Formatting Objects Processor

Formatting Objects Processor (FOP, also known as Apache FOP) is a Java application that converts XSL Formatting Objects (XSL-FO) files to PDF or other printable formats. FOP was originally developed by James Tauber who donated it to the Apache Software Foundation in 1999. It is part of the Apache XML Graphics project.

Apache FOP

Original author(s)	James Tauber
Developer(s)	Apache Software Foundation
Stable release	2.10 / 1 October 2024 (1 October 2024)
Repository	github.com/apache/xmlgraphics-fop
Written in	Java
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	XSL-FO
License	Apache License 2.0
Website	xmlgraphics.apache.org/fop

FOP is open source software, and is distributed under the Apache License 2.0.

Current status

The latest version of Apache FOP is 2.9. This is the eleventh stable release.

Major limitations

Most important elements added in XSL-FO 1.1 (flow maps, table markers, indexes. etc.) are not available

In addition, older XSL-FO 1.0 features are still not fully supported including automatic table layout, floats and more.

Input support

Apache FOP supports embedding a number of image formats in the XSL-FO (through the <fo:external-graphic> element). These include:

• SVG
• PNG
• Bitmap BMP
• PostScript (as EPS)
• JPEG
• Some TIFF formats.

Apache FOP implements the <fo:float> element with some limitations. In versions prior to 2.0, external graphics objects were limited to being drawn inline or in a block with no wrapped text.

Output formats

Apache FOP supports the following output formats:

• PDF (best output support), including PDF/X and PDF/A with some limitations
• ASCII text file facsimile
• PostScript
• Direct printer output (PCL)
• AFP
• RTF
• Java2D/AWT for display, printing, and page rendering to PNG and TIFF

In progress:

• MIF
• SVG

See also

• XSL Formatting Objects (XSL-FO)
• XSL

External links

• Apache FOP Project
• XSL-FO formatter comparison