How to print an ACROBAT file without a dialog box

Tony Marston - 24th May 2002

My thanks to Michael J Levene of www.computalink-systems.com for supplying me with the following tip.

If you have ADOBE ACROBAT version 5.0 this shows how you can completely automate the generation of PDF files without any user intervention. Apparently someone else has been trying to sell a driver to do this, but this method is completely FREE, and even works on a network.

Here are the steps you need to go through:-

1. Install Acrobat Distiller version 5.0 or above.
2. Adjust Acrobat Distiller Printer settings (right mouse click - properties). Go to the TAB page labeled DETAILS and add a new port, select other and PDF port and then specify the directory name where the final prints will be located. See example below using the directory c:\windows\desktop\*.pdf

   Figure 1 - Acrobat Distiller Printer settings

   

3. Go the tab page labeled 'ADOBE PDF Settings' and ensure the properties below are set up:

   Figure 2 - ADOBE PDF Settings

   

4. Create the following entries in the [logicals] section of your Uniface assignment file (these are used by the print procedure shown below):

   tempdir = c:\windows\temp
   acrobat = true
   acrodir = c:\windows\desktop
   

   Note: acrodir MUST match the directory used for the port in step (2)
5. Within your application set up the following printer:

   Figure 3 - define Uniface printer

   

6. Define a logical to physical mapping for the printer. Within your application left-click on the icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen and select 'setup...', then select the tab labeled 'Printer' and map the logical printer called ACROBAT to the printer name defined in step (5).

   Figure 4 - logical to physical mapping for the printer

   

   These logical print definitions are stored in the user section of the Registry at the following location:

   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Compuware/UNIFACE/<windows dir>/usys71.ini for UNIFACE V7.1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Compuware/UNIFACE/<UNIFACE install path>/USYS.ini for UNIFACE V7.2.
7. Create a procedure similar to the following:

   entry PRINT_PROC
   params
      string  po_FileName   : OUT
   endparams
   
   variables
      string  lv_TempDir
      boolean lv_Acrobat
      string  lv_AcroDir
      numeric lv_Count
      numeric lv_Error
   endvariables
   
   lv_TempDir = $logical("tempdir")
   if (lv_TempDir = "")
      message "TEMPDIR not defined in [logicals] section of assignment file"
      return(-1)
   endif
   
   ; is acrobatic writer installed?
   lv_Acrobat = $logical("acrobat")
   lv_AcroDir = $logical("acrodir")
   
   ; Generate a unique reference number for the report
   call GET_NEXT_NUMBER("PRINT", v_count)
   
   if (lv_Acrobat)
      ; the acrobat name is the form title therefore
      ; change the formtitle to be the report name we want
      $formtitle = "Acro_%%lv_Count"
      print "ACROBAT", "C"
      if ($status = 0)
         po_FileName = "%%v_AcroDir%%%\%%$formtitle%%%.pdf"
         return(0)
      else
         message "Print to PDF file failed"
         return(-1)
      endif
   else
      print "FILE","C"
      if ($status = 0)
         po_FileName = "%%lv_TempDir%%%\rpt_%%lv_Count%%%.txt"
         activate "WINAPI".COPYFILE($result, po_Filename, lv_Error)
         if (lv_Error < 0)
            message "COPY failed"
            return(-1)
         endif
         return(0)
      else
         message "Print failed"
         return(-1)
      endif
   endif
   
   return(0)
   
   end PRINT_PROC
   

   This proc puts the printed output into a file and returns the name of that file to the calling procedure. What happens next is entirely up to you. One possible option would be to e-mail the file to someone.

Tony Marston
24th May 2002

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