ReportLab Binder: Documentation

This page describes how to create URLs which either generate a specific document or link to a pre-expanded or pre-populated brochure creation page

I. Direct Document Generation API

URLs requesting any document can be systematically built up following a few quick steps:

Name	Slug	Section ID	Abstract	Mandatory
{{s.name}}	{{s.slug}}	{{s.id}}	{%if s.abstract%}x{%endif%}	{%if s.mandatory%}x{%endif%}

Type the root - this will stay the same for any given document and is the URL of the public facing search page followed by /api/?. For this particular document, the root is:

http://binder.ebrochures.org/brochure/doc-name/api/?

Define the sections to be included as a comma separated list after the root; possible values are given in the table below. Sections marked "mandatory" will always be included and including a section marked "abstract" will include every section within it. An example of a document with just the short programmes and masters degrees sections would be:

{%for s in sections%} {%if s.abstract%} http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/api/?sections=short-programmes,masters-degrees {%endif%} {%endfor%}

Define any extra text fields that are supported in the document template, including title, subtitle, blurb, header, footer, and reference. Separate each piece of the URL with the "&" symbol. For example, to add a custom title and subtitle to the above document:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/api/?sections=short-programmes,masters-degrees&title=BPP Law Brochure&subtitle=Customised for John Smith

Define the "disposition" (the way in which the document is served). Possible values are:
- inline - return PDF content inline (open in pdf viewer inside browser) - this is the default.
- attachment - return PDF content as an attachment
- html - returns a html page with a link to the document
- url (lower case) - returns text of the document URL
- flip_book - returns a redirect to flash 'flipbook' version of the document
- email - attaches the document to an email and sends it. Takes the following additional parameters:
For example, to send the above document in an email with a custom subject:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/api/?sections=short-programmes,masters- degrees&title=BPP Law Brochure&subtitle=Customised for John Smith&disposition=email&email_to=john.smith@sampleemail.com&subject=John's BPP brochure

Or to download it directly:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/api/?sections=short-programmes,masters- degrees&title=BPP Law Brochure&subtitle=Customised for John Smith&disposition=attachment

II. Selection Page

Similarly, URLs can be constructed which link to the brochure creation page and define its initial appearance:

Start with root; this will be the URL of the brochure creation page followed by /?. For this document, it would be:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/?

Define which headings are initially expanded in a comma separated list:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/?expanded=short-programes,masters-degrees

Define which sections are pre-checked in a comma separated list:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/?expanded=short-programmes,masters-degrees&sections=summer-school,ma-law-with-business

Control which download options are displayed and which is selected initially; possible values are
- 'download' or 1
- 'flip_book' or 2
- 'email' or 3
So to serve the above document with only download of flip-book options and flip-book initially selected:

http://bpp.ebrochures.org/brochure/law/?expanded=short-programmes,masters-degrees§ions=summer-school,ma-law-with-business&download_display=download,flip_book&download_option=flip_book



III. Other Useful URLS

http://<domain>/brochure/<documentName>/help/


This page.  General documentation; also lists the available sections
for <documentName>

http://<domain>/brochure/<documentName>/sections
Returns a plain text JSON listing of the available sections for <documentName>



Available sections for document '{{pdf.name}}


    {%for s in sections%}
    
    {%endfor%}

    
        Name
        Slug
        Section ID
        Abstract
        Mandatory
    

        
            {{s.name}}
        
        
            {{s.slug}}
        
        
            {{s.id}}
        
        
            {%if s.abstract%}x{%endif%}
        
        
            {%if s.mandatory%}x{%endif%}
        
    


Key:

	Name: the name of the section as it will appear on the selection page
Slug: a unique identifying string for a section
Section ID: a unique identifying number for a section
Abstract:  Signifies that this section has no content of its own but is a container section.  A mandatory section contains all the sections listed below it until the next mandatory section is defined.
Mandatory: Signifies that this section will always appear in the output document.  This section (or any sections it contains, if it's an abstract section) will be listed on the selection page but it will not be possible to deselect it.

Click here for a listing of sections in JSON format.