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Subject:Re: PDF to HTML From:"Higgins, Lisa" <LHiggins -at- CARRIERACCESS -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 26 Aug 1999 10:30:37 -0600
Ouch. The gohtm.com thing is a service of the people who make Magellan,
which is a PDF-to-HTML tool. I am assuming that it's using the same
conversion technique as the tool they sell.
The files it produces look really nice--on the latest browser (not
browser*s*--you can optimize it for Internet Explorer or Netscape, not
both)--on a 20" monitor--with the browser maximized on your screen.
The files are garbage, though. They do use CSS for the IE versions of their
files, but they use the powers of CSS for evil. They create a separate style
for *each* *line* *of* *text*. Of course, they use absolute positioning as
well, just to ensure that each line remains a 'line.' What this means to
your files is that, if your input has twelve point type and lines that are,
say, seven inches long, the HTML output will have twelve point type with 7"
long lines--even on a laptop.
Depending on the environment, your users may not be able to read them at
all.
Frankly, I think the only dependable way to convert PDFs is to retype them
and mark them up. PDFs are designed to be difficult to maintain (or reverse
engineer), so you've got a serious stumbling block right off the bat.
Regardless, I would strongly recommend that you do not use the Magellan
tool.
