Introduction
How
would you like to use COBOL to create PDF files directly from your
COBOL program just like other windows applications ? To automate and standardize the
distribution process of reports, events, messages and such ? ACS Corporation
supplies a interface that allows COBOL programs to do this. This means
your COBOL program can create pdf files with all the bells and whistles. Including pages, outlines/indexes, annotations, text, fonts, lines,
paragraphs, pictures, boxes, circles, ellipses, Beziers curves, special effects, hieroglyphics, watermarks, pie shapes, hyperlinks and more.
- Create the pages one up or two up
- Create the pdf in landscape or portrait
- Concatenate pdf files
- Password protection
- Restrict Changes
- Restrict Printing
- 140 Internet safe color choices, including "transparent"
- 45 different page/paper sizes (envelopes, statements, legal, ects).
- Set author, subject and keywords
- Optionally display the pdf after creation
Would you like to see a sample pdf ?
Click Here for a crazy example because it uses so many of options available to the programmer.
Caveats ? A few. Many of the pdf features, like annotations, are new and will not display on older Adobe viewers or browsers. Always make sure you
testing on the most current version of pdf viewer or browser.
Requirements ? The COBOL interface is written in Microsoft Visual C++ 2010. As such it requires the installation of the 2010 VS runtime. This is free from
Microsoft and simple to install. If you are planning to run this on Microsoft Server 2008 you will need this runtime.
How easy is it for a typical COBOL programmer ? Very easy. If they have formatted a report or statement in COBOL then they can create a pdf file.
- Start a pdf creation session (specify title, author, subject, keywords)
- add a page (specify orientation and size)
- call various routines for watermarks, text, paragraphs, shapes, lines, curves and such
- repeat as needed for each page
- save your pdf with various options (file name, permissions, display immediately, ect.)
It is now that simple, to create professional looking pdf files from COBOL.
Contact us for any further information.
As always, thanks for looking !