Index
2017-05-24 15:08Kurt Wendt : [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-24 17:42Ken Kixmoeller (ProFox) : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-24 18:14Kurt @ VR-FX : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 03:16Alan Bourke : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 05:55Ted Roche : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 06:18Peter Cushing : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 09:56Kurt Wendt : RE: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 10:00Stephen Russell : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 10:02Kurt Wendt : RE: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
2017-05-25 10:05Ted Roche : Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF
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[NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Kurt Wendt

Posted: 2017-05-24 15:08:33   Link

Hey folks,

I have this crazy request here at work - and its super urgent. So - I need to figure out how to do this - and do it FAST!

They have these spreadsheets of Data - and these PDF Files. I've done work recently with putting field names in PDF files. But, now I have to merge it with data from an Excel file. The other stuff I've been working on - its NOT time sensitive - and for that people have .Net code and pulling data from SQL. This new project is really a One-Shot-Deal!

Doing a Google search I came up with some PDF Mail Merge utility that resides on CodePlex - and I see CodePlex so far is STILL running (although I looked thru recently archive postings since I knew that CodePlex was recently discussed about shutting down).

So - this PDF Mail Merge utility on CodePlex - is it really the easiest way to go? I'm still researching on Google to see how to do this particular mail merge.

Any thoughts on this??

TIA!

Kurt Wendt

Senior Systems Analyst

[GlobeTax_SecondaryLogo_TwoColor_Lo]<https://www.globetax.com/>

One New York Plaza - 34th Floor

New York, NY 10004-1936, USA

Tel. +1-212-747-9100

Direct +1-212-405-8246

www.GlobeTax.com<https://www.globetax.com/>

GlobeTax does not provide or offer, and this is not, tax, investment or legal advice. This email and any attachments hereto is intended only for use by the addressee(s) and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please immediately notify the sender at +1-212-747-9100 and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email.

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Ken Kixmoeller (ProFox)

Posted: 2017-05-24 17:42:35   Link

Why directly to PDF, instead of VFP->Word->Print to PDF?

On Wed, May 24, 2017 at 3:08 PM, Kurt Wendt <Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com> wrote:

> Hey folks,

>

> I have this crazy request here at work - and its super urgent. So - I need

> to figure out how to do this - and do it FAST!

>

> They have these spreadsheets of Data - and these PDF Files. I've done work

> recently with putting field names in PDF files. But, now I have to merge it

> with data from an Excel file. The other stuff I've been working on - its

> NOT time sensitive - and for that people have .Net code and pulling data

> from SQL. This new project is really a One-Shot-Deal!

>

> Doing a Google search I came up with some PDF Mail Merge utility that

> resides on CodePlex - and I see CodePlex so far is STILL running (although

> I looked thru recently archive postings since I knew that CodePlex was

> recently discussed about shutting down).

>

> So - this PDF Mail Merge utility on CodePlex - is it really the easiest

> way to go? I'm still researching on Google to see how to do this particular

> mail merge.

>

> Any thoughts on this??

>

> TIA!

> Kurt Wendt

> Senior Systems Analyst

> [GlobeTax_SecondaryLogo_TwoColor_Lo]<https://www.globetax.com/>

> One New York Plaza - 34th Floor

> New York, NY 10004-1936, USA

> Tel. +1-212-747-9100

> Direct +1-212-405-8246

> www.GlobeTax.com<https://www.globetax.com/>

>

> GlobeTax does not provide or offer, and this is not, tax, investment or

> legal advice. This email and any attachments hereto is intended only for

> use by the addressee(s) and may contain confidential information. If you

> are not the intended recipient of this email, please immediately notify the

> sender at +1-212-747-9100 and permanently delete the original and any

> copies of this email.

>

>

>

> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---

> multipart/related

> multipart/alternative

> text/plain (text body -- kept)

> text/html

> image/png

> ---

>

[excessive quoting removed by server]

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Kurt @ VR-FX

Posted: 2017-05-24 18:14:38   Link

The PDF is Digitally signed from the client & specially formatted!

