Idea: use Writer docs interchangeable with Python Jinja

[endyion]

Hi,

I have a lot of writer documents, that have forms or template variables in it.
Often I exported a PDF file and put it on my website, so it can be filled out online and printed.
Multiple of my documents have different base layouts in common and I want to bring them alive online to have it like a online form that can be issued with pre-filled data out of a database.
So my first thought was doing it with python and the templating engine Jinja. Later that can easily be integrated/upgraded to a running website by Django or Flask.

I’m trying to find a way, to have only one file and use it in both worlds. One file to edit them all.
Or at least a type of conversion that can easily be exported and consumed by python.
LibreOffice Online powered by Collabora Online Development Edition uses XML files already, right? So maybe there lays a starting point.

Anyone is already doing this or have similar needs and can think of a way to achieve this?

Thanks for your input.

[mikekaganski]

@endyion

LibreOffice Online powered by Collabora Online Development Edition uses XML files already, right?

What do you mean? Collabora Online doesn’t use any special kind of XML file; it uses ODF (or other usual supported file types) stored on server.

[endyion]

Doesn’t exchange it information transported over http by xml? How can otherwise the ODF file being displayed by the browsers?

[mikekaganski]

@endyion

Doesn’t exchange it information transported over http by xml?

No.

@endyion

How can otherwise the ODF file being displayed by the browsers?

The browser receives a series of bitmaps (tiles), similar to e.g. online maps. The messages themselves between the browser and server use JSON (mostly).

[ajlittoz]

I’m afraid you have a misconception about Writer. Writer is intended to write (sophisticated) text making up a flow or stream of arguments. The form designer is a secondary tool provided to allow for “marginal” entry and interactivity.

Your goal reverses the paradigm, making form creation the primary objective, putting totally aside text flow management.

I understand (and approve) your request for common look/layout in your forms. Unfortunately, form controls are graphical objects. They cannot be styled. All you can do is design some generic form in a template file (initial contents) and this about all you can expect: no styles, no automatic update.

IMHO, you should look for a specific form generator. Someone has surely already created such a tool for Django or Flask. This will be less pain than trying to convert ODF (which contains much more than simply forms) to Python.