Queuing PDF files for Print or Compiling into One File. 1

[travisbrown]

I have a directory on a Unix web server that contains multiple pdf files. These files are echoed out in a web page. The owner of these files wants to be able to select certain files and queue them for print. I was thinking the easiest method would be to compile them into one temporary PDF and prompt for download. I usually work in asp, but I know PHP has built in PDF functions and I'd rather not switch servers. I guess a perl/cgi solution would work too.

Anyone done anything similar?

Thanks.

 

[jpadie]

i'd think it easier to print them directly to the relevant print queue.

but if you must, take a look at dompdf.

 

[Miros]

Appligent has a server application that will do this for you.

http://www.appligent.com/products/product_families/append_publishing.php

 

[travisbrown]

jpadi,

I'm all for printing adding them individually to the queue; however, I couldn't think of a way to do that without invoking a separate print dialogue for each file. Is there a way to spool them?

 

[jpadie]

print dialog?

i suppose I should have asked what platform you are using?

 

[travisbrown]

Indeed I should have supplied that info.

Users are on Win2k workstations using IE6x.

User platform should be irrelevant, though. This is why I was gearing towards as serverside solution.

 

[jpadie]

rats. lost my last post here.

the only answer, methinks, is the horrible kludge of combining files before delivering them. merging is quite a difficult thing for pdf but accesspdf (a command line tool) seems to do so

http://www.accesspdf.com/index.php?topic=pdftk

you will need to use shell-exec or something to create the combined file. bosh it down to the client and then delete it to keep your filesystem tidy.

 

[travisbrown]

Thanks. That's the approach I assumed. I had looked at pdftk after a Google search. I think I'll try using it.

Thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion Miros. Appligent looks good, but this job doesn't warrant the $1000 starting price.