Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

[TheSmitchell]

I am having a dumb. How do you change the name of a generated report PDF? I want to name my report something smart, like, "YOUR_USEFULLY_NAMED_REPORT.pdf". Not "CRYPTIC_309230923098342089.pdf".

I've searched through the forum sort of fruitlessly over the last few days on this topic. I'm pretty sure I've seen the answer several times but it just didn't register.

Here's my process for generating the report:

1. Click on Button on Grid.
2. OnClick event > Fire "Print Report as PDF File"
3. Hello PDF file.

In my "Report Print Genie", my Layout name is : [email protected]. I am hazarding a guess here that is not the file name.

I looked in PDF options for "Report Print Genie". I don't see anything here for "PDF file name"...

Thanks to all who look! Extra thanks to those who respond!
---
Sarah

[Jay Talbott]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Sarah,
At the risk of sounding stupid, why does it matter what the report is named?
The user can save the file with any name desired from the browser, and you can save the file to the server, with a specific name, and then email it to the user.
What am I missing?
Jay

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Sarah,
At the risk of sounding stupid, why does it matter what the report is named?
The user can save the file with any name desired from the browser, and you can save the file to the server, with a specific name, and then email it to the user.
What am I missing?
Jay

Not a stupid question!

Short answer:
Usability, presentation, & pride.

Long answer:
Half of this is personal; me wanting to not only deliver a solution, but a solution that is all buttoned up & shiny with minimal user involvement (requiring the user to rename the file to something useful falls in my "user involvement" bucket; not good.)

The other half knows exactly what question/request will appear in my email the day I push it up to the testing server and send the link to my boss...

Alpha's generated filename so cryptic and useless that every user will need to rename the document on save just so they know what they saved:

MPL_090113182333184.pdf

...Seriously? In what parallel universe is that file name useful?

I know what I want to name these files. I know what will be useful for the user. I want the file name to be useful without any extra work required by the user. If the user still doesn't like the generated informational file name, they can change it.

But MPL_090113182333184.pdf?

Inconceivable!

SO I plow forward.

In other news, I have discovered... JAVASCRIPT! In that the action that I setup can be converted to the raw javascript.

That's when I found this!

	var ro = new Object();
	ro.hostComponentType = 'Grid';
	ro.reportName = 'MPL@afhp_sql.alb';
	ro.reportNameShort = 'MPL';
	ro.reportType = 'Report';
	ro.reportIFrame = window['{Grid.ComponentName}_ACTIONBUTTON_PRINT_1'].getWindowId('body');;
	ro.gridId = '{grid.componentName}';
	[B][COLOR="#FF0000"]ro.download = 'N';[/COLOR][/B]
	ro.xbasicFunction = '';
	[B][COLOR="#FF0000"]ro.clientSideFilename = '';[/COLOR][/B]
	ro.reportMessagesDivId = '';
	ro.filter = '';
	ro.order = '';
	ro.sqlFilter = '';
	ro.sqlOrder = '';
	ro.arguments = 'DESIGN_ID|Numeric|'+{grid.object}._getValue('G','DESIGN_ID',rowNum)+'';
	ro.workingMessage = 'Printing report: ' + ro.reportNameShort;
	ro.pdfoptions = 'DIM Concatenate as L\nDIM HasWatermark as L\nDIM MultilingualSupport as L\nDIM EmbedFonts as L\nDIM LinearizeForWeb as L\nDIM Colors2GrayScale as L\nDIM ConvertHyperlinks as L\nDIM WatermarkType as C = `Text`\nDIM WatermarkText as C = `D R A F T`\nDIM WatermarkFontName as C = `Times New Roman`\nDIM WatermarkFontSize as N = 172\nDIM WatermarkRotation as N = 450\nDIM WatermarkColorHex as C = `E8FED2`\nDIM WatermarkHorizPos as N = 120\nDIM WatermarkVertPos as N = -120\nDIM WatermarkOnTop as L\nDIM WatermarkPDF as C\nDIM Encrypt as L\nDIM OwnerPassword as C\nDIM UserPassword as C\nDIM CanPrint as L = .T.\nDIM CanModifyDocument as L = .T.\nDIM CanCopy as L = .T.\nDIM CanAddNotes as L = .T.\nDIM Use128BitKey as L = .T.\nDIM JpegQuality as C = `Low`\n';
	ro.displayMode = '';
	ro.saveAs = 'pdf';
	ro.pdfOpenParameters = ''
	ro._gridCurrentFilter = {grid.object}._gridFilter;
	ro._gridCurrentOrder = {grid.object}._gridOrder;
	ro._gridCurrentArguments = {grid.object}._gridArguments;
	ro._gridCurrentDBType = {grid.object}._gridDBType;
	
	ro.htmlReporting = false;

AND THIS!

http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ntSideFilename

So. I think I found my solution. A better solution in my mind, actually.

