Print/export PDF from FMP18 container

[madman411]

Hi all

I am in the process of inserting PDF versions of documents into their related records in my system. While everything is still filed in paper binders I would like to have the option of both printing and exporting said PDFs from their containers. These files are "secure" inside of the database. I'm also hoping to script them into email attachments when I finish up working on that functionality as well.

A few other (older) posts I've read have said FMP doesn't support this natively and to use Apple Scripts to do so, but with newer versions of FMP I'm wondering if this has changed. Can I print and/or export PDFs inside FMP containers? My current version is FMP18 Advanced. Thanks so much.

[comment]

5 hours ago, madman411 said:

These files are "secure" inside of the database.

Not sure what exactly you mean by that. AFAIK, secure storage is external storage.

In any case, exporting and printing are two different things. Of course you can export from a container field, either manually or by using the Export Field Contents [] script step. When exporting, you also get the option to create email with the exported file as attachment - if that's your ultimate goal.

OTOH, Filemaker does not support printing a PDF directly from a container field. In theory, if it's single page PDF, you could print the layout showing the field - but I doubt you would like the quality of the result.

 

[madman411]

48 minutes ago, comment said:

Not sure what exactly you mean by that. AFAIK, secure storage is external storage

You nailed it. 

Is there a work-around that you might recommend? The final database will be running on a windows machine so I don't want to invest too much effort in writing any apple scripts. Perhaps export > open in acrobat and print from there?

[comment]

It depends on how much you want to leave up to your users. If you're happy to have the exported file open in Acrobat Reader (or whatever the default PDF application is on their system) and let the user take it from there, then Export Field Contents []  - with maybe a custom dialog message informing the user what they are expected to do - should be all you need. If you want to do it for them, then you will need to follow up with Send Event [].

 

[Ocean West]

Years ago I had setup a folder that was a 'hot folder' that as soon as I saved a file to it it would print.