Generate and print a PDF with IWP?

[johnmci]

I've got a schoolwide database in FM6 that I'd like to port over to FM7 to take advantage of the greater capabilites of 7's Instant Web publishing.

The database currently prints some reports and labels that have specific spacing requirements - something not really possible when printing straight from the web.

Is it possible for a user to generate a PDF on the fly while in IWP and print THAT? I'm assuming I need some sort of plugin (Troi Activator?) to start the process but what else? The school district has the full version of Acrobat but would every user also need some PDF-creation software on their own computers?

John

[Steve T.]

Hi , John! I have no idea how to do what you want, but here are some of my thoughts on your situation...

For a web user to "make" a PDF, regardless of what they are viewing, they will require the equivalent of Adobe Acrobat (Mac OS X, .ps + distiller, or whatever). I think what you're thinking of, though, is a server-side cgi-filled PDF template in which a cgi- fills in the data into the PDF from a db and the web user just browsers the server-generated PDF. I have seen this with other db technologies but I've never heard of anyone doing this with FileMaker. If it's possible, I would think you would have to do so using something like PHP. I have no idea if someone has done this and/or made it available to people.

Maybe someone has made a PDF/e-mail solution you could implement that will send people their Filemaker-generated PDFs.

I hope someone has a better answer for you soon...

--ST

[johnmci]

Thanks for the reply, Steve! I'm in the middle of converting a bunch of smaller databases to FM7 and about 90% of each one is working on Instant Web Publishing.

It's the printing thing that's still giving me pause. Your suggestions have set me off looking at some other solutions that I wouldn't have thought of...

John

[PatMonks]

Hi John,

Here is another option for printing or making PDFs. We use this method in our business:

Remote users do not print directly, they simply click a button that sets a flag in a field that says in effect "Hey this record needs printing" and another user on a locally connected computer acutally does the printing. Only catch is the local user is not a human but rather a robot. In specific, an FMrobot. To make an FMrobot take an older computer that is not used and install FileMaker 7 Client. Write a script that checks every 10 seconds to see if it has work to do. It searches for records with the "need printing" field flagged, does the work and then goes back to waiting. You can get fancy and have the robot script check many databases for printing work that needs to be done. For PDF creation install the robot on an OSX machine and script the print command with the PDF option. You could even save the PDF in a container field in FM7 so the original requestor can download it remotely. (We have not done this yet but it is on my list as we need to return PDFs to web users.)

We have two such FMrobots running 24/7. They save a lot of time as they never make mistakes with page set ups, printing on the wrong printer, etc, etc. They never ask for days off, come in late or complain. They are great employees.

[Søren Dyhr]

To make an FMrobot take an older computer that is not used and install FileMaker 7 Client.

The trouble here is that you make confusion with a registered TM. owned by New Millennium Communications, Inc. - which is used to move tables from one database to another.

But your tip is good though, it's also a way to make it up to the lack of facilities to send mail from an IWP solution.

When it comes to it could it also be done from a virtual server app. like:

http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop/ws_features.html

...when space in the server room is crammed or such, I think I saw a price like $200 ...so there might be some economical sense in it as well.

--sd