PDF Reports

[jamie13]

Hi All,
I currently have an access 97 DB which send out invoices to customers. I have a loop set up where i just go through my list of customers, generate a report for each, and then automatically send out the reports via e-mail using the Docmd.send command. I would like to begin sending out these reports in PDF Format. Does anyone know the code to export the report as PDF. For example, instead of using ACFORMATRTF i would need some other command.
Please let me know
Jamie

 

[jrbarnett]

Jamie

MS Access doesn't have a way of writing out straight to a PDF file, because PDF is a non Microsoft format (Adobe developed it). PDF writing software is generally implemented as a printer driver, which you could maipulate through code to save output to a file on disk which could then be attached to an email. As well as the Adobe software, there are many other pieces of PDF writing software available, some of which can be automated through code, but this will of course involve spending money.

The Ghostscript/GSView software from

http://www.ghostscript.com

can be used to produce PDF files for free if you are willing to play around with automating your procedures if you don't have money to spend on this.

MS Access does have its own proprietary format for reports though, called the Snapshot file with a .SNP extension. You will need to have Access 97 upgraded to at least SR-1 for this feature to be available, and the Snapshot viewer is a piece of free software available on the Office 97 CD in the file \VALUPACK\ACCESS\SNPVW80.EXE or it can be downloaded from the Microsoft website.
You will have to ensure that all the recipients have a copy of the Snapshot viewer in order to read the reports if this is your preferred route.

Hope that this helps.

Regards

John

 

[jamie13]

John,
Basically i have a loop set up now which runs through a list of customers, develops the invoice and e-mails it automatically. I am currently using snapshot format, but i have got some complaints that users can't always view the invoice on screen and must print it. I am willing to buy PDF writer, but i need a way to integrate it into my current auto e-mail system.
Any ideas?
Jamie

 

[jrbarnett]

Jamie

Search the internet for PDF writers that can be set to print to a specific filename without user intervention, so that it can be run from within a code loop.

John