PDF report with embedded HTML

Question

We have a Java-based system that reads data from a database, merges individual data fields with preset XSL-FO tags and converts the result to PDF w

Answer 1

The best way to troubleshoot is to use a validating viewer/editor to examine the XSL FO. Many (such as oXygen) will show you errors in XSL FO structure as you open them and they will describe the issue (just as the error reported).

In your case, you obviously have an fo:table-body as a child of fo:block. It cannot be. An fo:table-body have but one valid parent, fo:table. You are either missing the fo:table tag or you have erroneously inserted an fo:block in this position.

In my opinion, I might do things slightly different. I would put the XHTML content inline into the XSL FO right where you want it. Then I would create an identity transform that copies over all the content that is fo-based, but converts the XHTML parts using XSL. This way, you can actually step that transform in an XSL editor like oXygen and see where errors occur and exactly why. Like any other degugger.

Note: You may wish to look at other XSLs also, especially if your HTML may have any style="" CSS attributes. If this is the case it is not simple HTML, then you will need a better method for processing the HTML with CSS to FO.

http://www.cloudformatter.com/css2pdf is based on this complete transform. That general stylesheet is available here: http://xep.cloudformatter.com/doc/XSL/xeponline-fo-translate-2.xsl

I am the author of that stylesheet. It does much more than you ask, but has a fairly complex parsing recursion for converting CSS styling into XSL FO attributes.