So no VFP involved.

-K-

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 24, 2017, at 6:42 PM, "Ken Kixmoeller (ProFox)" <foxhelp@information-architecture.com> wrote:

>

> Why directly to PDF, instead of VFP->Word->Print to PDF?

>

>> On Wed, May 24, 2017 at 3:08 PM, Kurt Wendt <Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com> wrote:

>>

>> Hey folks,

>>

>> I have this crazy request here at work - and its super urgent. So - I need

>> to figure out how to do this - and do it FAST!

>>

>> They have these spreadsheets of Data - and these PDF Files. I've done work

>> recently with putting field names in PDF files. But, now I have to merge it

>> with data from an Excel file. The other stuff I've been working on - its

>> NOT time sensitive - and for that people have .Net code and pulling data

>> from SQL. This new project is really a One-Shot-Deal!

>>

>> Doing a Google search I came up with some PDF Mail Merge utility that

>> resides on CodePlex - and I see CodePlex so far is STILL running (although

>> I looked thru recently archive postings since I knew that CodePlex was

>> recently discussed about shutting down).

>>

>> So - this PDF Mail Merge utility on CodePlex - is it really the easiest

>> way to go? I'm still researching on Google to see how to do this particular

>> mail merge.

>>

>> Any thoughts on this??

>>

>> TIA!

>> Kurt Wendt

>> Senior Systems Analyst

>> [GlobeTax_SecondaryLogo_TwoColor_Lo]<https://www.globetax.com/>

>> One New York Plaza - 34th Floor

>> New York, NY 10004-1936, USA

>> Tel. +1-212-747-9100

>> Direct +1-212-405-8246

>> www.GlobeTax.com<https://www.globetax.com/>

>>

>> GlobeTax does not provide or offer, and this is not, tax, investment or

>> legal advice. This email and any attachments hereto is intended only for

>> use by the addressee(s) and may contain confidential information. If you

>> are not the intended recipient of this email, please immediately notify the

>> sender at +1-212-747-9100 and permanently delete the original and any

>> copies of this email.

>>

>>

>>

>> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---

>> multipart/related

>> multipart/alternative

>> text/plain (text body -- kept)

>> text/html

>> image/png

>> ---

[excessive quoting removed by server]

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Alan Bourke

Posted: 2017-05-25 03:16:23   Link

Not clear on what you're trying to do - are these actual PDF forms or do

you just need to put data into an existing vanilla PDF?

If it's any help I did some code recently to add a customer signature

captured from a signature pad to a PDF invoice. One of the methods I

investigated was generating the invoice first and then merging the

signature graphic in. It used the free Debenu Quick PDF Lite Library

(http://www.debenu.com/products/development/debenu-pdf-library-lite/)

which has support for merging graphics into PDFs. Ultimately I didn't

end up going down this route but here's the business end of it FWIW. You

might need the paid version to merge text or fill PDF forms.

* -- Parameters are target PDF, the filename of the graphic with the

signature, and the image dimensions.

Function SignPDF(lcPDFFile as String, lcSigFile as String, loParms as

Object)

Local lnFileID, lnImageID

With goApplication.oDebenuPDF

If .LoadFromFile(lcPDFFile, "") > 0

? "PageHeight=" + Transform(.PageHeight)

.SelectPage(1) && - -TODO each page

or last?

.NormalizePage(0)

.SetOrigin(1) && -- Top left

lnFileID = .SelectedDocument

lnImageID = .AddImageFromFile(lcSigFile, 0)

If lnImageID > 0

If .SelectImage(lnImageID) > 0

if .DrawImage(loParms.ImgLeft, loParms.ImgTop, ;

loParms.ImgWidth, loParms.ImgHeight) > 0

If .SaveToFile(lcPDFFile) = 0

?"ERROR: Could not save " + lcPDFFile

Else

? "Merge successful."

