[reportlab-users] adding a digital signature when generating a pdf

[Andy Robinson]

On 18/04/07, Stéphan Geulette <stephan.geulette at uvcw.be> wrote:

>

> Hi all,

>

> I haven't seen in the documentation the signature support.

>

> Someone knows if it is planned ?

>

> There are two different functionnalities :

> - signing directly the generated pdf

> - adding of a tag in the generated pdf to authorize the signing with adobe

> reader (version >= 7)

>

> Different countries (Belgium, Spain, Estony, ...) have adopted the digital

> identity card containing authentication and signature certificates but no

> free solutions exist to generate signed pdf and/or pdf requiring the adding

> of a signature with the reader plugin.

>

> A good opportunity for reportlab ??


The reason there are no free solutions is that (a) it's a lot of work,
and (b) if it's free then there is no return on the time invested!
Last time I looked, we estimated it would take a few months work and
would involve dealing with a number of different signature systems
from different vendors, many of whom charge money for the
specifications.  It's also much harder doing the first open source
implementation, as there are no working references to, er, study.
So there's no immediate prospect of it being implemented by ReportLab
staff.

As always, if someone wants this badly and is willing to implement it,
we would happily work with them and include the feature; and if an
organisation needs it for a project, we could quote for that work.

Best Regards,


Andy Robinson
CEO/Chief Architect
ReportLab Europe Ltd.
+44-20-8544-8049