You see, generating a report to display it on the website is slow. And the separate act of having to save the generated PDF is equally slow. And I am reasonably confident that most people are going to save the PDF. So, I've decided to cut out the middle man and just download the PDF directly the the client's system. From there, they can decide what they want to do: open, save.

Note, setting ro.clientSideFilename = 'anythingButEmpty.pdf'; resulted in a crash. "Error! Can't find that cryptic, useless file that A5 generates!" I found that I had to also change the download property to read ro.download = 'Y'. And comment out some other code.

Hope I clarified your question!

So, now I have a question for you:

The user can save the file with any name desired from the browser, and you can save the file to the server, with a specific name, and then email it to the user.

I am not well versed in the ways of reports. Or emails. But I know how to save files. How would I do that second one?!

I must away now. I smell bacon!
---
Sarah

[Pat Bremkamp]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Sarah, I've seen other posts from you and I know you are a JavaScript guru, so I hate to suggest this, but the old fashioned way for those of us who struggle with JavaScript is to do it in Xbasic. For example, I have a button on a grid that does a callback to create an invoice, name it with the invoice number and client name, stores it in a project and an Invoices direcotry. Yeah, it takes a while, but accounting likes it. The whole code is 160 lines, but a stripped down version without error checking is

function printInvoice as c (e as p)
' save the invoice in the project directory
vProjectName = e._currentRowDataNew.PROJECT_FULL_NAME
vClientName = word(vProjectName,3,"_")
vInvoiceNumber = e._currentRowDataNew.INVOICE_NUMBER
vWhichInvoice = e._currentRowDataNew.INV_STATUS
if vWhichInvoice = "DA"
vWhich = blah blah
else
vWhich = "Other"
end if
if vWhich = blah blah
' stuff to update a history
end if
vZBDirectory = "C:\enefen\000_NFN_Projects"+chr(92)+vProjectName+"\NFNFinished"
vEADirectory = "C:\000_NFN_QBBackup\NFN_Invoices\Invoices_2012"

' make sure the ZB directory exists
vResult=dir_create_recurse(vDirectory)
sleep(.5)

' this is the part that names the invoice
vFilename = "Invoice_"+vInvoiceNumber+"_"+vClientName+"_"+date_format(date(),"yyyyMMdd")+"_"+time("0h0m")+".pdf"
vSource = session.session_folder + chr(92) + vFilename
vZBDestination = vZBDirectory + chr(92) + vFilename
vEADestination = vEADirectory + chr(92) + vFilename
dim opts as p
opts.filter = "INVOICE_NUMBER = "+vInvoiceNumber
opts.order = ""
dim vReport as c
vReport = report.saveas("invoice@c:\nfn_v11\nfn.alb","pdf","","",vSource,.f.,NULL,NULL_VALUE(),opts)
sleep(2)
' if that worked, save the pdf in the project directory and the accounting directory
if file.exists(vReport)
file.copy(vSource,vZBDestination)
' file.copy(vSource,vJ_Drive)
file.copy(vSource,vEADestination)
' open the pdf
response.redirect(vSource)
end if
PrintErrorOut:
'end
end function

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Sarah, I've seen other posts from you and I know you are a JavaScript guru, so I hate to suggest this, but the old fashioned way for those of us who struggle with JavaScript is to do it in Xbasic. For example, I have a button on a grid that does a callback to create an invoice, name it with the invoice number and client name, stores it in a project and an Invoices direcotry. Yeah, it takes a while, but accounting likes it. The whole code is 160 lines, but a stripped down version without error checking is

function printInvoice as c (e as p)
' save the invoice in the project directory
vProjectName = e._currentRowDataNew.PROJECT_FULL_NAME
vClientName = word(vProjectName,3,"_")
vInvoiceNumber = e._currentRowDataNew.INVOICE_NUMBER
vWhichInvoice = e._currentRowDataNew.INV_STATUS
if vWhichInvoice = "DA"
vWhich = blah blah
else
vWhich = "Other"
end if
if vWhich = blah blah
' stuff to update a history
end if
vZBDirectory = "C:\enefen\000_NFN_Projects"+chr(92)+vProjectName+"\NFNFinished"
vEADirectory = "C:\000_NFN_QBBackup\NFN_Invoices\Invoices_2012"

