[portland] Using LaTeX for Python Reports

[Rich Shepard]

   I've received some great suggestions from the LyX/LaTeX mail list. The
most cogent, I believe, is the recommendation of using the string.Template()
class for substitutions.

   Tell me what you think of this approach:

   The printing module imports that class:

from string import Template

The LaTeX preamble and body up to the first variable is written as
triple-quoted text, to be printed to the output *.tex file. Then each line of
LaTeX that needs real data substituted for the place holders would be written
like this:

   s1 = Template('$$who likes $$what')

There needs to be two '$' because that symbol has meaning within TeX, too.

   s1.substitute(who='tim', what='kung pao')

which would be followed by a print statement and the output file would
include 'tim likes kung pao'.

   On the right track?

Rich

-- 
Richard B. Shepard, Ph.D.               |    The Environmental Permitting
Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc.        |         Accelerators(TM)
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