Script to turn pentabarf XML data into a booklet with full-page tables containing the schedule (4 rooms per page, automatic truncation of titles/author names).

Pentabarf is an open-source conference management system, and other systems can export their data in the same format (for example, frab).

Created for FOSDEM, a conference with ~20 rooms per day and 400+ talks, which necessitated creating such a compact schedule overview.

Uses python + (pdf)latex.


To use for FOSDEM:
------------------
1) fetch the XML data (uses wget)
$ make fetch

2) make the pdf (uses ./generate.py and pdflatex)
$ make

3) turn it into a printable booklet (uses pdfbook)
$ make booklet

The output is booklet_sat-book.pdf and booklet_sun-book.pdf

If some of the tables overflow the page (horizontally), you have to edit the booklet_sat.tex (or _sun) file and adjust the \fontsize{}{} scaling.

If some of the columns are too wide (vertical overflow), you will have to shorten the name of some of the rooms; see the quick-hack in generate.py


To use for another conference:
------------------------------
1) fetch the pentabarf XML data

2) run ./generate.py on it.
   this should be generic and create separate files for the different days and pages.

3) copy booklet_sat.tex and modify it to include the above generated files. You can also change the layout, TOC, etc there. Make sure that the total number of pages is divisible by 4.