Endif

Else

? "Could not draw image."

endif

Else

? "Could not select image."

Endif

Else

? "ImageID = 0"

Endif

Else

? "Could not load image file."

EndIf

EndWith

Endfunc

--

Alan Bourke

alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Ted Roche

Posted: 2017-05-25 05:55:40   Link

On Wed, May 24, 2017 at 4:08 PM, Kurt Wendt <Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com> wrote:

>

> Any thoughts on this??

>

Thoughts? Boy, are you in trouble!

Okay, so [NF] means Not Fox, so you don't want to hear about the 42

ways to do this in VFP. The CodePlex code may be worth trying out;

some of the people on their forum report it works for them.

It seems to me you're looking at the classic IT conundrum: Fast,

cheap, accurate: pick two. If you want it fast and accurate, it won't

be cheap. If you want it cheap and accurate, it won't get done fast.

If you want it cheap and fast, it won't be accurate. And IIRC, your

employer is big on cheap. And fast. So...

Otherwise, you're looking at a specialized tool. Years ago, I worked

with a client that used OmniForm (now from ScanSoft) to mail merge

their internal data onto government-supplied forms. ScanSoft may have

a solution for you, although I'm not familiar with their current

product lines.

Adobe are the people who invented PDF, and likely have some tools that

would work for you. If this truly is a one-off job, and not a "we'll

ask you to do this every 6 months, as an emergency," it might be

cheaper to search for an Adobe professional who could bang this out.

Searching online, it seems like a lot of Adobe products can mail merge

via ODBC, which is likely what you want.

Random surfing turned up: https://www.evermap.com/automailmerge.asp,

no idea if it works, but $149 is reasonable.

I thought there was a way to do this using CutePDFPro; I've used it to

create the data-fillable PDF form templates, but I don't see a

solution that includes merge-from-database.

Good luck!

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Peter Cushing

Posted: 2017-05-25 06:18:29   Link

On 25/05/2017 11:55, Ted Roche wrote:

> <snip>

> Adobe are the people who invented PDF, and likely have some tools that

> would work for you. If this truly is a one-off job, and not a "we'll

> ask you to do this every 6 months, as an emergency," it might be

> cheaper to search for an Adobe professional who could bang this out.

> Searching online, it seems like a lot of Adobe products can mail merge

> via ODBC, which is likely what you want.

>

> Random surfing turned up: https://www.evermap.com/automailmerge.asp,

> no idea if it works, but $149 is reasonable.

>

> I thought there was a way to do this using CutePDFPro; I've used it to

> create the data-fillable PDF form templates, but I don't see a

> solution that includes merge-from-database.

>

Also have a look at Nitro

https://www.gonitro.com/pricing-11

Also phantom PDF

https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-editor/

$109 one time purchase.

Also Amyuni PDF converter desktop edition

https://www.amyuni.com/en/enduser/pdfconverterend/pricing/

$79 for a one user licence.

All these tools can edit / add / delete items in PDF files. We have

just purchase Amyuni and very impressed so far.

Peter

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RE: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Kurt Wendt

Posted: 2017-05-25 09:56:04   Link

Alan - as I wrote in the original posting - the PDF Files come from a Client. Its also Digitally Signed. On that PDF - they need to have name and addresses on the PDF - based upon data from an Excel file. Thus a mail merge. But, yeah - PDF already exists! It is NOT something that I can generate from VFP - so, VFP is NOT involved - thus why I posted as [NF].

Regards,

Kurt Wendt

Senior Systems Analyst

Tel. +1-212-747-9100

www.GlobeTax.com

-----Original Message-----

From: ProfoxTech [mailto:profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Alan Bourke

Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2017 4:16 AM

To: profoxtech@leafe.com

Subject: Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Not clear on what you're trying to do - are these actual PDF forms or do you just need to put data into an existing vanilla PDF?

