Currently some of FOP is being re-written so that the layout can be handled properly without the problems that have been encountered and to make it possible to handle keeps/breaks and spacing better.

A number of issues have been dealt with in the redesigned code.

• avalon integration - logging, configuration, component management, caching, uri resolver
• improved interfaces
  • no threading/static problems
  • simpler to use
• better commandline handling

Many of these changes will make FOP much better to use and develop. So if you help out with the development you can get to use these things sooner.

• better layout design - that can handle keeps and spacing better
• better area tree handling - means it can run in less memory
• better image handling - redone so it can use a cache and synchronizes properly only on the current image while loading
• svg now in an xml handler, FOP can be used without batik
• bookmark extension improved a bit - changed bookmark extension, now requires a wrapping element bookmark
• new interface for structured documents, rtf and mif
• better handling of unknown xml and xml from an unknown namespace
• Changed extensions to allow for external xml
• Can have a default element mapping for extensions
• mathml extension
• another xml -> svg extension
• svg text normal text if that can be handled otherwise stroked this is done automatically
• new area tree model
• new renderer model
• added handlers for xml in renderer
• changed area tree xml format to match the area tree hierarchy