RE: Creating PDF and the purpose of this list

I love to learn things for myself and I like re-inventing "My Wheel".  But in 
this case I realize for either $0 or as much as $200, I can get an entire suite 
of tools.  If $200 seems like a lot to pay for a tool of this nature, then you 
haven't seen some of your IT departments invoices.  They pay 300 bucks a pop so 
that the customer service department has cool looking flat screens, you 
shouldn't question $200 for a tool that can solve two of the issues that come 
up on this forum and others like it almost daily.  "How can I send mail from 
the 400" and "How can I create a .pdf file from my spool file".  

You can roll your own for sure.  But then when Adobe decides to change a little 
spec in the .pdf format are they going to alert you or are you going to keep up 
on their changes or are all of the sudden your .pdf files going to look like 
crap?  

I've used a lot of Brad's tools and learn eRPG from his book so maybe I'm 
either a little un-bias or just see a cheap quality product.





-----Original Message-----
From: Shrader, Patrick [mailto:pshrader@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2003 9:26 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Creating PDF and the purpose of this list


Concerning PDF File Creation, there are really two issues that have been
addressed. The first is how to get PDF files up and running VERY quickly for
a very little investment in time and money. For that this discussion has
delivered a few very cheap and easy to implement tools to help solve an
immediate problem. This is a very relevant aspect of this list: "How to get
my problem solved now!" -- one that I have taken advantage of very often.

The second issue is the one that Shannon has addressed. That issue is "How
can I learn to do this myself?" For this issue you may not have an immediate
pressing need, but rather a desire to solve the problem yourself -- perhaps
with a different approach. While this does take time away from other work,
I've found many times that writing the code and routines myself expands my
abilities and allow my next hurdle to be fixed even faster -- and using
better techniques. 

Both issues are valid, and approach the same problem from different avenues.
I always appreciate this forum as a way to solve my immediate problems and
to learn from one another.

Patrick
White Knight Engineered Products
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