Exports
IT culture
Choice of format to communicate a document
There are three main categories of formats for communicating a document:
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Fixed, so-called vector formats
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Image formats, known as bitmap.
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Repostionnable formats
With a repostionnable format, the document will be readapted on the fly depending on the size of the device used to read it.
This gives better reading comfort, as the reader can easily optimize the presentation according to their reading device and visual abilities, but assumes not too complex a layout for the automatic adaptation to work satisfactorily.
The most famous examples of repostionnable formats are the various formats of word processors such as .doc or .odt, the HTML format of websites, and the formats of e-readers such as ePub.
Fixed formats (vector)
The layout of the document is fixed, but the content is provided as a series of graphical instructions.
The advantage of such a document is that it allows a very sophisticated layout, as in the written press reviews.
On the other hand, when the layout is very sophisticated, we can encounter rendering defects that are not identical on different devices.
The best known vector format is PDF.
Image formats (bitmap)
This is a photo of the document.
The main advantage of using a photo format is to have no limit on the complexity of the layout, and no risk of rendering fault.
On the other hand, an image format always presents a slight blur, the greater the lower the resolution used to produce it.
The most popular bitmap formats are JPEG and PNG.
What format to choose to communicate my document
If the recipient must be able to modify or rework the document, then a word processing format will be used, namely .odt if the recipient is well equipped, .doc otherwise.
For a read-only document:
If the layout is simple (which is always the case with a Storga document), that it takes a long time to read, and that we know that the recipient is well equipped, we will favor the ePub format which will give the best reading comfort.
Otherwise, we will choose the PDF format.
Archive a document for the very long term
We will favor the 'website for archiving' option of the Storga export, which produces a ZIP archive file containing the document encoded in the form of a static website, i.e. viewable with a simple browser, more original files eg for retouched images.
This is the best option to ensure that the content can be re-used in the distant future.
Export without programming
The data stored in Storga can easily be extracted from it. You can export a block or a selection of blocks from a page, an entire page, or a whole part of the site (current page with all its sub-pages).
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The 'Export' button is accessible via the icon opposite in the left menu in 'Organize' mode.
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Eight types of export are available:
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text in clipboard
To copy and paste in another application for example
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HTML file
this is the format to use to embed part of a Storga text in another application while keeping part of the layout.
When the application does not correctly incorporate HTML, we will fall back on text export.
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static website
makes the selected items available as a local site; only files with a download button are attached
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website for archiving
same as static website with original files if applicable (not just viewing); for example a photo will appear edited, but the unedited file will also be available.
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import for printing via LibreOffice
HTML file suitable for opening in LibreOffice to allow retouching before final printing
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PDF
if we remember to fill in the field 'Document title for the footer' when launching the export, then we get a very clean PDF file, with table of contents, as well as title and page number at the bottom of each page.
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ePub
it is the standardized file format for electronic books.
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In view mode, the 'Print' button exports the current page in PDF format, then opens the file with the workstation's PDF viewer.
This is therefore a more direct and more limited version than the 'Export' button seen previously.
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Finally, the 'Status' block has an 'Export CSV' button in its context menu.
The configuration of this export is described in the documentation of the 'Status' block.
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→ Documentation of the 'Status' block
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Export by program
See the 'export_as_file' instruction in the article on handling files.