First off Happy New Year to you and anyone else reading this.
Sorry if I confused you. I thought I was pretty clear.
If you're going for a conceptual article then you're done.
If you're trying to offer up a feature complete article on how to take an HTML form, save the data, convert to HTML and write the HTML to a PDF then I believe the article is incomplete because there's not enough info and no readily apparent downloadable, compile-able and runnable sample code links. (Github or Bit Bucket perhaps)
I also quickly scanned parts 13 and 14 and it looks like you talk about your HTML templates but no real detail on the PDF generation and also no complete, runnable source examples. Maybe those still coming ? (Part 20 or 21 perhaps ?)
I agree that the HTML web form to generating PDF docs approach is cool and it appears you've had success doing the convert pre-formatted HTML to PDF approach.
However my previous thread answers get more to the heart of filling out an existing PDF form template from the web form data or just filling a fillable PDF template from a background IBM i job with data.
That's probably closer to what your wife's team and other government, healthcare and other entities possibly need. Gather data in business system and automatically fill out existing government PDF forms with no keying. And then users can edit the final PDF as needed with Acrobat or other 3rd party PDF reader or editor unless they flatten the PDF which is the concept of essentially burning the data into the final document.
Marrying a web form with ANY fillable PDF document and capturing the data once and then filling the pixel perfect government or other form is an awesome approach and the final PDF output can still be modified if needed or flattened if permanent. Your HTML to PDF method does not allow changing the final PDF unless you possibly use Adobe Pro.
By re-using existing PDF documents as templates for fillable HTML web forms you've just removed form design for thousands maybe even millions of existing publicly available, fillable PDF forms. Now that's time savings !!
In case you doubt my experience on the topic of fillable forms and forms output, I'll add a little reminder.
I was the original architect for most of the RJS/HelpSystems Document Management Products including:
iForms - generating real-time electronic output forms on IBM i and Windows without writing RPG programs. iForms would have worked nicely for your 120 student forms most likely.
WebForms - Online fillable form capture engine for capturing HTML form data input and re-using the data to eliminate double-keying and then if needed generate pixel-perfect output using existing PDF templates or by using the iForms engine or even your RPG based HTML reporting templates.
There's nothing wrong with the HTML to PDF approach you advocate. It just doesn't work for super-complex fillable government forms that require very specific formatting.
Hope that clarifies my feedback a little.
Feel free to check out any of my webinar recordings on the topic of output forms and fillable forms.
I'm always happy to talk forms.
Regards,
Richard Schoen | Director of Document Management Technologies, HelpSystems
T: + 1 952-486-6802
RJS Software Systems | A Division of HelpSystems
richard.schoen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.rjssoftware.com
Visit me on: Twitter | LinkedIn
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message: 3
date: Mon, 2 Jan 2017 14:18:52 -0700
from: Nathan Andelin <nandelin@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: Web Forms to PDF (was AFP-To-PDF)
If I had a need for this functionality I would be saying to myself: "WTF
the author left me hanging with this example. I can already do nice looking
RPG to synthesize CGI fields. I want PDF"
I appreciate the feedback. But I'm flummoxed by it. What do you mean by
"synthesize CGI fields."?
In regards to your statement "I want PDF", that's what the program gives
you. Let me re-extend my invitation to read the article:
https://rd.radile.com/rdweb/info2/ibmiui19.html
And to test form-input and PDF generation:
https://rd.radile.com/rdweb/info3/iui19/tabs.html
If you failed to try the form-input and PDF generation, that would also
explain your cajoling me to write a part 2.
This is the only solution I'm aware of which meets the requirement from the
original thread to generate PDFs from RPG programs and provide input
capability.
Web form input is arguably a better solution than input via Adobe Reader
because web forms:
1. May include semi-transparent placeholders as input prompts.
2. May provide field validation and feedback.
3. May avoid dual data entry, assuming that input need to be eventually
added to a database - otherwise why require it?
My guess is that 95% of interactive PDF forms could be replaced by
solutions like this - which would be an improvement.
My wife provides constituent services in a US congressional office. Federal
agencies require a "privacy release form" before congressional offices can
intervene on behalf of constituents. After constituents fill out forms,
congressional offices must re-key the information into their case
management system. Web forms paired with PDF generation would be a better
alternative. Same is true for the Visa application cited in the previous
discussion.
We generate 120+ PDF reports in our student information system using this
technology. I wrote about it in Part 13-14 of my IBM i UI Modernization
series, in addition to Part 19.
https://rd.radile.com/rdweb/info2/ibmiuix.html
midrange.com
