We began the journey towards the 2.0.0 release over two years ago with a goal of making this converter more accurate, easier to extend, and more thoroughly documented. It all started with #789. The result has turned out to be better than anything we could have hoped for. We never thought it would include basic support for image floats, and yet here we are. And despite all the changes, this release is backwards compatible with all existing themes and extended converters written for 1.6.x.
PDF, and printable documents in general, present what often feels like a bottomless pit of requirements. By providing a more robust framework, the hope is that users will be able to build on it to serve their own needs rather than having to wait and lobby for changes to the converter itself. The extended converter use cases page in the new docs highlights just how far this converter can be stretched to accommodate those needs. (If you look close, you can even find a recipe for applying a multi-column layout).
Getting the converter to work this way led to solutions for hundreds of open issues, 222 to be exact. With > 2,000 tests riding in on > 1,500 new commits means this converter is far more stable than it has ever been in the past. The converter is well-tested, better organized, and sufficiently documented. And while it still has limitations, that list has been cut down substantially.
This release marks a switch to semantic versioning and leaner releases in the future. Although this software is now very stable, the release also marks a shift in strategy to begin exploring other approaches to producing PDF documents, most likely by leveraging web technologies. We have pushed this PDF generation library well beyond its limits and intended use. To take this conversion further, new solutions are needed. We're leaving this repository in a state where it can continue to be maintained within the boundaries of what it currently provides. We wouldn't go so far as to call it maintenance mode, but maintenance will certainly become the focus.
Distribution
Changelog
For a more complete list of enhancements, improvements, and bug fixes that are included in this major milestone, see the What's New page in the documentation.
Improvements
- use more stable approach to recreating current bounds in scratch document
- add foundation to support multi-column layout for the body of an article (using an extended converter only)
Release meta
Released on: 2022-05-18
Released by: @mojavelinux
Release beer: 🎄 St. Bernardus Christmas Ale by St. Bernardus
Logs: resolved issues | full diff
Credits
A huge shout out to Sarah White (@graphitefriction) for collecting the raw materials of docs scattered throughout the repository and elsewhere and organizing them into a documentation component in the Asciidoctor documentation site. Not only do those docs make Asciidoctor PDF more approachable for new users, they also make the task of supporting all users a lot easier.
A very special thanks to all the awesome supporters of the Asciidoctor OpenCollective campaign who provided critical funding for the development of this release as well as ongoing development of the project.