[RndTbl] Page Layout

[Mike Pfaiffer]

Dan Martin wrote:
> I need to take a list of medications, display it on a screen which will 
> allow a user to edit the list, and print it in a number of different 
> forms (list for the patient, a hospital progress note, prescription 
> pads).  The printed forms have lines, etc, and could have geometric 
> figures such as a logo.  The input will likely be in XML.
> 
> The display could be done with XHTML.  The printed forms could be done 
> using LaTeX commands, but I imagine it would be painful to program.  I 
> could learn postscript.  I assume Acrobat's pdf is proprietary and 
> cannot be used.  I have heard of an XML based page layout language, and 
> such a solution would lend itself to an XSLT transformation.
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions?
> 

	Sort of a sideways step here... Assume a proportional font (fixed width 
for all characters). Would it be easier to create a graphic image?

	Alternatively, under M$ I was doing something for Treasury Board using 
Crystal Reports (wouldn't touch it again given a choice). There should 
be something similar for *NIX. You can set page size, place logos, set 
up a query to print out results for an individual record or many 
records. Input could be done interactively or through a database. Output 
can be done to a GUI or hardcopy. It's a quick and simple solution.

				Later
				Mike