Karen, We create many reports that are very text heavy and are basically copies of paper forms that really should never change once they are done. Started printing all reports into separate PDFs using a naming system of ID#, report name, date, time (something like 182_Meds_03102010_1000.pdf). That way the table data can change but the report stays the same. PDFs are kept in the subdirectory which we keep secured and backed up. PDF file info is kept in a table using ID#, writer, report, PDF file name, date, time, computer, etc. in separate fields. A user picks a name from a list which then uses a DB Grid to allow access to all the PDFs related to the ID# of that name. Select a file from the DB Grid and it comes up in a PDF Viewer. I regularly use the list picker from SAT (List of names, click on as many as you want, names pop up in a selected list, you do want you want with them) to select people from a list. I would think the same thing should work with PDF file names if they are listed in a table regardless of where you actually store the files.
Tom Frederick Elm City Center 1314 W Walnut Jacksonville, IL 62650 O - 217-245-9504 F- 217-245-2350 Email - [email protected] ________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 10:48 AM To: RBASE-L Mailing List Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Printing a bunch of PDF files Emmitt: I agree again. In order to ensure that a re-generated invoice is the same as the original, you MUST store every single piece of information. In this client's case, I would have to store the original client information (name, address, etc), store a beginning balance number, every transaction that appeared on the invoice, the ending balance. Each statement can have up to 3 personalized notes on it depending on that particular customer's status at the time, so I would have to store 3 notes. And who knows, you might change the statement report since it was sent out, resulting in an invoice that, at best, does NOT look like the original invoice, but at WORST the data might not even conform to the current statement format. You'd have to almost store previous statement formats. Don't know about you, but I'll bet I tweak their statements at least once a year. Karen The problem with regenerating from the data is that the data may have changed, so there is no audit-supportable method of recreating an exact copy of the original. For documents such as invoices, purchase order acknowledgements, bills of lading, etc., where the document cannot and must not change once issued, PDF is the perfect solution. A statement, on the other hand, is subject to change over time - new charges happen, payments are applied. So generating from current data makes sense. Emmitt Dove
