Introduction
For many years, I have been working on business systems where report generation is a critical component.
However, I repeatedly encountered the same problems:
- Layout differences depending on printer drivers
- OS-specific rendering inconsistencies
- Difficulty achieving true WYSIWYG output
These issues are not new, but they are still not fully solved.
The Problem
In traditional report systems, rendering often depends on external components such as printer drivers or OS-level graphics APIs.
This leads to:
- Slight layout shifts
- Inconsistent text measurement
- Different output between environments
For business reports, even small differences can be unacceptable.
The Approach
To solve this, I designed a report engine with the following principles:
- Fully deterministic layout
- Pixel-perfect rendering
- No dependency on printer drivers
- Cross-platform consistency
The engine directly controls rendering using Skia.
Why Rust
I chose Rust for:
- Memory safety
- Predictable performance
- Strong control over low-level behavior
This is important for a rendering engine where consistency is critical.
Technical Highlights
- Layout engine with pre-calculated positioning
- Pagination control
- Consistent font measurement
- Rendering abstraction over Skia
Result
The engine produces identical output (PDF / PNG) across environments.
Repository
https://github.com/acrossreport
Closing
If you are interested in rendering engines, Skia, or cross-platform layout systems, I would appreciate your feedback.
Top comments (0)