Print Template Markup

Overview

serviceminder.io employs XML for mocking up automated and ad hoc Print Templates. The set of available tags is limited, yet allow for a large amount of flexibility with the right approach.

Introduction to XML

XML models content after a series of descriptive tags, further described by optional attributes. Every tag must be opened and closed, either with a separate open and close tag or a self-closing tag. They must also each begin with a capital letter. Consider the following as a general pattern for each element:

<Tag attribute-1="value" attribute-2="value">Content</Tag>

    or

<Tag attribute-1="value" attribute-2="value" />

Each print template may begin with the following in order to establish the document's encoding:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

Following this, the body of the template can be opened with a

<Page>

<Page>

<Newpage />

XML-style comments do not appear in the rendered PDF and allow you to place helpful notes by your code.

<Cell height="40">{{ model.description | xml_encode }}</Cell> <!-- Displays the XML-encoded description -->

Tags and Attributes

Page

The Page element encompasses the entire body of the document.

Supported attributes:

margin-top="5"

padding-top="5"

Newpage

The Newpage element breaks the current page of the document and jumps to the next. If no content follows the Newpage element, a blank page will be placed at the end of the document. This element takes no attributes and is self-closing.

Font

The Font element defines a new font that can be used by other elements by matching the font-name attribute to the name attribute on the font.

CSS font properties can be used as individual XML attributes. Instead of

style="font-family: arial;"

font-family="arial"

Supported attributes:

String/Phrase

The String and Phrase elements contain text and do not break the line when closed.

Supported attributes:

Paragraph

The Paragraph element contains text and breaks the line when closed.

Supported attributes:

Image

The Image element allows for the insertion of both foreground and background images. This tag is self-closing, e.g.

<Image />

Supported attributes:

src="https://example.com/image.jpg"

layer="background"

Tables

The Table element allows you to organize content into rows and columns. It is one of the most powerful elements available and one that takes some practice to master.

Within each table declaration, you should define a section for columns, at least one column in that section, a section for cells, and at least one cell.

Example table with all possible attributes:

<Table width="525" align="center" cell-borders="0">

  <Columns>
    
    <Column width="1" />
    
    <Column width="2" />
    
  </Columns>
  
  <Cells>
  
    <Cell colspan="2" font-name="small-font" line-height="12" border-top="5" border-left="0" border-right="0" border-bottom="5">This cell will span both columns, have a small font, a larger line height, and 5pt borders on the top and bottom.</Cell>

    <Cell height="40" /> <!-- This cell will leave the first column empty, with a maximum cell height of 40pts -->
    
    <Cell>This cell will be in the second column</Cell>
    
  </Cells>
  
</Table>

Supported attributes:

Columns

The Columns element simply contains the individual column definitions of a table. It takes no attributes.

Column

The Column element defines the individual columns within a table. Each column defined contributes to the total number of cells needed to fill a row. A column's width is not absolute. It represents a fraction of the table's total width, meaning that three columns given any equivalent width will each occupy a third of the table's width. One column of width 20 and one column of width 40 means that the first column will be one third of the table's width and the second column will be two thirds of the table's width.

Cells

The Cells element simply contains the individual cell definitions of a table. It takes no attributes.

Cell

The Cell element positions content within a row and column of a table. It may contain text or any single element, but not both. It may also self-close and act as a spacer or separator if given a border.

Supported attributes: