Report to PDF without PDF or EPS Printer

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi,
I am searching a solution to create PDFs from Access-Report without a
PDF-Printer.
All solutions I have found (Adobe, Ghostscript, Fineprint....) need a
installed PDF-Printer-Driver.

My Application will be installed on hundreds of different machines, so I
didn't want to get in trouble with all the administrators to install the
right driver.

It is no Problem to pay for a professional solution, but all controls I
found need a installed PDF or EPS Printer.

Perhaps Stephan Lebans way to create native EMF from SNP files is a way
(Report -> EMF ->PDF)?
But Stephens EMF-solution has some small restrictions :-(.

Any hints ?

Or is there somebody who writes such a tool for cash?

 

[SA]

Dieter:

There's really no way to produce a PDF file without a printer driver.
Outputting a report to a bit map or meta files is creating and image file.
PDF's are not image files. They are editable documents. The internals of
a correctly structured PDF file are quite extensive. Leave this up to the
PDF printer driver developers.

 

[Bob Howard]

Another possibility is CutePDF --- free and simple --- but there really is
no way around a printer driver to handle this....

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Steve,

There's really no way to produce a PDF file without a printer driver.
Outputting a report to a bit map or meta files is creating and image
file. PDF's are not image files. They are editable documents. The
internals of a correctly structured PDF file are quite extensive. Leave
this up to the PDF printer driver developers.

Of course it is correct, that PDF files normaly are no image files. But I
did not need e editable PDF. You can get a PDF file with only one picture in
it and so you have a PDF wich is not editable.
But it not need to be a PDF. All what i want is a file that includes a
identical copy of a report. This file has to be view with IE or Acrobat
Reader.
So a possible solution for example is to create a jpg or gif from a report.
The Access own snp-format is such a solution, but it can only be shown with
the snapshot-viewer :-(.

 

[Rick Brandt]

Hi Steve,


Of course it is correct, that PDF files normaly are no image files.
But I did not need e editable PDF. You can get a PDF file with only
one picture in it and so you have a PDF wich is not editable.
But it not need to be a PDF. All what i want is a file that includes a
identical copy of a report. This file has to be view with IE or
Acrobat Reader.
So a possible solution for example is to create a jpg or gif from a
report. The Access own snp-format is such a solution, but it can only
be shown with the snapshot-viewer :-(.

Stephen Lebans has a utility that embeds the output of Snapshot Format inside an
RTF file so that it can be viewed with any Word processor that handles RTF
files.

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Stephen Lebans has a utility that embeds the output of Snapshot
Format inside an RTF file so that it can be viewed with any Word
processor that handles RTF files.

Thats right, but the RTF format has some limitations so you can't get
exactly the Report, unless you are using the special Wort-RTF-Format and
then the user needs word.

 

[Rick Brandt]

Thats right, but the RTF format has some limitations so you can't get
exactly the Report, unless you are using the special Wort-RTF-Format
and then the user needs word.

I am not familiar with these limitations you are talking about. Exporting
directly to RTF has SEVERE limitations, but I have not heard of anything
that limits what you get using Stephen's utility.

Needing Word is a problem? So you have a target audience that wont have
Word, can't or won't intall the Snapshot Viewer, but they will always have a
PDF viewer? Are they using Macs or Linux?

 

[Mark Andrews]

There are third party tools to create pdf files. However you need to
basically code how the output appears in the pdf. Access reports are
usually printed to pdf.

Best bet is to deal with the distribution of your application so it also
installs the pdf printer driver and at runtime changes to the pdf driver and
changes back to whatever printer was choosen.

You can buy our code if need to plug into your MDB to create pdfs, but it
just works with a few of the pdf drivers.

My two cents,
Mark
RPT Software
http://www.rptsoftware.com

 

[Stephen Lebans]

There is one and only one limitation documented on the ReportUtilties
site and in the source code. Further it is a limitation of the Snapshot
format not the final RTF output. THe Snapshot format encodes output
designed by the Access Report design Line tool as a series of private
Enhanced Metafile records.

