Re^2: External font with PDF::API2::Simple

[Iceman1]

Thank you keszler, I have changed that but now I get a different error message:
Can't call method "text" without a package or object reference at /usr/share/perl5/PDF/API2/Simple.pm line 435.
I have included adjusted test code below.

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict "vars";
use PDF::API2::Simple;

# Start new PDF
    my $page_number = 1;
    my $pdf = PDF::API2::Simple->new(
        file => 'test.pdf',
        header => \&header,
        footer => \&footer
        );
# Set a custom font
    my $font_obj = $pdf->pdf->ttfont('FreeMono.ttf');
    $pdf->add_font('MonoFont',$font_obj);
# Add a page to the PDF
    $pdf->add_page();
# Insert some text
    # Set text color
        $pdf->fill_color( '#000000' );
    for (my $i = 0; $i < 35; $i++) {
        my $text = "$i - Example text";
        $pdf->text(
        $text,
        x => $pdf->margin_left,
        autoflow => 'on'
        );
    }
# Save PDF to disk
    $pdf->save();

[zentara]

Have you read closely the perldoc for the module?

 You can optionally pass a font object and font size if you have loade
+d an external font.

         my $font_obj = $pdf->pdf->ttfont('new_font.ttf');
         $pdf->add_font('NewFont', $font_obj, '12');

       Refer to PDF::API2 for the various font methods, like "ttfont",
+ available.

Just from that, it appears that your $pdf->add_font('MonoFont',$font_obj); needs a font size specification added.

Furthermore, looking through the examples in PDF::API2, there are code constructs like

# from examples/*02_truetype_fonts-pl 

        foreach $fe (qw(
                adobe-standard  cp437   cp850   latin1
        )) {
                print STDERR "$fn ($fe)\n";
                $font=$pdf->ttfont($fn , -encode =>$fe);



# from examples/*02_synthetic_fonts-pl 

use PDF::API2;
use PDF::API2::SynFont;

$pdf=PDF::API2->new;

$f1=$pdf->corefont('Arial',-encode=>'latin1');
$f2=$pdf->corefont('Helvetica-Bold',-encode=>'latin1');
$f3=$pdf->corefont('Helvetica-Oblique',-encode=>'latin1');
$f4=$pdf->corefont('Helvetica-BoldOblique',-encode=>'latin1');

my $font=PDF::API2::SynFont->new_api($pdf,$f1,-bold=>4);

so you may need to specify an encoding, or at least run some simple examples to see how to get your font code right.

[Speedy G]

I'd like to clarify this thread since it wasn't conclusive, and it's the only thread that I found with this issue. I stumbled upon the same issue, and the documentation isn't clear. First PDF::API2::Simple does NOT support different encoding other than the default 8-bit encoding. PDF::API2 does support unicode, but you cannot load a corefont to the PDF and then do add it using $PDF->add_font() since it's a PDF::API2::Simple method, and it can't handle different encodings. PDF::API2::Simple only allows you to load external fonts, but only with 8 bit encoding. To use different encodings you have to use the full PDF::API2 module. The best doc for a pdf newb that I found was the following: http://pdfapi2.sourceforge.net/pdfapi2_for_fun_and_profit_APW2005.pdf Cheers, Speedy G

[Ruilong Deng]

I have suffered the issue for adding Chinese font to my PDF document, i tried with the tutorial of the model, and it worked perfectly. But we need to put the add_font method after add_page(), otherwise the error will be same as we mentioned in this thread. Here is my code.

use PDF::API2::Simple;

use Encode;
use Gaia::Common::Utils;

my $pdf = PDF::API2::Simple->new(
    file => 'root/tmp/foo.pdf',
    width => 595,
    height => 842
);

my $font = $pdf->pdf->ttfont('root/statics/font/stsong.ttf');

$pdf->add_page();
$pdf->add_font('', $font, '12' ); # note this line need to be after ab
+ove line.

$str = "欢迎进入Perl的世界 H
+ello World";
$str = decode("utf-8", $str);
#$str = encode("utf-8", $str);
# Count
$pdf->text(
    $str,
    x           => 100,
    y           => 700,
    font_size   => 12,
);

$pdf->save();

[zentara]

Speedy G Thanks for reporting your findings, it certainly helps us understand what is going on..

[Iceman1]

Hi zentara
Thanks for the reply.
I have studied the perl doc extensively but have not been able to work it out.

I missed that but as per your notes and their example, I have added a font size but still get the same error:



    my $font_obj = $pdf->pdf->ttfont('freemono.ttf');
    $pdf->add_font('MonoFont',$font_obj,12);

Can't call method "text" without a package or object reference at /usr
+/share/perl5/PDF/API2/Simple.pm line 435.

The subroutine in Simple.pm that has line 435 is:

sub add_font {
  my ($self, $font_name, $font_obj, $font_size) = @_;

  if ( $font_obj ) {
LINE 435 --> $self->current_page->text->font($font_obj, $font_size);
    $self->fonts->{$font_name} = $font_obj;
  }

  if ( ! exists $self->fonts->{$font_name} ) {
    $self->fonts->{$font_name} = $self->pdf->corefont($font_name);
  }

  $self->current_font( $self->fonts->{$font_name} );
}

I have been unable to see where I'm going wrong.
I presume that what PDF::API2::Simple sends to PDF::API2 is already coded within PDF::API2::Simple, so I figured their example should be all that is needed for it to work?

Would you have any other suggestions that would help track it down or do you think I am missimg something with the above?
I would appreciate any help you could offer with this very frustrating problem.

[zentara]

Why not go back to PDF::API2 ? because the simple has left PDF::API2::Simple. :-)

This works for me with a generic ttf font

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use PDF::API2;

my $text = "Some text ";

my $pdf  = PDF::API2->new();
my $page = $pdf->page;
my $txt = $page->text;


#my $font = $pdf->corefont('Helvetica-Bold', -encoding => 'latin1');
# alternatively, use TrueType fonts:
# my $font = $pdf->ttfont('Verdana-Bold.ttf', -encoding => 'latin1');
my $font = $pdf->ttfont('./Generic.ttf', -encoding => 'latin1');    
    
$txt->font($font, 25);
$txt->translate(200, 550);
$txt->fillcolor('black');
$txt->text($text);

$pdf->saveas("$0.pdf");