[reportlab-users] Page background image with Platypus?

[Erik Wickstrom]

I tried this approach - but I'm starting to get other problems:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/django/core/handlers/base.py"
in _real_get_response
  81. response = callback(request, *callback_args, **callback_kwargs)
File "/root/journal/gazette/views.py" in some_view
  101. doc.build(elements)

  AttributeError at /gazette/test/
  GazettePageTemplate instance has no attribute 'build'

This is my class so far:
class GazettePageTemplate(PageTemplate):
    def __init__(self, id, pageSize=defaultPageSize):
        self.pageWidth = pageSize[0]
        self.pageHeight = pageSize[1]
        frame1 = Frame(inch,
                       3*inch,
                       self.pageWidth - 2*inch,
                       self.pageHeight - 518, id='cover')
        PageTemplate.__init__(self, id, [frame1])  # note lack of onPage

    def beforeDrawPage(self, canv):
        self.canv.drawImage('/root/journal/gazette/paper1.png',0,0,8.5*inch,11*inch)

def some_view(request):
    response = HttpResponse(mimetype='application/pdf')
    response['Content-Disposition'] = 'attachment; filename=gorilla-gazette.pdf'

    buffer = StringIO()

    # Our container for 'Flowable' objects
    elements = []

    # A large collection of style sheets pre-made for us
    styles = getSampleStyleSheet()

    # A basic document for us to write to 'hello_platypus.pdf'
    #doc = SimpleDocTemplate(buffer)#'hello_platypus.pdf')
    doc = GazettePageTemplate(buffer)#'hello_platypus.pdf')
    doc.pagesize=landscape(letter)

    from reportlab.rl_config import defaultPageSize

    (MAXWIDTH, MAXHEIGHT) = defaultPageSize

    image = Image('/root/journal/gazette/paper1.png')
    print MAXWIDTH
    print MAXHEIGHT
    #elements.append(KeepInFrame(MAXWIDTH, MAXHEIGHT, [image]))
    elements.append(KeepInFrame(11*inch, 19*inch, [image]))
    # Create two 'Paragraph' Flowables and add them to our 'elements'
    elements.append(Paragraph("The Platypus", styles['Heading1']))
    elements.append(Paragraph("Very <i>Special</i>!", styles['Normal']))

    # Write the document to disk
    doc.build(elements)
    # Get the value of the StringIO buffer and write it to the response.
    pdf = buffer.getvalue()
    buffer.close()
    response.write(pdf)
    return response

Shouldn't the build method be inherited from PageTemplate?  What am I missing?

Thanks!
Erik


On 10/8/07, Andy Robinson <andy at reportlab.com> wrote:

> On 08/10/2007, Erik Wickstrom <erik at erikwickstrom.com> wrote:

> > I've try fiddling with the size parameters.  The largest I can get is with

> > about a 2 inch border around the image of blank page.  My text is also not

> > "layering" on top of the background image, it's being pushed onto the next

> > page instead.

> >

> > The actual dimensions of the image are 8.5x11 inches, so it should fit

> > perfectly.

> >

>

> Erik, sorry I missed this thread.    The discussion so far assumes you

> want a huge image as part of the story, but I think you want it as a

> background, like a watermark?

>

> Your best bet is to treat your background image as part of a

> PageTemplate, overriding the beforeDrawPage method.

>

> If you've been using SimpleDocTemplate so far, you may have missed

> this because it creates page templates for you.  It's best to directly

> use BaseDocTemplate and set it up with your own PageTemplates.

> There's some code in reportlab\tools\docco\rltemplate.py showing how

> we create a realistic document template with some custom page

> templates that 'do stuff' when drawn.    These ones user afterDrawPage

> to add a company address, but you are going to just call something

> like this...

>

> class EriksPageTemplate(PageTemplate):

> ...snip...

>     def beforeDrawPage(self, canv):

>         self.canv.drawImage("watermark.jpg", 0, 0, 8.5*in, 11*in)

>

> This is also the right way to do headers, footers and any other

> decoration of pages.

>

> If it only appears on some pages, you can have several page templates,

> and put in action flowables to switch to your template in the story

> before you need it.

>

> I hope this points you the right way.

>

>

> Andy Robinson

> CEO/Chief Architect

> ReportLab Europe Ltd.

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