So what exactly are you talking about Dieter?
--

HTH
Stephen Lebans
http://www.lebans.com
Access Code, Tips and Tricks
Please respond only to the newsgroups so everyone can benefit.

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Stepen,

There is one and only one limitation documented on the ReportUtilties
site and in the source code. Further it is a limitation of the
Snapshot format not the final RTF output. THe Snapshot format encodes
output designed by the Access Report design Line tool as a series of
private Enhanced Metafile records.

So what exactly are you talking about Dieter?

Sorry for my inaccuracy.
I have tested your ReportUtilitis with some of my reports. The result was a
RTF-File without lines. The result from exporting the same reports to snp
and show with the viewer was correct. So I thought this is a limitation of
your tool.

The method "replace Lines with rectangles or linedrawing" is no option for
me because i have many different Applications with hundreds of reports. All
these applications are already running.

My favorite is still PDF not RTF because my customers prefer it and today
PDF is the most used and most accepted format for e-documents.

So my question to the reportMaster himself ;-):
Wouldn't you write a tool that creates PDFs from Access-Report without a
PDF-Printer?

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Rick,

I am not familiar with these limitations you are talking about.
Exporting directly to RTF has SEVERE limitations, but I have not
heard of anything that limits what you get using Stephen's utility.

See Stephens post and my answer.

Needing Word is a problem? So you have a target audience that wont
have Word, can't or won't intall the Snapshot Viewer, but they will
always have a PDF viewer? Are they using Macs or Linux?

My customer in this special case is a big organization with many different
locations. They have strong restrictions to the system environment (IMO that
is the only right way to administrate big organizations).
So there is no way for me to install a new software on all machines, but the
PDF viewer is present an all machines.
On all machines Word is installed, but they want to use the exported reports
to send information's by mail to their employees at home. So they can't
suppose that every employee has word.

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Mark,

There are third party tools to create pdf files. However you need to
basically code how the output appears in the pdf. Access reports are
usually printed to pdf.

Best bet is to deal with the distribution of your application so it
also installs the pdf printer driver and at runtime changes to the
pdf driver and changes back to whatever printer was choosen.

You can buy our code if need to plug into your MDB to create pdfs,
but it just works with a few of the pdf drivers.

Many of my customers using Metframes. On a Metaframe it is very tricky to
install a printer and get it work in the right way. So this is unfortunately
no solution for me.

 

[Stephen Lebans]

Dieter I agree with you completely. PDF is the only way to go. I
produced the ReportUtilities several years ago before PDF was so
completely entrenched on the majority of Windows based computer systems.

Adobe and the other PDF companies do sell a series of developer DLL's
that allow for the creation of PDF's without having a PDF Printer Driver
installed. If I remember correctly, it wasn't the cost of these DLL's
that stopped me, it was the fact that the license prohibited me from
giving away for free any software solutions that used these PDF DLLs.

If the next version of Access or Windows does not not include native PDF
support then I will revisit this issue as perhaps licensing arrangements
may have changed over the last few years.

--

HTH
Stephen Lebans
http://www.lebans.com
Access Code, Tips and Tricks
Please respond only to the newsgroups so everyone can benefit.

 

[Rick Brandt]

Hi Mark,



Many of my customers using Metframes. On a Metaframe it is very
tricky to install a printer and get it work in the right way. So this
is unfortunately no solution for me.

As Stephen stated, there are already tools you can buy that will allow you
to create and attach as an Email a PDF file all from VBA code. The problem
is that the software has to be installed (and paid for) on every user's PC
that needs this capability. For me that has always been a deal killer.

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Stephen,

Dieter I agree with you completely. PDF is the only way to go. I
produced the ReportUtilities several years ago before PDF was so
completely entrenched on the majority of Windows based computer
systems.
Adobe and the other PDF companies do sell a series of developer DLL's
that allow for the creation of PDF's without having a PDF Printer
Driver installed. If I remember correctly, it wasn't the cost of
these DLL's that stopped me, it was the fact that the license
prohibited me from giving away for free any software solutions that
used these PDF DLLs.
If the next version of Access or Windows does not not include native
PDF support then I will revisit this issue as perhaps licensing
arrangements may have changed over the last few years.

what can I do to persuade you ;-) ?
As far as i know (don't ask me wherefrom ;-)) the next version of Access
will have no include native PDF support.
I must create a solution until October.

