[reportlab-users] ReportLab vs LaTex

[Warvin Barker]

Hi Time!

I want to thank you for taking the time to think about this and write such an extensive reply.  Your comments will definitely assist us in making a decision.

Have a VERY happy holiday season and I hope that 2007 is excellent for you and yours!

Sincerely,

-Warren




----- Original Message -----
From: timr at probo.com
Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 11:23 pm
Subject: Re: [reportlab-users] ReportLab vs LaTex


> On Tue, Dec 26, 2006 at 09:43:24PM -0800, crp2006 at shaw.ca wrote:

> > 

> > Our workplace may be able to use ReportLab's properties to good 

> avail.  We

> > have committed to being a Python shop, so that fits.  We do some 

> publishing> that involves basically the same text (minor changes 

> every 6 months, say)

> > but detailed database queries that we need to run into tables 

> and graphs

> > (ReportLab has some very nice graphical facilities!).

> > 

> > We might need indices and bibliographies - are there ReportLab 

> facilities> for that sort of thing?  How do these compare to LaTex?

> > How about mathematical equations and other math typesetting?  Is 

> there> support for that (it isn't necessary, but it might be handy 

> so I threw that

> > in. . .).

> 

> You can DO all of these things in both packages, although they 

> aren't 

> equally easy.  I was going to reply that LaTeX and ReportLab are 

> really 

> aimed at two different problem domains, but I eventually decided that

> wasn't quite true.

> 

> With LaTeX, you just enter text, and the existing LaTeX macros 

> decide how 

> they should be placed on the page.  With ReportLab, you place each 

> itemyourself, at precisely the location you want it.  ReportLab 

> works at a

> lower level than LaTeX.  The basic ReportLab package is 

> essentially a

> friendly wrapper around PostScript.

> 

> Of course, the real situation is not that clear-cut.  ReportLab 

> includesPlatypus, which does provide word-wrapping and flowables.

> 

> Remember that LaTeX produces a format that has to be converted to PDF.

> Reportlab produces PDF directly.

> 

> > How about just plain text formatting?  Are the results 

> comparable to LaTex?

> 

> Results in what sense?  In many ways, ReportLab gives you much 

> more control

> over your output than LaTeX.  LaTeX has a vast set of formatting 

> rules, and

> if your project wants to vary from those rules, life is very 

> difficult.With ReportLab, everything is under your control.  On 

> the other hand, with

> ReportLab, you have to worry about a lot of details that LaTeX 

> handles for

> you.

> 

> > It would be possible to use ReportLab to do some database 

> queries, snag the

> > numbers and then spit out the -always-the-same LaTex code and 

> start the pdf

> > creation process. . .   Is this a silly route to take?

> 

> Yes.  ReportLab doesn't have anything to do with databases.  It's 

> quitepossible to use Python code to query a database and generate 

> LaTeX code,

> but you couldn't feed ReportLab's output into LaTeX.

> 

> > Thanks for any input on this!  Without being an expert in both 

> systems it is

> > impossible to really have an accurate idea as to what might be best.

> 

> It depends on your expertise.  If your group is comfortable with 

> LaTeX, it

> would probably be expedient to generate LaTeX, and let the LaTeX tools

> produce your PDF.  If your group is comfortable with Python and knows

> something about PDF files, then it might behoove you to dig into 

> ReportLab.-- 

> Tim Roberts, timr at probo.com

> Providenza & Boeklheide, Inc.

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