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I successfully created a number of PNG files using chart, and I
successfully created my PDF file. Both look quite nice.

I did find, in the documentation of PDF::API2 the image functions
(e.g. my $png1 = $pdf->image_png("chart1.png"), but these do not
actually add the image to the current page. I have looked through all
the documentation I have for PDFs, including PDF::API2, but I do not
see anything about how to actually add the png file (which I assume is
read by "image_png") to a specific page.

I did find the following for PDF::Report

"$pdf->addImg($file, $x, $y);
"Add image $file to the current page at position ($x, $y).

"$pdf->addImgScaled($file, $x, $y, $scale);
"Add image $file to the current page at position ($x, $y) scaled to
$scale. "

But I didn't use PDF::Report, yet, so I am concerned that shifting to
it will break the code I have already written. I use PDF::Table for
much of my PDF file. Do you know if it plays nicely with
PDF::Report? I see PDF::Report is described as a wrapper for
PDF::API2, so I would have thought that there would be something like
'addImg' in the PDF::API2 API, but I don't see it there.

I am looking fo rthe path of least resistance to get these images
added to specific pages in my PDF.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ted

On Oct 23, 12:32*am, Christian Winter <thepoet_nos...@arcor.de> wrote:
> Ted Byers wrote:
> > I successfully created a number of PNG files using chart, and I
> > successfully created my PDF file. *Both look quite nice.
>
> > I did find, in the documentation of PDF::API2 the image functions
> > (e.g. my $png1 = $pdf->image_png("chart1.png"), but these do not
> > actually add the image to the current page. *I have looked through all
> > the documentation I have for PDFs, including PDF::API2, but I do not
> > see anything about how to actually add the png file (which I assume is
> > read by "image_png") to a specific page.
>
> > I did find the following for PDF::Report
>
> > "$pdf->addImg($file, $x, $y);
> > "Add image $file to the current page at position ($x, $y).
>
> > "$pdf->addImgScaled($file, $x, $y, $scale);
> > "Add image $file to the current page at position ($x, $y) scaled to
> > $scale. "
>
> > But I didn't use PDF::Report, yet, so I am concerned that shifting to
> > it will break the code I have already written. *I use PDF::Table for
> > much of my PDF file. *Do you know if it plays nicely with
> > PDF::Report? *I see PDF::Report is described as a wrapper for
> > PDF::API2, so I would have thought that there would be something like
> > 'addImg' in the PDF::API2 API, but I don't see it there.
>
> > I am looking fo rthe path of least resistance to get these images
> > added to specific pages in my PDF.
>
> You'll have to look into the docs for PDF::API2::Content for the
> image methods (a lot of important information is strewn all over
> the different modules that come with PDF::API2). Basically, the image
> is added to the graphics canvas, which you have to retrieve first.
>
> my $img = $pdf->image_png("chart1.png");
> my $gfx = $page->gfx;
> $gfx->image( $img, $posx, $posy );
>
> HTH
> -Chris- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks Chris. That is helpful. But now it appears that $gfx (I'd
guesed that $gfx, which I've seen a lot, was a canvas, but I have yet
to find the documentation of its interface) needs data that chart
doesn't appear to put into the png files it makes. For example, $gfx-
>image wants a height and width function/data member (which isn't
clear to me yet), the the image object returned by
'image_png("chart1.png");' doesn't have that. Providing a desired
width and height solves that, but then I find $gfx->image wants a name
from that object, and it isn't clear what that ought to be, what it is
used for, or how I can set it. There doesn't seem to be a way to pass
an arbitrary name as an argument. So I am lost as to what to do. I
don't know if the deficiency is in the png file my code produces using
Chart (these images are easily opened, without problems, by each of
the graphics packages I use for image editing), or if it is in how I
am using $gfx->image so far.

Thanks again

Ted

On Oct 23, 2:36*pm, Christian Winter <thepoet_nos...@arcor.de> wrote:
> Ted Byers wrote:
> > Thanks Chris. *That is helpful. *But now it appears that $gfx (I'd
> > guesed that $gfx, which I've seen a lot, was a canvas, but I have yet
> > to find the documentation of its interface) needs data that chart
> > doesn't appear to put into the png files it makes. *For example, $gfx-
> >> image wants a height and width function/data member (which isn't
> > clear to me yet), the the image object returned by
> > 'image_png("chart1.png");' doesn't have that. Providing a desired
> > width and height solves that, but then I find $gfx->image wants a name
> > from that object, and it isn't clear what that ought to be, what it is
> > used for, or how I can set it. *There doesn't seem to be a way to pass
> > an arbitrary name *as an argument. *So I am lost as to what to do. *I
> > don't know if the deficiency is in the png file my code produces using
> > Chart (these images are easily opened, without problems, by each of
> > the graphics packages I use for image editing), or if it is in how I
> > am using $gfx->image so far.
>
> When the image method dies and calls for a name, it's usually due
> to the passed variable not being a valid image object as returned
> by the $pdf->image_* methods (probably a typo). PNGs created by
> the Chart modules do work with PDF::API2. I've put together a
> small test script that produces the desired output here:
> ################################################## #############
> #!/usr/bin/perl
>
> use Chart::Lines;
> use PDF::API2;
> use strict;
> use warnings;
>
> # Chart Creation
>
> my @data = ([1999,2000,2001,2002],[1234,2344,3544,2345]);
>
> my $chart = Chart::Lines->new( 500, 300 );
> # The tick formatter you've asked for in your other message:
> $chart->set( 'f_x_tick' => \&years );
>
> $chart->png( "test.png", \@data );
>
> sub years {
> * * * * return "Yr " . shift;
>
> }
>
> # PDF Creation
>
> my $pdf = PDF::API2->new();
> $pdf->mediabox("A4");
>
> my $fnt = $pdf->corefont('Helvetica-Bold');
>
> my $page = $pdf->page;
>
> my $gfx = $page->gfx;
>
> $gfx->textlabel( 200, 750, $fnt, 20, "Chart PNGs Work!" );
>
> my $img = $pdf->image_png( "test.png" );
> $gfx->image( $img, 50, 400, 500, 300 );
>
> $pdf->saveas( "test.pdf" );
> __END__
> ################################################## #############
>
> -Chris- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

As Chris shows here, making a pdf is a step by step procedure that
builds on previous ones.

1st you make the "template":

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

Then you set the size of the pdf:

$pdf->mediabox("A4");

Then you add a page to the pdf:

my $page = $pdf->page;

Then you add a graphic "template" to the page:

my $gfx = $page->gfx;

Then you "load" the image:

my $img = $pdf->image_png( "test.png" );

And then apply this image to the graphic "template":

$gfx->image( $img, 50, 400, 500, 300 );

If you were making multiple, pages, you could now do another add page
and do things with it.

When you are finally done you save the pdf:

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

I work with PDF::API2 every day. It ia very powerful module if you
understand how it works.

Bill H