RapiDoc 1.0 Manual


Inhalt



1 Prolog

2 Installation 3 Usage

4 Elements of the language 5 Copyright

6 Contact

1 Prolog

RapiDoc is a package of programs, that makes creation of PDF documents a lot easier. The documents are written using the RapiDoc document description language. A compiler transates these to a especially optimized HTML document, which is converted into PDF format using HTMLDOC.
The compiler itself is written in REBOL, a interpreter language, that is available for more than 40 platforms. HTMLDOC is a HTML->PDF-converter, that is also available for many platforms. The RapiDoc compiler translates the RapiDoc dokucente into HTML code, that is optimized as input for HTMLDOC.
Though RapiDoc is not as powerful as Tex or HTML itself, it is a tool, that allows creation of a variety of documents rapidly and with a short learning curve. This document itself is written in RapiDoc and conveys a good impression, what can be done with it.
RapiDoc provides:
It lacks:

2 Installation

Needs two external program packages:

2.1 Rebol

Needs the Rebol/View interpreter from at least version 1.2. As for some platforms (Windows CE, Elate) only Rebol/Core exists, I can do a adapted version if requested.
Note for MorphOS users: the AmigaOS version should also work on MorphOS.
Download at
http://www.rebol.com

2.2 HTMLDOC

Tested using version 1.8.19. Older versions should work though.
HTMLDOC für
can directly be downloaded at
http://www.easysw.com/htmldoc/htmldoc.html
The ports for
are available at
http://fr3dy.meanmachine.ch
The supply sources for other platforms (MacOS,BeOS,QNX...) are not known to me, sorry.

3 Usage

Call: 
 rebol rapidoc.r inputfile

inputfile is the path (syntax as used on your operating system) to your RapiDoc document.
A file inputfile.htm will be generated.
You then can use htmldoc to convert it to a structured html file, a postscript or a pdf document.

4 Elements of the language

4.1 Title

Every document begins with a line, that identifies it as a RapiDoc document. 
 %RapiDoc%

Optionally a title for the document can be given: 
 %RapiDoc% RapiDoc - eine Einführung und mehr...

4.2 Headers

Headers are improtant as they define the logical structure of a document. There are 6 different levels of hierarchy. They must be nested correctly.No levels of hierarchy may be left out.
To get this structure: 
 chapter1
   division1.1
     subdivision1.1.1
     subdivision1.1.2
   division1.2
 chapter2
   division2.1
 chapter3

following code is necessary: 
 111 chapter1


 222 division1.1


 333 subdivision1.1.1


 333 subdivision1.1.2


 222 division1.2


 111 chapter2


 222 division2.1


 111 chapter3

4.3 Paragraphs

Principally text is handled as floating text. Line breaks are ignored. If you'd like to begin a new paragraph, you simply include an empty line into the text: 
 This is the text of the first paragraph.


 And here the second paragraph follows.

results in:
This is the text of the first paragraph.
And here the second paragraph follows.

4.4 Manual page break

Principally for every chapter (level 1 header) a new page is begun. But you also can force an additional page break when needed. 
 Here is some text.


 ---


 This text is on a new page.

4.5 Enumerations

Enumerations begin and end with an empty line each. Between the single points there may be no empty lines !
Enumerations cannot be nested.

4.5.1 without numbers

 * Point One
 * Point Two
 * Point Three

results in:

4.5.2 with numbers

 # Point One
 # Point Two
 # Point Three

results in:
  1. Point One
  2. Point Two
  3. Point Three

4.6 Source code passages

This is text that is displayed in a non-proportional font. All spaces and line breaks are put unmodified into the output.
To create such passages, simply begin the text lines with spaces.
All source code passages in this document have been create this way.

4.7 Comments

Comments are text lines, which are not put into the outout at all. 
 Line 1


 --- This is a comment


 Line 2

results in:
Line 1
Line 2

4.8 URL-Links

To define an URL link to an external source, a line must begin with :// , follwed up by the URL of the source itself and a text for the displayed description of the link. 
 :// http://www.holzammer.net My private homepage

results in:
My private homepage

4.9 Images

Images are always included as separate paragraphs. Floating text is not possible !
They can be aligned left, centered, right. 
 left aligned:


 %<example.jpg


 centered:


 %| example.jpg


 right aligned:


 %> ./example.jpg

results in:
left aligned:


centered:


right aligned:


Paths for images can be provided in the form Form of URLs and as local paths (Unix syntax). With local paths its recommened not to use absolute paths !
As graphic formats you can use:

5 Copyright

© 2001-2002 Jean Holzammer
This program is Freeware.
It may be used out of charge, for private as well for commercial purposes, except the following:
  • Public institutions of states not respecting human rights, e.g. states executing death penalty
  • military purposes
  • criminal purposes
    • This software package may be dirtributed only complete and unmodified.
    If distributed commercially, you may not charge more than 1 EUR per disc resp. 5 EUR per CD/DVD.
    Otherwise you need my explicit permission !
    Permission is hereby explicitly granted to Aminet CD-ROMs and Aminet Set CD-ROMs.
    You are using this program at your own risc ! No liability given !

    6 Contact

    If you have any questions or ideas , don't hesitate to get in contact with me !.
    So I can be reached:
    Name:
    Jean Holzammer
    E-Mail:
    Development@Holzammer.net
    WWW:
    www.Holzammer.net