[dba-Tech] Alternate PDF writing solution

I found a freebie called PDF Print Factory on Download.com a while back...
it might still be there. It sets itself up as a printer, so you can "print"
to it from any applications that support windows printing. It's available in
NT or 9x varieties (The NT one works on 2k and XP as well).

HTH


Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Arthur Fuller
Sent: 16 October 2004 16:52
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: [dba-Tech] Alternate PDF writing solution


As some of you may know from previous messages, when the subject of PDF
and Email came up, I recommended PDFMail, a class library from Attac
Consulting. Recently I encountered significantly different behaviour
when using Acrobat 6 as opposed to 5; which behaviour the client deems
unacceptable. So I inquired about the costs of upgrading and was
dismayed to learn that the Pro package I had bought for $199 now goes
for > $500, and the upgrade is more than I paid in the first place.

So now I'm looking for an alternative. At a minimum, it must:
a) support creation of a PDF from any given Access report;
b) support, with a minimum of fuss, emaling said PDF to any specified
recipient, and ideally setting up mail subject and body with a minimum
of fuss;
c) support the merging or amalgamation of several reports into a single PDF.

Attac's PDFMail does all this, and works flawlessly with Acrobat 5, but
without the upgrade there are issues if Acrobat 6 is installed rather
than 5.

In case it helps, in the app of concern I print several documents -- an
invoice, a hotel confirmation, a ticket to a party, etc. All these
documents are based on the invoice selected when you hit PrintAndEmail.
The reason we went PDF in the first place is that conversion to RTF etc.
failed to reproduce the documents exactly as they were.

To phrase this last part in another way, PDF reproduces the color logos
etc., which are a big part of the sizzle, flawlessly. But PDF itself is
not a mandatory part of the spec -- flawless reproduction IS. If there
is another way to go, I'm interested, the more so if this way is free or
cheap. The client is extremely reluctant to spring the $500 + that Attac
wants for the upgrade.

Any alternatives come to mind? I don't want to have to install 5 pieces
of software on each client machine, nor cause the users to do anything
more than click on one button. After that everything should simply "happen".

TIA,
Arthur
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