Simple PDF Solution; "Gostscript" -> Developer Needed

[ivan_holmes]

Qpdf already supports linking with normal jpeglib so you shouldn't have many problems with that part, at least.

[OS923]

From https://sourceforge.net/projects/qpdf/files/contrib/vc6/

Code: [Select]

This area contains a port of qpdf to make it build with Microsoft
Visual C++ version 6.0.  This port has been generously provided by
Jian Ma <[email protected]> who has agreed to allow them to
distributed under the same terms as qpdf.  I am grateful for his
contribution.

VC6 is too old to support qpdf directly, but only minor modifications
were required to make it work.
If they can make it work in Visual C++ 6 then we have a good chance that it will work on OS 9. It uses the standard templates library and I didn't see includes of missing files.

The main problem is that the downloads (qpdf, libjpeg and zlib) contain much clutter, make files, test files, test programs, cryptic file names and file names that are too long for OS 9 and that everything should be ordered and linked as 3 libraries with test programs.

[OS923]

I linked libjpeg and zlib. Qpdf uses templates that I don't have. Which version of STL would they use?

[OS923]

See solution in attachment.

[adespoton]

To go down a completely different route, has anyone investigated the open source javascript PDF viewer bundled in the likes of Firefox?  This would be post-classilla, but as the code is available, maybe it works with a javascript runtime that'll run in OS 9?  It might also be something that could be ported to C++ or MacPython.

This would have the added benefit that it supports modern PDF versions and just ignores the objects (encrypted forms, etc.) that it can't handle, instead of refusing to open the PDF at all.

[OS923]

In my experience it would require Java that is too sophisticated for OS 9.

I wouldn't recommend Qpdf either because when I link it as a static library or if I try to separate it from the console then I get weird bugs, which indicates that this software isn't kosher. I won't include this in OS 9.3.

[ivan_holmes]

See solution in attachment.

I've only just seen this - thought I had notifications on for this thread. Anyway, I checked it out and it looks very useful, will have to look in more detail sometime.

To go down a completely different route, has anyone investigated the open source javascript PDF viewer bundled in the likes of Firefox?

My gut instinct is that this will be too difficult - I doubt a suitable JS runtime exists.

[Mat]

I'm actually working on a PDF Viewer for Mac OS 9 that can open modern PDF's.
… but I will probably post something about it soon :)

I do not intend to create any pressure! I just like to suggest to think about having the program ready when we celebrate the 10th aniversary of this thread. ;)

[Knezzen]

I'm actually working on a PDF Viewer for Mac OS 9 that can open modern PDF's.
… but I will probably post something about it soon

I do not intend to create any pressure! I just like to suggest to think about having the program ready when we celebrate the 10th aniversary of this thread.

I actually dropped this after OS923 pointed out the Unicode stuff to me. I don't really know where the sources are now, but I can have a look.
Quite sure they are horrible