New speedata Publisher frontend?

[pgundlach]

Just sharing my thoughts:

As you know, the speedata Publisher uses XML for layout instructions (as well as XML for data). I have been experimenting with a new (additional!) Lua frontend for the speedata Publisher, effectively replacing both the layout and the data with a programmable interface:

This could be a simple “hello world” layout:

publisher = require("publisher")

publisher.pageformat({ width = "6cm", height = "100mm" })
-- publisher.trace({ grid = true })


local dj = publisher.load_font({ name = "dejavu", file = "DejaVuSans.ttf" })
local ff = publisher.define_fontfamily({ name = "dejavu", size = "12pt", leading = "14pt", regular = dj })


local par = publisher.new_paragraph({ fontfamily = ff })
par[#par + 1] = "Hello, nice World!"

local textblock = publisher.new_textblock()
textblock[#textblock + 1] = par

publisher.place_object({ object = textblock, x = 1, y = 1, })

This is just a prototype for a possible frontend.

Note: The XML interface will still be the preferred interface and supported! No doubt about that. All my layouts use the XML interface. I am just playing with another frontend, and the Lua frontend would bring the same power without much programming effort...

[Cicorione]

I've almost died... 😱

[pgundlach]

Serious question: are you concerned about XML being dropped? This will never happen! (All my layouts are written in XML).

[Cicorione]

For a couple of seconds I have been in total panic... Then I read the disclaimer on the bottom... 😅