I wrote an experimental web app project that used AJAX with a Lisp
core, and found it to be a lot of fun and very educational as well.
Now I'm working on another web app, but this time for hire. The
question I have is if Lisp is overkill for what I would be doing, and
if I am better off sticking with php and/or python. Or, would this be
something worth fighting for?
It's a MySQL based application that will generate pdf reports based on
user selections of various input record combinations. To date, a
similar app has been done in php, and the clients are happy with it.
Would it be overkill to argue for Lisp in this case? What factors
might help in making this decision?
Jonathon McKitrick <···········@bigfoot.com> wrote:
+---------------
| It's a MySQL based application that will generate pdf reports based on
| user selections of various input record combinations. To date, a
| similar app has been done in php, and the clients are happy with it.
| Would it be overkill to argue for Lisp in this case?
+---------------
What is PHP using to generate the PDF reports? Is it calling
an external processing program? Remember that CL-PDF[1] or
CL-Typesetting[2] can run in the same Lisp image as your web
server, and not have to fork/exec a separate external process.
If that matters to you...
-Rob
[1] <http://www.cliki.net/CL-PDF>
[2] <http://www.cliki.net/cl-typesetting>
-----
Rob Warnock <····@rpw3.org>
627 26th Avenue <URL:http://rpw3.org/>
San Mateo, CA 94403 (650)572-2607
Rob Warnock wrote:
> Jonathon McKitrick <···········@bigfoot.com> wrote:
> +---------------
> | It's a MySQL based application that will generate pdf reports based on
> | user selections of various input record combinations. To date, a
> | similar app has been done in php, and the clients are happy with it.
> | Would it be overkill to argue for Lisp in this case?
> +---------------
>
> What is PHP using to generate the PDF reports? Is it calling
> an external processing program? Remember that CL-PDF[1] or
> CL-Typesetting[2] can run in the same Lisp image as your web
> server, and not have to fork/exec a separate external process.
> If that matters to you...
Right now, there is a php class I am using for generating the pdf
output. This is not a high-volume site, but I'm the only developer,
and it will become more complex with time. So the question is whether
or not php is good enough, or whether it would make sense to switch to
Lisp before it gets much bigger.
On 2006-01-04, Rob Warnock <····@rpw3.org> wrote:
> Jonathon McKitrick <···········@bigfoot.com> wrote:
> +---------------
>| It's a MySQL based application that will generate pdf reports based on
>| user selections of various input record combinations. To date, a
>| similar app has been done in php, and the clients are happy with it.
>| Would it be overkill to argue for Lisp in this case?
> +---------------
>
> What is PHP using to generate the PDF reports? Is it calling
> an external processing program? Remember that CL-PDF[1] or
> CL-Typesetting[2] can run in the same Lisp image as your web
> server, and not have to fork/exec a separate external process.
> If that matters to you...
I'm curious about something here...
Currently I'm using python with reportlab to generate dynamic
pdf documents.
Does lisp have such a feature?
If so, pointers to docs or URLs would be most welcome.
Thanks
tj
--
Tim Johnson <···@johnsons-web.com>
http://www.alaska-internet-solutions.com
Tim Johnson wrote:
> On 2006-01-04, Rob Warnock <····@rpw3.org> wrote:
>
>>Jonathon McKitrick <···········@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>>+---------------
>>| It's a MySQL based application that will generate pdf reports based on
>>| user selections of various input record combinations. To date, a
>>| similar app has been done in php, and the clients are happy with it.
>>| Would it be overkill to argue for Lisp in this case?
>>+---------------
>>
>>What is PHP using to generate the PDF reports? Is it calling
>>an external processing program? Remember that CL-PDF[1] or
>>CL-Typesetting[2] can run in the same Lisp image as your web
>>server, and not have to fork/exec a separate external process.
>>If that matters to you...
>
>
> I'm curious about something here...
> Currently I'm using python with reportlab to generate dynamic
> pdf documents.
>
> Does lisp have such a feature?
> If so, pointers to docs or URLs would be most welcome.
> Thanks
> tj
>
google cl-pdf. not sure if that is what reportlab is, but there ya go.
kt
Tim Johnson wrote:
>
> I'm curious about something here...
> Currently I'm using python with reportlab to generate dynamic
> pdf documents.
>
> Does lisp have such a feature?
For dynamic generation of static PDF documents, CL-PDF plus
CL-Typesetting would occupy a fairly similar niche in lisp-land to
Python ReportLab.
Since you are familiar with ReportLab:
CL-PDF would be nearish ReportLab's "pdfgen" &co. low-level modules and
CL-Typesetting would be nearish ReportLab's "platypus" &co. high-level
modules.
But if you mean features that do anything to ease the dynamic generation
of "dynamic PDF" documents [1] i.e. ones with validated forms to fill
out and various embedded ecmascript tricks ("AcroJS"), the PDF analogue
of "Dynamic HTML", I'm not sure CL-PDF has anything much in that
department (or whether ReportLab has...).
[1] http://www.planetpdf.com/developer/article.asp?ContentID=6622
"Tim Johnson" <···@johnsons-web.com> wrote
>
> I'm curious about something here...
> Currently I'm using python with reportlab to generate dynamic
> pdf documents.
>
> Does lisp have such a feature?
> If so, pointers to docs or URLs would be most welcome.
> Thanks
cl-pdf is a low level pdf file generation.
cl-typesetting is a higher level TeX quality typesetting engine build on cl-pdf.
An example pdf file generated with cl-typesetting/cl-pdf:
http://www.fractalconcept.com/ex.pdf
The cl-pdf page in the Common Lisp Directory:
http://www.cl-user.net/asp/sdataWwAvDQ3ZORpX8yBX8yBXnMq=/b
The cl-typesetting page in the Common Lisp Directory:
http://www.cl-user.net/asp/sdataWwAvDQ3tRGpX8yBX8yBXnMq=/b
Marc
On 2006-01-07, Marc Battyani <·············@fractalconcept.com> wrote:
>
> "Tim Johnson" <···@johnsons-web.com> wrote
<snip...>
>
> cl-pdf is a low level pdf file generation.
> cl-typesetting is a higher level TeX quality typesetting engine build on cl-pdf.
>
> An example pdf file generated with cl-typesetting/cl-pdf:
> http://www.fractalconcept.com/ex.pdf
>
> The cl-pdf page in the Common Lisp Directory:
> http://www.cl-user.net/asp/sdataWwAvDQ3ZORpX8yBX8yBXnMq=/b
>
> The cl-typesetting page in the Common Lisp Directory:
> http://www.cl-user.net/asp/sdataWwAvDQ3tRGpX8yBX8yBXnMq=/b
Hey, that's good news.
Thanks to Marc and the other posters who answered my
question.
cheers
tim
--
Tim Johnson <···@johnsons-web.com>
http://www.alaska-internet-solutions.com