Changes

See also INFO/Changes_2025 for earlier version 3 release logs.

3.029     2026-09-10    UNRELEASED 
* = work in progress

  ==== New features

*   lib/PDF/Builder/Content/Column.pm
     Finish cross references for column() to support multiple passes, for
      forward references when the link text needs to be picked up later in
      the source.

*   lib/PDF/Builder/Content/Text.pm, lib/PDF/Builder/Content/Column.pm (new),
      lib/PDF/Builder/Content.pm, examples/Column.pl, MANIFEST, META.json,
      META.yml
     Split out column() and related routines into their own file. Refactor
      column() code to improve maintainability.

    tools/md2html.pl (new), MANIFEST
     A utility to convert .md (Markdown) files into .html (browser) files, which
      may be a more convenient way to view .md files than in an editor. Note 
      that Text::MultiMarkdown is required to be installed. Text::Markdown can
      be used in a pinch, but will not handle tables correctly.

    lib/PDF/Builder/Content.pm
     In addition to the existing positional parameter flags move, larc (larger),
      and dir (reverse), bogen() now permits option-style 'move'=>flag, 
      'larc'=>flag (or 'larger'=>flag), and 'dir'=>flag (or 'reverse'=>flag)
      in addition to, or instead of, the positional flags.

    Makefile.PL
     Remind user to check INFO/Prereq_fixes.md for information on problems
      with various prerequisite packages, and workarounds or fixes.

  ==== Bug fixes

*   lib/PDF/Builder/Content/Column.pm
     Fix problem with loss of vertical margin between bottom of a list
      and top of a paragraph.

    lib/PDF/Builder/Content/Column.pm
     Fix for #241, courtesy of "dracos" (M Somerville). Extra long words were
      not being split (basic hyphenation) after the first line of a paragraph.

    README.md, Makefile.PL, examples/Column.pl-042_links-055_outlines-
      055_outlines_multilevel-055_outlines_serial, contrib/pdf-optimize.pl,
      xt/kwalitee.t, devtools/PDFbuild.pl, tools/4_contrib.pl
     Describe how to run Perl programs on Linux and similar systems, as well
      as Windows systems. Add #!/usr/bin/perl hashbang line to scripts missing
      it (or change from #!/usr/local/bin/perl or #!perl). Add "perl" in front
      of ".pl" files run via system() within other Perl programs.

    README.md, INFO/RoadMap.md (renamed), INFO/Prereq_fixes.md
     Adjust formatting so that lists are not ended by paragraphs within list 
      items. Redo Road Map to list all the "to do" enhancements from various
      sources, all in one place, and change from plain text to Markdown. Add
      "perl" to system() commands when running .pl programs.

    lib/PDF/Builder.pm, lib/PDF/Builder/Outline.pm, 
      examples/055_outlines_serial (new),
      examples/055_outlines_multilevel (new), MANIFEST, examples/README, 
      examples/examples.output, tools/3_examples.pl
     Per #207, implement Vadim Repin's fix to permit adding additional outline
      entries to a document with existing outlines (was broken). Add a new 
      example (outlines_serial) to demonstrate, and add a new example 
      (outlines_multilevel) to show implementation of (already existing)
      two-level page outlines.

    lib/PDF/Builder.pm
     Per #228 Clarify in Builder.pm POD that ttffont()'s "file" input can be
      either a file path/name, or an existing Font::TTF::Font object. See
      also PDF::API2 PR 92.

    lib/PDF/Builder/Content.pm
     Per #208, squeeze out very tiny segments in bogen() calls, caused by 
      numeric "noise" (very close to 0, usually within 10^-14 degree) primary 
      angles. This does not affect arc(), pie(), or curve() calls, nor anyone 
      calling them.

    lib/PDF/Builder/Content/Text.pm, lib/PDF/Builder/Content.pm,
      examples/020_textunderline, examples/ContentText.pl
     Per #217, restore capability of textlabel() method to be called from
      either text or graphics context. The original API2 implementation 
      was in graphics context, which never made a lot of sense (this is
      text handling), and so long ago Builder moved it to the text context.
      However, some users wish to maintain API2 compatibility and to be
      able to call it from the graphics context. In examples, add a
      couple of graphics context calls.

    INFO/Prereq_fixes.md
     Document Image::Info minimum version for SVGPDF usage.

    INFO/Prereq_fixes.md
     Document how to install or upgrade HarfBuzz::Shaper optional prereq 
      on Strawberry Perl (Windows) 5.28, if the latest (0.032 or higher) 
      will not install or upgrade due to failure to build latest harfbuzz
      library.

    META.json, META.yml, xt/kwalitee.t (new), MANIFEST, README.md, 
      examples/Column.pl
     Add kwalitee for CPAN tests, update META files for minor errors. I can't
      find a good spec for META.yml, so it is possibly ignoring the 'provides'
      section. No matter, as META.json is supposedly preferred by CPAN. Note 
      that META.json is version 2 of the spec, while META.yml is version 1.4.

(see INFO/Changes_2025 for earlier changes)

Note that INFO/Changes-ver_2 (for changes released for PDF::API2, and 
incorporated into PDF::Builder) is NOT being updated any longer. You may
assume that any change logged for API2 has also been incorporated into
Builder, with any exceptions or differences noted here.