If it's any help I did some code recently to add a customer signature captured from a signature pad to a PDF invoice. One of the methods I investigated was generating the invoice first and then merging the signature graphic in. It used the free Debenu Quick PDF Lite Library

(http://www.debenu.com/products/development/debenu-pdf-library-lite/)

which has support for merging graphics into PDFs. Ultimately I didn't end up going down this route but here's the business end of it FWIW. You might need the paid version to merge text or fill PDF forms.

* -- Parameters are target PDF, the filename of the graphic with the signature, and the image dimensions.

Function SignPDF(lcPDFFile as String, lcSigFile as String, loParms as

Object)

Local lnFileID, lnImageID

With goApplication.oDebenuPDF

If .LoadFromFile(lcPDFFile, "") > 0

? "PageHeight=" + Transform(.PageHeight)

.SelectPage(1) && - -TODO each page

or last?

.NormalizePage(0)

.SetOrigin(1) && -- Top left

lnFileID = .SelectedDocument

lnImageID = .AddImageFromFile(lcSigFile, 0)

If lnImageID > 0

If .SelectImage(lnImageID) > 0

if .DrawImage(loParms.ImgLeft, loParms.ImgTop, ;

loParms.ImgWidth, loParms.ImgHeight) > 0

If .SaveToFile(lcPDFFile) = 0

?"ERROR: Could not save " + lcPDFFile

Else

? "Merge successful."

Endif

Else

? "Could not draw image."

endif

Else

? "Could not select image."

Endif

Else

? "ImageID = 0"

Endif

Else

? "Could not load image file."

EndIf

EndWith

Endfunc

--

Alan Bourke

alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm

[excessive quoting removed by server]

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Stephen Russell

Posted: 2017-05-25 10:00:23   Link

Do you have to identify who to mail this file to by data inside the

excel file? " On that PDF - they need to have name and addresses on the PDF

- based upon data from an Excel file" Or do you have to tweak the contents

of the PDF by the excel file?

On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 9:56 AM, Kurt Wendt <Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com> wrote:

> Alan - as I wrote in the original posting - the PDF Files come from a

> Client. Its also Digitally Signed. On that PDF - they need to have name and

> addresses on the PDF - based upon data from an Excel file. Thus a mail

> merge. But, yeah - PDF already exists! It is NOT something that I can

> generate from VFP - so, VFP is NOT involved - thus why I posted as [NF].

>

> Regards,

> Kurt Wendt

> Senior Systems Analyst

>

>

> Tel. +1-212-747-9100

> www.GlobeTax.com

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: ProfoxTech [mailto:profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Alan

> Bourke

> Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2017 4:16 AM

> To: profoxtech@leafe.com

> Subject: Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

>

> Not clear on what you're trying to do - are these actual PDF forms or do

> you just need to put data into an existing vanilla PDF?

>

> If it's any help I did some code recently to add a customer signature

> captured from a signature pad to a PDF invoice. One of the methods I

> investigated was generating the invoice first and then merging the

> signature graphic in. It used the free Debenu Quick PDF Lite Library

> (http://www.debenu.com/products/development/debenu-pdf-library-lite/)

> which has support for merging graphics into PDFs. Ultimately I didn't end

> up going down this route but here's the business end of it FWIW. You might

> need the paid version to merge text or fill PDF forms.

>

> * -- Parameters are target PDF, the filename of the graphic with the

> signature, and the image dimensions.

>

>

> Function SignPDF(lcPDFFile as String, lcSigFile as String, loParms as

> Object)

> Local lnFileID, lnImageID

>

> With goApplication.oDebenuPDF

>

> If .LoadFromFile(lcPDFFile, "") > 0

>

> ? "PageHeight=" + Transform(.PageHeight)

>

> .SelectPage(1) && - -TODO each page

> or last?

