Creating PDF Documents Using ColdFusion

1
Creating PDF Documents Using ColdFusion
activePDF

• Matteo Foschetti
• Technical Evangelist
• activePDF Inc.

2
Introduction

• Technical Evangelist
• Software Engineer
• Corporate Trainer
• Conference Speaker
• Web Programming Instructor

3
Agenda

• Learn About activePDF Inc.
• Discuss PDF COM Technology
• Review ColdFusion MX
• Introduce activePDF Toolkit WebGrabber
• Demonstrate activePDF Examples

4
Survey

• PDF
• COM
• ColdFusion/ColdFusion MX
• ltCFOBJECTgt Tag
• activePDF

5
About activePDF Inc.

• Provider of server-side PDF conversion and
  development tools
• PDF tools free the developer from the dilemmas
  associated with dynamic PDF creation
• Unique in PDF industry by offering a server-based
  suite of products

6
About activePDF Inc.

• No additional per user or per document licensing
  fees
• COM object level access within all the activePDF
  products
• Complete control over the PDF generation and
  manipulation process

7
What is PDF?

• Portable Document Format
• Widespread standard among users for file sharing
  and exchanges
• Platform-independent for viewing on any machine
• PDF is well integrated in almost every industry

8
What is COM?

• Component Object Model
• A specification and set of services to enable
  component portability, reusability, and
  versioning
• Promotes component-based development

9
What is COM?

• Referred to as objects, controls or components
• Contain properties (attributes) and methods
  (operations)
• Callable from any environment that supports COM,
  such as ColdFusion, Visual Basic, ASP, etc.

10
The Typical PDF Conversion Process

1. A PostScript file is generated by printing from a
   native application to a PostScript enabled device
   by a user
2. A PDF generator application is opened

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The Typical PDF Conversion Process

1. PostScript File is located
2. File parameters and output options are selected
3. PostScript-To-PDF conversion takes place
4. User repeats steps 1-5 for each unique document

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What is Server-Side PDF Conversion?

• activePDF software resides on a network server
• Allows automatic file conversion without user
  intervention
• Alleviates the guesswork
• Allows full control over security and display
  settings of documents

13
ColdFusion MX Overview

• Latest ColdFusion Application Server
• Parses (reads and compiles) supplied instructions
• Processes supplied instructions
• Instructions passed to ColdFusion using templates

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ColdFusion MX Templates

• ColdFusion pages that use ColdFusion Markup
  Language (CFML)
• Extend HTML by adding tags with a variety of
  capabilities ltCF.gt
• Variables and functions are surrounded by pound
  signs .

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CFML ColdFusion Features

• Files use the file extension .cfm or .cfml
• Capable of Linking to External Data Applications
• Integration with C/C, Java, COM, CORBA, and Web
  Services

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Getting Started with COM and ColdFusion

• Component objects can be invoked in ColdFusion
  using tags
• ltCFOBJECTgt creates an instance of an object
• ltCFSETgt invokes properties and methods of the
  object
• ltCFOUTPUTgt displays text

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Using Properties

• To set a property
• ltcfset obj.property somevaluegt
• To get a property
• ltcfset value obj.propertygt

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Calling Methods

• Methods with no arguments
• ltcfset retVal obj.Method1()gt
• Methods with one or more arguments
• ltcfset x 23gt
• ltcfset retVal obj.Method1(x, a string
  literal)gt

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Calling Methods

• Methods with reference arguments
• ltcfset x 23gt
• ltcfset retVal obj.Method2(x, a string
  literal)gt
• Calling nested objects
• ltcfset objX myObj.Xgt
• ltcfset prop objX.Propertygt

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Registering COM Objects

• In order for ColdFusion to find the COM object,
  you must register it
• With Windows, you use the regsvr32 command with
  the object file (.dll, .ocx), such as
• regsvr32 c\path\servername.dll

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Creating Using COM Objects in ColdFusion

• Note You must create the component in ColdFusion
  before your application pages can invoke any
  methods or assign any properties in the
  component!

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Creating Using COM Objects Example

• lt!--- First, create the object ---gt
• ltcfobject typeCOM
• actionCreate
• nameMailer
• classCDONTS.NewMailgt
• ltcfset Mailer.To Form.togt
• ltcfset Mailer.Body Form.bodygt
• lt!--- Last, use the Send() method to send the msg
  ---gt
• ltcfset Mailer.Send()gt

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What is activePDF Toolkit?

• Programmable COM object that enables users to
  create and manipulate PDF documents
• With a robust API, ToolKit is used to append,
  stamp, stitch, merge, paint, form-fill, etc.

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Toolkit Features

• Simple to add watermarks, set form fields,
  incorporate headers and footers, extracting
  ,concatenating pages, etc.
• ToolKit supports latest encryption standards and
  other unique PDF technologies

25
Toolkit Basic Steps for Form-Filling a PDF

1. Open an output destination file (OpenOutputFile
   Method)
2. Open an input PDF form (OpenInputFile Method)
3. Set the form field values (SetFormFieldData
   Method)
4. Copy the input form into the destination file
   (CopyForm Method)
5. Close output destination file (CloseOutputFile)

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Toolkit Examples

• PDF Form-Filling
• Dynamic PDF Report Generation

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What is activePDF WebGrabber?

• Programmable COM object that dynamically
  converts any URL, HTML stream, or HTML file to
  PDF
• Designed for use with activePDF Server as a
  Multi-Threaded application

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WebGrabber Features

• Capable of using either the default HTML 3.2
  rendering engine or the Microsoft Internet
  Explorer engine which supports CSS, SSL, Flash,
  Java, etc.
• Supports latest Encryption standards and
  Linearization

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WebGrabber Basic Steps

• Spooling Stage activePDF WebGrabber is
  responsible for rendering the HTML
• Conversion Stage activePDF Server is then
  responsible for producing the PDF document
• (Multi-threaded)

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WebGrabber Examples

• On-the-fly HTML to PDF
• Web Reporting to PDF

31
Conclusion

• activePDF provides server-side PDF conversion and
  development tools
• PDF is a widespread standard among users for file
  sharing and exchanges

32
Conclusion

• activePDF COM objects allow full control over
  security and display settings of documents
• Component objects can be invoked in ColdFusion
  using tags, such as ltCFOBJECTgt

33
Conclusion

• activePDF Toolkit enables users to create and
  manipulate PDF documents
• activePDF WebGrabber dynamically converts any
  URL, HTML stream, or HTML file to PDF

34
References

• Forta, B., Weiss, N., (2003). Macromedia
  ColdFusion MX Web Application Construction Kit.
  (5th ed.). Berkeley, CA Macromedia Press.
• Macromedia. (2001). Macromedia ColdFusion5
  Developing ColdFusion Applications. Macromedia
  Incorporated.
• Balena, F. (1999). Programming Microsoft Visual
  Basic 6.0. Redmond, WA Microsoft Press.
• activePDF Inc. (2003). activePDF Press Kit.
  Retrieved May 12, 2003, from http//www.activepdf.
  com/en/Corporate/PressKit.asp