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PDF or Doc Creation

Is there a way to create a PDF(preferred) or a doc file on the fly from a template. For example: I recieve a PDF or Doc file with a complex layout predefined. In that layout is there a way to Specify region in that document were content would go. Such as in the upper left there is a something like invoice_number in the position where the invoive number will go. THen have the java application be able to open the document design outside of the software and replace the predefined regions with the actual content. This rather then having an xml pass through an xslt and generated through fop. The goal here is to allow someone to create the template's layout and allow that to change and the Java wouldn't care one way or the other how the layout was.

Any insights will be help full.

--Isisagate

drjustin

Maybe a combination of these two libraries can help you
- http://www.lowagie.com/iText/ (creating object model from pdf)
- http://www.springframework.org/docs/reference/view.html#view-document (rendering object model back to pdf)

Isisagate

ASKER

One potential solution I am playing with that maybe someone can help me figure out would be this.

We have a full copy of acrobat 6 pro which has the ability to layout forms and form fields within a pdf. Is there a way to fill those fields in java and lock that file from editing then send via the web.

I have seen mention of iText being able to do something like this but I can't quite tell what the Licensing info for iText is. We need a solution that free (preferrably) or inexpensive at least.

--isisagate

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drjustin

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Isisagate

ASKER

the solution given was not correct for my purposes, I found my own. Since there is no solution to close a question without awarding points this one has been abandoned as there was nothing I could do further with it.