' make sure the ZB directory exists
vResult=dir_create_recurse(vDirectory)
sleep(.5)

' this is the part that names the invoice
vFilename = "Invoice_"+vInvoiceNumber+"_"+vClientName+"_"+date_format(date(),"yyyyMMdd")+"_"+time("0h0m")+".pdf"
vSource = session.session_folder + chr(92) + vFilename
vZBDestination = vZBDirectory + chr(92) + vFilename
vEADestination = vEADirectory + chr(92) + vFilename
dim opts as p
opts.filter = "INVOICE_NUMBER = "+vInvoiceNumber
opts.order = ""
dim vReport as c
vReport = report.saveas("invoice@c:\nfn_v11\nfn.alb","pdf","","",vSource,.f.,NULL,NULL_VALUE(),opts)
sleep(2)
' if that worked, save the pdf in the project directory and the accounting directory
if file.exists(vReport)
file.copy(vSource,vZBDestination)
' file.copy(vSource,vJ_Drive)
file.copy(vSource,vEADestination)
' open the pdf
response.redirect(vSource)
end if
PrintErrorOut:
'end
end function

Ah! Yes! Fabulous! This is all starting to make more sense. Thank you very much!

I'm pretty 100% sure the PDF generating code is done server side and then either downloaded to the client computer or saved in the session folder and then downloaded to the client computer. If I can do it server side, all the better! I gotta start making all these reports and put them all over the place. Server. Client. I need to do both.

I think I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum here on xbasic. I look at it and go cross-eyed trying to determine whether or not a function exists in the alpha library that does what I need. The other day I needed a "find_last_of" function. Alpha named their equivalent RAT. RAT? Reverse... at?

I question the naming conventions of these functions... always.
---
Sarah

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

One more question >>> I am so close to being done with this thing...

How would I detect if the generated report is... blank? I noticed the file size is, like, 3 KB. Is there a way to get more information out of the saveas function that will tell me if the report is blank?

---
Sarah

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Answered my own question -- I just test my data to see if conditions hold for the report to generate anything.

I found a5_default_path to help me with my report.saveas business --- separate testing & live servers. And also my local machine here. Too many headaches to change this constantly:

dim albLoc as c
albLoc = a5_removetrailingbackslash(a5_default_path) + chr(92) + "my.alb"
results = report.saveas("MYREPORT@" + albLoc, etc, etc, etc...)

In reading other threads, I figured out that looking inside the published __a5RunReport.a5w file is actually super duper helpful in figuring out all this stuff.

AND! I added some code to show a "wait, you people" message. It's not special. I'm pretty sure everyone does it like this:

A5.msgBox.show('Creating PDF',
               '<div style=\'width:200px;padding:10px;vertical-align:middle;\'><img src=\'CSS/A5System/Images/wait.gif\'/>Creating PDF. Please Wait.<br\>The PDF will be displayed once the operation completes.</div>',
               'none',
               function() {});
$('A5dlg0.TITLE.TOOLS.close').style.display = 'none';

But I got it to hide the popup window's close button! I'm making a huge assumption here that the popup's ID will never change. I may have just created a landmine for myself later.

Onward! With more explosions!
---
Sarah

[neilbob]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Anyone figure this out yet? Tired of having goofy file names. Would like to custom name and time stamp them.

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Help - setting the file name for "Print Report as PDF File" action

Anyone figure this out yet? Tired of having goofy file names. Would like to custom name and time stamp them.

Neil - read Pat's reply (reply #4.) It's xbasic and includes naming the file.

' this is the part that names the invoice
vFilename = "Invoice_"+vInvoiceNumber+"_"+vClientName+"_"+date_format(date(),"yyyyMMdd")+"_"+time("0h0m")+".pdf"
vSource = session.session_folder + chr(92) + vFilename
vZBDestination = vZBDirectory + chr(92) + vFilename
vEADestination = vEADirectory + chr(92) + vFilename

Also, session.session_folder is deprecated, so you need to use the suggested methods listed here (they work way better IMO): http://wiki.alphasoftware.com/~alpha...n+Sessions+V11