix Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Posts: 112	grotag Here is a program that supposed to export to Html and DocBook XML. https://sourceforge.net/projects/grotag/ Now if only we could add formatting styles using the XML we could then export really nice looking HTML or PDF via redirected PDF printer. Also automate the process :-)

15 August 2011, 16:09	#20
jman Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: . Posts: 359	I like this. I'm thinking about the effort needed to have a paper copy of books I can't find at a reasonable price, the third edition of the amiga reference manuals set. Goal: start from the AG or HTML version (that you can find on elowar), produce a PDF that is not a simple dump of the pages, but a reworked version of the manual, with pictures and tables at its place instead of links. Once such a PDF is produced it would be very easy to print and have you own copy on the bookshelf for reference. How? Let's pick the AHRM, the most useful (imo) of the full set. How difficult would that be? Trivial task, just a truckload of patience is needed. The full task can be splitted and easily executed in parallel by many operators. How long would that be? I'd slice the work in the following parts: 1) First divide all the HTML files according to chapters and appendices 1a) With some BASH scripting you can easily cut off the redundant header/footer HTML code from each file and produce a single HTML file per chapter/appendice to reflect the actual table of content of the book. 2) For each chapter/appendice iterate the following subtasks (that is the most boring job): 2a) replace all links with the actual figure 2b) remove other useless HTML code, set style for headers with appropriate HTML CSS. 3) Refine the job: find a suitable font, add covers, add font styling where needed (italic, bold, ...) 4) Once the "master" is done, print-to-PDF tests can start How does it sound? Once such a task is done the first copy will be immediately gifted to DLH :-) Last edited by jman; 15 August 2011 at 18:08.

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25 February 2010, 01:30	#2
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,399	If you install PDFCREATOR and WinGuide you can print to a PDF. Unfortunately (and naturally) active links inside the GUIDE are not preserved. Shame that WinGuide is not open-source cos it has a few nasty bugs.

25 February 2010, 01:43	#3
Josh Lord of Amiga-Manuals Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kassel / Germany Age: 53 Posts: 552	Thanks alexh! But... One bug I found already: It doesn't display German umlauts... I use PDF24 instead PDFCreator on Windows. Cheers Josh

25 February 2010, 11:50	#4
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,399	I've written to the Author of WinGuide, Steve Eckles, a games programmer at Team17, see if he'll open source the tool, assuming he still has the sources.

01 March 2010, 22:01	#5
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,399	Steve has released the source code to me for WinGuide. It will be tested to make sure it compiles and then a GPL header applied to all files before being released on the Aminet.

01 March 2010, 22:48	#6
Josh Lord of Amiga-Manuals Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kassel / Germany Age: 53 Posts: 552	Cheers Josh

02 March 2010, 00:06	#7
Korodny Zone Friend Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 812	There are tools for converting AmigaGuide to HTML (check Aminet). I'm pretty sure there are several open source solutions for converting HTML to PDF?

02 March 2010, 00:29	#8
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,629	Yeah, that sounds like a good idea too. The online guides at amigadev.elowar.com are a good initiative, and the links kinda work solely because in a browser you can always go back to last viewed page - dunno if that's a feature in common PDF viewers or if the link is reversible or undoable. It's easy enough to get lost even in the html version, since there are no page numbers. That could perhaps be easily added in the PDF version.

24 March 2010, 09:11	#10
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,399	I promise I'll find some time in two weeks to install Visual Studio 6 and compile the source code for WinGuide. As soon as I can confirm it is all there I'll release it via Aminet.

02 May 2010, 03:58	#11
asymetrix Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Posts: 112	@alexh Any update ? I would also like to have a look at the code for WinGuide. cheers

02 May 2010, 10:02	#12
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,399	I have failed to get it to compile. I'll try again this week. As for you looking at it... unless you are an experienced windows programmer you wont be able to understand it I assure you. I'm a coder and I find it hard going because it uses so much windows stuff

02 May 2010, 10:15	#13
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	WinGuide would be an excellent tool to use on a pc so good luck with it alexh I remember trying ages ago only to give up as it had way to many bugs and kept crashing I bet theres a few windows coders round here that would be willing to help

02 May 2010, 17:43	#16
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,399	Pretty sure it's written entirely in VisualC++ with lots of windows visual toolkit stuff. I'll have another go next week at getting it to compile and as soon as it does and I get a comparable binary to the one out there I'll release it all via the aminet under the existing WinGuide entry. If I cannot get it to compile then I'll release the source on Aminet but under a different entry.

14 June 2010, 01:58	#17
asymetrix Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Posts: 112	bump

14 June 2010, 03:18	#18
Minuous Coder/webmaster/gamer Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Canberra/Australia Posts: 2,651	I have some experience with both Amiga and Windows coding. If someone wants to make a list of the bugs, I will fix some or all of them. (Once the source is available, of course).

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