Ability to set the base URL for formats other than HTML?

[sun123zxy]

Description

In a website project we have the metadata site-url to indicate the base URL of the site. This is well implemented in the HTML format, but it would be useful to have a similar feature for other formats like PDF.

For a use case, consider a website project with PDF versions of the content. PDF files are intended to be downloaded and viewed offline, but without a base URL, the relative links in the PDF files point to local file paths, which is clearly not what we want. More generally, it calls for an option to set the base URL for an independent document, not necessarily by site-url, which is only available in a website project.

To the best of my knowledge, there's no built-in way to set a base URL for formats other than HTML in Quarto. Actually this had been discussed in a Pandoc Issue, though currently there're only manmade Lua filter resolutions. Speaking of site-url, it's also awkward for Lua filter to workaround, because Quarto's project metadata is not passed to the Pandoc context.

It would be nice if above is supported by Quarto in some form. Correct me if I'm missing something obvious. Thanks!

[cderv]

PDF files are intended to be downloaded and viewed offline, but without a base URL, the relative links in the PDF files point to local file paths,

Can you detail what you mean? What local file paths exactly? Using a Quarto Website, if you include a PDF, it will be downloadable from a URL that includes the site URL.

For example Lua quick reference guide linked from https://quarto.org/docs/extensions/lua.html
The link is : https://quarto.org/docs/extensions/luarefv51.pdf

More generally, it calls for an option to set the base URL for an independent document, not necessarily by site-url, which is only available in a website project.

site_url is only used in a website project because this is the format for organizing content together, and some features require a site URL.

A link to the document deployed in the same folder or nested folder is usually relatively included, and the site URL where the document is deployed will be used.

To the best of my knowledge, there's no built-in way to set a base URL for formats other than HTML in Quarto. Actually this had been discussed in jgm/pandoc#4894, though currently there're only manmade Lua filter resolutions.

I see the pandoc issue is discussing root path for image. Is that the use case for site-url for single document ?
Syntax like ![](/image.png) is already resolved by Quarto as the root of the Quarto project, and should be made relative link to project root. So when using output-dir, relative to output directory root.

Speaking of site-url, it's also awkward for Lua filter to workaround, because Quarto's project metadata is not passed to the Pandoc context.

Some metadata are passed. website config may not. I think there is a feature request about this.

It would be nice if above is supported by Quarto in some form. Correct me if I'm missing something obvious. Thanks!

It would really help us if you can share a real case example of site-url like feature for single document publishing is required. Could you ?

Thank you !