> .NormalizePage(0)

> .SetOrigin(1) && -- Top left

> lnFileID = .SelectedDocument

> lnImageID = .AddImageFromFile(lcSigFile, 0)

>

> If lnImageID > 0

>

> If .SelectImage(lnImageID) > 0

>

> if .DrawImage(loParms.ImgLeft, loParms.ImgTop, ;

> loParms.ImgWidth, loParms.ImgHeight) > 0

>

> If .SaveToFile(lcPDFFile) = 0

> ?"ERROR: Could not save " + lcPDFFile

> Else

> ? "Merge successful."

> Endif

>

> Else

> ? "Could not draw image."

> endif

>

> Else

> ? "Could not select image."

> Endif

>

> Else

> ? "ImageID = 0"

> Endif

>

> Else

> ? "Could not load image file."

> EndIf

>

> EndWith

>

> Endfunc

>

>

>

>

> --

> Alan Bourke

> alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm

>

[excessive quoting removed by server]

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©2017 Stephen Russell
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RE: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Kurt Wendt

Posted: 2017-05-25 10:02:26   Link

Gosh Ted - that's a "Nice" thought!

Correct - its not really a VFP project. Just need a way to get data from Excel onto a PDF form that is already digitally signed.

Not sure how I gave you the idea my co. here is Cheap. Hmmm... They are a very professional co. in a fancy building here at the bottom of Manhattan. So - nope - they aren't cheap. If they need to purchase a tool to do it - then they will.

There were instructions online - but, it turns out it was a bit BS - since it claims it could only do 1 doc at a time. Thus - if I have 1000 records in the Excel file - I would have to do the process 1000 times - which, yeah - is total BS. Hard to believe someone actually posted that answer as a reply to someone else with an almost Identical request to mine!

I'm going to look into the CodePlex thing right now...

Regards,

Kurt Wendt

Senior Systems Analyst

Tel. +1-212-747-9100

www.GlobeTax.com

-----Original Message-----

From: ProfoxTech [mailto:profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Ted Roche

Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2017 6:56 AM

To: profoxtech@leafe.com

Subject: Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

On Wed, May 24, 2017 at 4:08 PM, Kurt Wendt <Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com> wrote:

>

> Any thoughts on this??

>

Thoughts? Boy, are you in trouble!

Okay, so [NF] means Not Fox, so you don't want to hear about the 42 ways to do this in VFP. The CodePlex code may be worth trying out; some of the people on their forum report it works for them.

It seems to me you're looking at the classic IT conundrum: Fast, cheap, accurate: pick two. If you want it fast and accurate, it won't be cheap. If you want it cheap and accurate, it won't get done fast.

If you want it cheap and fast, it won't be accurate. And IIRC, your employer is big on cheap. And fast. So...

Otherwise, you're looking at a specialized tool. Years ago, I worked with a client that used OmniForm (now from ScanSoft) to mail merge their internal data onto government-supplied forms. ScanSoft may have a solution for you, although I'm not familiar with their current product lines.

Adobe are the people who invented PDF, and likely have some tools that would work for you. If this truly is a one-off job, and not a "we'll ask you to do this every 6 months, as an emergency," it might be cheaper to search for an Adobe professional who could bang this out.

Searching online, it seems like a lot of Adobe products can mail merge via ODBC, which is likely what you want.

Random surfing turned up: https://www.evermap.com/automailmerge.asp,

no idea if it works, but $149 is reasonable.

I thought there was a way to do this using CutePDFPro; I've used it to create the data-fillable PDF form templates, but I don't see a solution that includes merge-from-database.

Good luck!

[excessive quoting removed by server]

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Re: [NF] URGENT Request - MailMerge w/PDF

Author: Ted Roche

Posted: 2017-05-25 10:05:34   Link

On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 11:02 AM, Kurt Wendt <Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com> wrote:

> Gosh Ted - that's a "Nice" thought!

Sorry, it must be Cynical Thursday.

> Not sure how I gave you the idea my co. here is Cheap. Hmmm... They are a very professional co. in a fancy building here at the bottom of Manhattan. So - nope - they aren't cheap. If they need to purchase a tool to do it - then they will.

Well, good for you! I'm glad to hear it.

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