Re: PHP/HTMLDOC For Creating PDF Files

I have used HTMLDOC with Perl. The bulk of my app was really pre-made in HTML and then searched through using perl regular expressions for the replacements. After that it uses a system call to my newly created file based on the HTML template that was searched and replaced. Michael On Thursday, December 28, 2000, at 01:17 PM, Paul Meagher wrote: > > > > Has anyone had any success in using the HTMLDOC program thru PHP to > convert > > html files to PDF? If so, how did you call the htmldoc program in you PHP > > script? > > > > Since all I really want to do is create a simple raffle ticket when > someone > > registers through the web and print it to the local server's printer the > > HTMLDOC program seems to be easier to use than trying to learn the pdf > > functions in php. > > This is snippet on printing from Fred Langa's email newsletter. It might > help you to solve your problem. Let me know if it does. > > You might also want to look at this article on creating printer-friendly > pages: > > http://www.phpbuilder.com/tips/item.php?id=171 > > Regards, > Paul > > 2) Printing From A File > > Sounds simple, doesn't it? It's one of those things that you can ignore > almost forever--- until you unexpectedly and urgently need to do it. > Then, suddenly, what seemed like a simple task may turn out to be > considerably more complicated. > > The concept *is* simple: Most standard Print dialogs in Windows include a > small checkbox called "Print to file." If you check this (say, when your > printer is offline or if you're working on a laptop and are away from a > printer), Windows will send to a file exactly the same stream of data > that it would have sent to the printer. The file is given a PRN > extension, such as "MyReport.Prn." > > In theory, when you later have access to a printer, you send the PRN file > to that printer, and it prints out. > > But trouble is, in practice, Windows has no clue what to do with a PRN > file, on its own. If you click on the file, you'll simply get the "Open > With?" dialog. So what do you do? > > Well, you can "copy" a PRN file to the printer port (usually LPT1 or > LPT2, so called from the old days when printers were called "line > printers"). One very simple way to do this is to drop to DOS or open a > DOS box and type > > copy filename.prn lpt1 /b > > Of course, you replace "filename" with the actual name of the file. The > "/b" tells the system you're processing a "binary" (machine language) > file, not text. > > This works best with simple files that don't use any or many of modern > printers' advanced capabilities. In fact, it works best with plain text > files. > > One easy way to create truly plain-vanilla text files is to add a special > fake printer to your system by using Control Panel's "Add Printer" > dialog, and lying: Tell Windows you want to install a new local printer, > and select "Generic/Text Only" from the offered choices. When you're > ready to print, select the Generic printer, and then click the "Print to > file" box: Although you'll lose access to your printer's advanced > capabilities, you'll create a simplified PRN file that may be easier to > print out later than a more complex PRN file. > > And there are other tricks of increasing complexity (desktop shortcuts, > etc.), to get PRN files to print. But they may not work well, or at all: > For example, many color and complex printers require their Windows > drivers to be loaded and running at print time; any attempt to direct- > print may fail. Some printers are designed actually to use the PC's own > CPU to control the live printing process; trying a "back door" approach > to printing will fail. Likewise, networked or shared printers add an > additional layer of complexity that may thwart your attempts to print a > PRN file. > > Believe me, I know: I recently needed to print color output from an > application on a machine I was testing. It's a long story, but I needed > to do it via a PRN file. But nothing I did--- and I tried every trick I > could think of or find in a lengthy online search--- *nothing* let me > correctly print the PRN file. At best, my printer would print gibberish; > at worst, it'd hiccup once and die. > > Eventually, I found Gallicrow Software's "Imprint," a small trialware > Windows app (you can try it free for 30 days) that lets you easily and > controllably print binary and PostScript PRN files from within Windows. > After downloading Imprint, I had the PRN file rolling out of the printer > in less than a minute. (See http://www.gallicrow.co.uk/ ) > Imprint is > $30 if you decide to keep it. I wish I'd found it sooner--- I would have > saved myself a couple of very frustrating hours. > > BTW, along the way, in trying to get the *%$E%$# PRN files to print, I > found "the Ultimate Windows 95 Spool32 FAQ on the Internet" at > http://www.starkreality.com/~callen/spool32.htm . There's > a ton of good > (free) information there, should you ever need it. > Click to email this item to a friend > > http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Ron Woods/GAI > > > > -- > > PHP Windows Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-windows-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > > For additional commands, e-mail: php-windows-help@lists.php.net > > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net > > > > > > > > -- > PHP Windows Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-windows-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > For additional commands, e-mail: php-windows-help@lists.php.net > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net > > >