[Texmacs-dev] conversion to pdf

[hadar raz]

Hi all,

Searching this list, I found a few posts about pdf conversion, and even
one attempt at creating a new converter that dates back to 2002, but I
don't think anything came out of it.
Looking at the internal ps converter, I realized that it is a printer
device, and as such can convert directly to pdf as well, since the pdf
file structure contains the same drawing and text routines. Ofcoarse the
file header and some other pdf specific data will have to change as
well, but it is of no importance at the moment.
The two biggest problems as I see them are:

1. pdf file contains a 'catalog' which is located at the end of the
file, and points to all the different pieces of information in the file.
It will have to be implimented.

2. The pdf format is at it's best when it contains hyperlinks, just like
the TeXmacs files themselves. The internal ps printer device ignores
them at the moment.

There is a workaround for the first problem. The gs converter ps-->pdf
we currently use can handle a subset of commands called "pdfmark". These
commands can be embedded in the ps file TeXmacs outputs, and when
converted to pdf they will show as hyperlinks, bookmarks, etc'.

The second problem remains. How can we (I) embed these commands in the
ps device? There must be a way to let the device know when it proccesses
a certain block, that this block is a <label> or a <ref>, for example.
Does anyone know how can this be done?

Hadar.