Re: [hylafax-users] Template

[Lee Howard <faxguy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul D. Kraus wrote:

> [Paul Kraus] I never implied that the solution needed to be free. Just that
> I needed a solution to easily create templates that could have variables
> placed in them that a delimited file could be piped to.  I could write it
> but then I would need to maintain it. It would be nice to be able to
> delegate the form generation to our graphic design team. Take there form put
> in the variable place holders and then just pipe my output to it and then to
> send fax. I would rather buy a product if one existed. Our design time uses
> the adobe sweet but when I have them create me a mock up PO for instance and
> the save it in post script form I can't find anything in the text file to
> indicate text that should be there. For instance if the form had the words
> 'PO DATE:' the ps file prints that, the pdf shows it, but when I edit the
> document and do a search the words PO DATE do not exist.
>  

Adobe has an "FDF" option to their PDFs.  You've probably seen "PDF 
forms" that have input fields on them where you can type.  Well, you can 
also create an FDF file (ASCII) that references a PDF form file, and it 
will open up the PDF form and populate the fields with the data that you 
have.  I suspect that this is all possible to do with some version of 
Adobe Acrobat... since you're willing to pay for it.

So you can easily generate the FDF file from your database.  Then just 
get Acrobat to take that FDF data, merge it with the PDF form that you 
will create, and flatten it.  Then deliver the flattened PDF to HylaFAX 
for sending.

Lee.


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