PDF Generator (FOP)¶

Last Updated: May 2026 | Version: 1.10.0

Create professional PDF documents from your XML files using Apache FOP (Formatting Objects Processor).

Overview¶

The PDF Generator combines your XML data with an XSL-FO stylesheet to create formatted PDF documents.

PDF Generator Overview The PDF Generator interface with file selection and preview

How It Works¶

XML Data + XSL-FO Stylesheet = PDF Document

XML File - Your data (the content you want in the PDF)
XSL-FO Stylesheet - A template defining layout and formatting
PDF Output - The generated document

The PDF / FOP Panel¶

In the Unified Shell, open the PDF / FOP activity from the activity bar. The panel is organized into three sections plus the primary action:

Section	Contents
INPUT	The XML (follows the active editor; Change fixes it to a file) and the XSL-FO stylesheet
METADATA	PDF Title, Author (pre-filled from your user name), Subject
OPTIONS	PDF/A-1b compliant toggle and the Page size (A4/Letter · Portrait/Landscape)
Generate PDF	Asks for the output file and renders off the UI thread

Step-by-Step Guide¶

Step 1: Select Your Files¶

Open your XML data file in the editor (or pick one via the INPUT section's Change)
Click Change on the stylesheet row to select your XSL-FO stylesheet

You can also drag and drop files directly into the application.

Step 2: Set PDF Metadata (Optional)¶

Add metadata to your PDF document in the METADATA section:

Field	Description
Title	Document title
Author	Your name or organization (pre-filled from the configured user name)
Subject	What the document is about

Step 3: Options (Optional)¶

PDF/A-1b compliant - produces an archival-grade PDF. The stylesheet must use embeddable system fonts (e.g. Liberation Sans); the PDF base-14 fonts (Helvetica, Times, Courier) cannot be embedded and FOP will report exactly that.
Page size - passed to the stylesheet as the XSLT parameters page-size (A4/Letter) and page-orientation (Portrait/Landscape). Stylesheets that declare these parameters can switch their fo:simple-page-master accordingly.

Step 3: Configure Options (Optional)¶

Option	Description
FOP Config File	Custom FOP configuration for fonts, renderers, etc.

Step 4: Generate the PDF¶

Click Generate or press F5 to create the PDF.

Step 5: Preview¶

The generated PDF appears in the built-in viewer on the right side. You can: - Scroll through pages - Review the layout - Check formatting

Favorites Integration¶

Save frequently used XML and XSL-FO files for quick access:

Add Favorite (Ctrl+D) - Save current file to favorites
Favorites (Ctrl+Shift+D) - Show/hide the favorites panel

The favorites panel appears on the right side and provides quick access to your saved files.

Features¶

Feature	Description
Drag & Drop	Drop files directly into the application
Built-in Viewer	Preview PDFs without leaving the app
PDF Metadata	Add author, title, and keywords
Progress Indicator	Shows generation progress
FOP Configuration	Custom fonts and rendering options
Favorites	Quick access to frequently used files

XSL-FO Basics¶

XSL-FO (Extensible Stylesheet Language Formatting Objects) defines how your XML content should be formatted in the PDF.

Simple Example¶

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
    xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
    xmlns:fo="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Format">

  <xsl:template match="/">
    <fo:root>
      <fo:layout-master-set>
        <fo:simple-page-master master-name="A4"
            page-height="29.7cm" page-width="21cm"
            margin="2cm">
          <fo:region-body/>
        </fo:simple-page-master>
      </fo:layout-master-set>

      <fo:page-sequence master-reference="A4">
        <fo:flow flow-name="xsl-region-body">
          <fo:block font-size="24pt" font-weight="bold">
            <xsl:value-of select="/document/title"/>
          </fo:block>
          <fo:block font-size="12pt">
            <xsl:value-of select="/document/content"/>
          </fo:block>
        </fo:flow>
      </fo:page-sequence>
    </fo:root>
  </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

Common FO Elements¶

Element	Description
`fo:block`	Paragraph or block of text
`fo:inline`	Inline text formatting
`fo:table`	Tables with rows and cells
`fo:external-graphic`	Images
`fo:page-number`	Current page number
`fo:leader`	Dots, lines, or space (for TOC)

Tips¶

Validate first - Ensure your XML and XSL-FO files are valid before generating
Check error messages - If generation fails, read the error details
Use the preview - Review the PDF in the built-in viewer
Save to favorites - Quick access to frequently used files
FOP configuration - Use a custom config file for special fonts

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+1	Open XML file
Ctrl+2	Open XSL-FO file
Ctrl+3	Select output PDF
F5	Generate PDF
Ctrl+D	Add to favorites
Ctrl+Shift+D	Toggle favorites
F1	Help

Troubleshooting¶

Problem	Solution
No output	Check that all three files are selected
Font issues	Use a custom FOP config with embedded fonts
Image not showing	Check image path is correct and accessible
Generation fails	Check the error message for details

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