I think today you can get a DLL for PDF creation with a normal
developer-license. Normal developer-license means one license for each
developer. IMO that's the only fair license model. Our developer tool
(www.toptapi.com) has the same license.
But even with such a DLL there is no way for me because you need a very deep
knowledge of graphic file formats to create such a solution.

So let me make a official request.
Would you like to create such a solution (of course for cash)?

When you would like to make me an offer send it to
DLiessmann(at)topsolutions(dot)de

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Rick,

As Stephen stated, there are already tools you can buy that will
allow you to create and attach as an Email a PDF file all from VBA
code.

Sorry, but that is wrong! All of these tools install a printer driver or
need a special installed printer driver.

The problem is that the software has to be installed (and paid
for) on every user's PC that needs this capability. For me that has
always been a deal killer.

I agree with you completely. This is absolute unfair.
But I think (hope) you can get what you need in a normal license model. (see
my last answer (begging ;-)) to Stephen.

 

[Stephen Lebans]

Dieter as I said, the issue is not purchasing a developer's license, the
issue is that I could not freely give away any software solutions I
develop with that license. If you want to do the legwork and see what
options are available for licensing I would agree to have a look at this
project for free. No promises and no, I do not work as a consultant for
a fee. In fact, if you could find a viable license that would allow me
to relase a public domain Access specific solution for free, I would be
willing to pay the cost for the license which generally runs into
several thousand dollars.

--

HTH
Stephen Lebans
http://www.lebans.com
Access Code, Tips and Tricks
Please respond only to the newsgroups so everyone can benefit.

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Stephen,

Dieter as I said, the issue is not purchasing a developer's license,
the issue is that I could not freely give away any software solutions
I develop with that license.

Ups. Sorry for the misunderstanding. But i never thought that this is a
problem?!
I thought when you can buy a developer license you can do with it what ever
you want?

If you want to do the legwork and see
what options are available for licensing I would agree to have a look
at this project for free.

OK. I will take a look at licensing from some products an post the result
here.

No promises and no, I do not work as a
consultant for a fee.

Ups again. Sorry for the stupid question, but why not?
I thougt this is the way you are earning your money!?

In fact, if you could find a viable license
that would allow me to relase a public domain Access specific
solution for free, I would be willing to pay the cost for the license
which generally runs into several thousand dollars.

OK!
That is much more i ever expected.

 

[Dieter Liessmann]

Hi Stephen,

I have spent some hours in research. Here are my results:

My first thought: Damn, Stephen had to be right. ;-)
No professional DLL with a roality-free runtime.
I have found some Products with a roality-free runtime but only for
end-user-applications. You are not allowed to build developer-tools with
this controls. I am giving up hope....

BUT now I think i have found the right tools!

1.
http://www.isedquickpdf.com
roality-free runtime without limitations, livelong updates, if you want you
can buy the source-code (Delphi), 95 US$ (500 with source-code)
A Delphi-based tool from South-Africa. I took a short look in the manual and
i think this is the right stuff!

2.
http://www.synactis.com/products/pdf_in-the-box.htm
roality-free runtime without limitations, 49 Euro
Possibly an alternative to isedquickpdf from France? It looks good.

3.
http://www.alientools.com/ PDF Generator ActiveX Control
roality-free runtime without limitations, 98 US$
I think this tool is not useable because it has not the comlete
command-set?!

 

[Stephen Lebans]

Dieter have you contacted these companies to ascertain if you could
truly produce and redistribute a Public Domain Freeware solution with
their libraries? That's what I meant by legwork.

--

HTH
Stephen Lebans
http://www.lebans.com
Access Code, Tips and Tricks
Please respond only to the newsgroups so everyone can benefit.