Re: Fonts on the IBM i

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the suggestions. I have started to look at HTML reports, but ultimately I want a PDF. I was looking at using iText to do the conversion from HTML to PDF, but since my Java is quite limited, I'm struggling with how to go about that.

Since Python is now supported on the IBM I, I was curious if Python had a method for converting HTML to a PDF. Apparently it does, based on some internet searches I've done. As always though, the devil is in the details.

On a side note, I wonder if Python will outperform Java on the IBM i. Everyone usually talks about the overhead of starting the JVM for each job, I wonder if Python has similar overhead. Maybe John Yeung will chime in with his thoughts.

Dean Eshleman
Software Development Architect

On 8/18/2015 8:35 PM, Bradley Stone wrote:

The base fonts for AFPDS are normally installed with the Advanced Function
Printing product and reside in a library named QFNTCPL.

Now, if you're looking at using proportional (ie, Arial, Times, etc)
instead of non-proportional (ie courier) fonts in your reports, that means
using AFPDS. I say yuck.

I would instead look into creating HTML reports. This will allow you to
use stylesheets to not only style elements on the report, but also be able
to keep things "lined up" in columns using tables/divs/etc.

Another option is keeping your reports text (ie, the "data" in the report)
as courier and then converting them to PDF and adding an overlay that can
be as "pretty" as you want. Our SPLTOOL software will convert reports to
PDF and allow you to add a PDF overlay with grids, colors, logos, etc to
"beautify" the reports.

Here's an example:
http://www.fieldexit.com/forum/display?threadid=12

We have a couple more examples at http://www.bvstools.com/spltool.html as
well near the bottom.

There are also a couple nice forms conversion software out there. The
issue there is they create *USERASCII spooled files that if you ever want
to convert to PDF for distribution can be a little tough to do (or very
expensive and require PC servers in the mix).

I'm dealing with quite a few customers these days in that boat that now
want to convert these reports to PDF and they're not having much luck.

Brad
www.bvstools.com

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 2:26 PM, Dean Eshleman <Dean.Eshleman-d3hNrR/acMxWk0Htik3J/w@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

wrote:

Does anyone know how to find out what fonts are on the system and what
they look like when printed? We are trying to figure out how to make our
reports more appealing visually by using different sized fonts and as

well

as non-fixed space fonts. Is this possible?

Dean Eshleman
Software Development Architect

Everence Financial
1110 North Main Street
PO Box 483
Goshen, IN 46527
Phone: (574) 533-9515 x3528
www.everence.com<http://www.everence.com/>

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