using -translator set- to set result color in .pdf-file

[Dirk Enzmann]

More than 4 years ago I asked nearly the same question, alas with no response. I am trying again ...

I would like to translate an output file from SMCL format into a PDF file using blue color for results (bold font). To do so, first I am using -translator set- to specify the color (and other things) for the translator smcl2pdf followed by -translate-. However, the color of results in the resulting .pdf-file is black (bold font) instead of blue (bold font).

In the following I show the colors I would like them to be together with the -translator set- and -translate- commands I am using:

. clear all

. cap log close

. log using "test_2pdf.smcl", replace
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      name:  <unnamed>
       log:  /home/enzmann/test_2pdf.smcl
  log type:  smcl
 opened on:   4 Nov 2024, 01:38:18

.
. sysuse auto, clear
(1978 automobile data)

. sum _all

    Variable |        Obs        Mean    Std. dev.       Min        Max
-------------+---------------------------------------------------------
        make |          0
       price |         74    6165.257    2949.496       3291      15906
         mpg |         74     21.2973    5.785503         12         41
       rep78 |         69    3.405797    .9899323          1          5
    headroom |         74    2.993243    .8459948        1.5          5
-------------+---------------------------------------------------------
       trunk |         74    13.75676    4.277404          5         23
      weight |         74    3019.459    777.1936       1760       4840
      length |         74    187.9324    22.26634        142        233
        turn |         74    39.64865    4.399354         31         51
displacement |         74    197.2973    91.83722         79        425
-------------+---------------------------------------------------------
  gear_ratio |         74    3.014865    .4562871       2.19       3.89
     foreign |         74    .2972973    .4601885          0          1

.
. log close
      name:  <unnamed>
       log:  /home/enzmann/test_2pdf.smcl
  log type:  smcl
 closed on:   4 Nov 2024, 01:38:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.
. // Create .pdf-file from log file (.smcl):
. translator set smcl2pdf pagesize A4

. translator set smcl2pdf lmargin 0.586

. translator set smcl2pdf rmargin 0.586

. translator set smcl2pdf tmargin 0.586

. translator set smcl2pdf bmargin 0.586

. translator set smcl2pdf fontsize 8

. translator set smcl2pdf cmdnumber off

. translator set smcl2pdf cust1_result_color 0 0 139  // This should turn the results color to blue

. translator set smcl2pdf cust2_result_color 0 0 139  // This should turn the results color to blue

. translator set smcl2pdf headertext "test_2pdf.do"

. translator query smcl2pdf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                header | on
            headertext | test_2pdf.do
                  logo | on
                  user |
           projecttext |
             cmdnumber | off
              addfonts |
              autofont | on
-----------------------+-------------------------------------------------
              fontsize | 8                         lmargin | 0.59
              pagesize | A4                        rmargin | 0.59
             pagewidth | 8.27                      tmargin | 0.59
            pageheight | 11.69                     bmargin | 0.59
-----------------------+-------------------------------------------------
                scheme | color
-----------------------+-------------------------------------------------
    cust1_result_color |   0   0 139    cust2_result_color |   0   0 139
  cust1_standard_color |   0   0   0  cust2_standard_color |   0   0   0
     cust1_error_color |   0   0   0     cust2_error_color | 255   0   0
     cust1_input_color |   0   0   0     cust2_input_color |   0   0   0
      cust1_link_color |   0   0   0      cust2_link_color |   0   0 255
    cust1_hilite_color |   0   0   0    cust2_hilite_color |   0   0   0
     cust1_result_bold | on              cust2_result_bold | on
   cust1_standard_bold | off           cust2_standard_bold | off
      cust1_error_bold | on               cust2_error_bold | on
      cust1_input_bold | off              cust2_input_bold | off
       cust1_link_bold | off               cust2_link_bold | off
     cust1_hilite_bold | on              cust2_hilite_bold | on
  cust1_link_underline | on           cust2_link_underline | on
cust1_hilite_underline | off        cust2_hilite_underline | off
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

.
. translate "test_2pdf.smcl" "test_2pdf.pdf", translator(smcl2pdf)
file test_2pdf.pdf saved as PDF format

Is there anything I am doing wrong, for example the specification of the results color as (0 0 139)? Or could it be possible that the color setting simply does not work with Unix (I am using Linux Ubuntu 20.04)?

[Zhao Xu (StataCorp)]

Dirk Enzmann,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. To resolve the issue, you need to set the scheme to custom1 or custom2, rather than color. smcl2pdf supports four schemes: monochrome (default), color, custom1, and custom2. monochrome and color use pre-defined color, bold, and underline styles. monochrome uses the default settings of custom1 while color uses the default settings of custom2, which are defined as follows:

-----------------------+-------------------------------------------------
    cust1_result_color |   0   0   0    cust2_result_color |   0   0   0
  cust1_standard_color |   0   0   0  cust2_standard_color |   0   0   0
     cust1_error_color |   0   0   0     cust2_error_color | 255   0   0
     cust1_input_color |   0   0   0     cust2_input_color |   0   0   0
      cust1_link_color |   0   0   0      cust2_link_color |   0   0 255
    cust1_hilite_color |   0   0   0    cust2_hilite_color |   0   0   0
     cust1_result_bold | on              cust2_result_bold | on
   cust1_standard_bold | off           cust2_standard_bold | off
      cust1_error_bold | on               cust2_error_bold | on
      cust1_input_bold | off              cust2_input_bold | off
       cust1_link_bold | off               cust2_link_bold | off
     cust1_hilite_bold | on              cust2_hilite_bold | on
  cust1_link_underline | on           cust2_link_underline | on
cust1_hilite_underline | off        cust2_hilite_underline | off
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

These predefined settings for monochrome and color schemes are not customizable. Therefore, even you set cust1_result_color or cust2_result_color for color scheme, the change will not be applied. To use customized settings, you can do the following:

translator set smcl2pdf scheme custom1
translator set smcl2pdf cust1_result_color 0 0 139

or

translator set smcl2pdf scheme custom2
translator set smcl2pdf cust2_result_color 0 0 139

This will allow you to apply the custom color as needed.

[Dirk Enzmann]

Thanks, that finally solves the issue!

A follow-up question: The manual states that I can change translator parameter settings via

translator set [tname setopt setval]

However, where can I find the possible setopt and setval values for tname smcl2prn? I searched the manual but can't find it.

[Zhao Xu (StataCorp)]

Yon can type

translator query smcl2prn

to get the setting information.

[Dirk Enzmann]

Zhao Xu (StataCorp) : Yes, this shows me the actual settings. My question is: Where can I find which parameters are possible? For example, I my example in #1 the default (?) scheme "color" was used. But where in the documentation can I see that the schemes "custom1" and "custom2" are possible, as well?