NAME
PDFREP - create PDF Report files
This module is used to create a basic data generated PDF file it's main
Purpose is to be generic and usable by all perl scripts in an easy manner
It does create all the indexes, but not the thumbnails. PNG and JPEG Images
are also allowed.
DEVELOPMENT
STARTED 26th June 2000
COMPLETED 23rd July 2007
VERSION 2.20
WRITTEN BY Trevor Ward
Copyright (c) 2001 Trevor Ward. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
MODIFICATION INDEX
The version number to be incremented by .1 for each modification
Date Version By Comments
28/06/2001 1.00 TRW Initial Version
10/07/2001 1.01 TRW Added Column Positioning.
04/08/2005 2.00 TRW Bug Fixes and new features
23/07/2007 2.20 TRW Bracket and Makefile Bug Fixes
INSTALLATION
REQUIRED.
PERL 5.006
MODULES GD
CHART (for test system).
CGI (for test system).
To install manually, cd to the directory containing the unpacked
distribution and do one of the following:
a. Create a makefile by running Makefile.PL using the perl
program into whose library you want to install and then run
make three times:
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install
b. To install into a private library, for example your home
directory:
perl Makefile.PL INSTALLSITELIB=$HOME/lib INSTALLMAN3DIR=$HOME/man
make
make test
make pure_install
EXAMPLES
Rather than go into how the Module works in detail here. Within the zipped file is a
complete test suite.
pdftest.htm is the control HTML code.
pdftest.cgi is run by pdftest.htm.
pdftest.pm This contains the complete test code. Each line undertaken is documented.
OVERVIEW.
A brief usage of PDFREP.
use PDFREP;
options:
This sets up the PDF REP Module.
$pdfrep = PDFREP->new();
This is the first call which generates the pdf file. Hopefully the scalars explain what they are for.
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->heading($filenam, $filedir, $title, $author);
This sets a font to be used. (F1 is the internal reference for the font).
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->fontset('F1','Helvetica');
To start writing the data.
A function can be used to return the line count to use in intelligent pageing.
($line_count) = $pdfrep->lcnt();
This is done by calling the Pagedata section of PDFREP. This section has various parameters
1 The type of data passed
np = new page
nl = new line
nc = new coloumn (using the offset).
im = new image
The other parameters passed are
2 = The column offset . This is the amount of characters from the left hand column of the line.
3 = The font size to be used with the font set later. It is the text point size standard is 12
4 = The name of the font you want to use as previously set
5 = The size of the font on the next data line to allow for correct data throws.
6 = Italic 0 = No 1 = yes > 1 get some weird results.
7 = Red colour
8 = Green colour
9 = Blue colour 0 0 0 = black 1 1 1 = white
10 = The data. This is the textual data you require.
If image 10 contains the name of the image width and height ie. I2 300 60
For a new page line there are two extra parameters required page size and orientation. The document
must have the same all the way through
11 = Page Size LE = letter A4 = A4
12 = Page Orientation PO = Portrait LA = Landscape
Leaving these blank defaults to Letter Portrait
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->pagedata('np','0','12','F2','12','0','0','0','0','This is the first bit of text','A4','PO');
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->pagedata('nl','0','12','F1','12','0','0','0','0','This is the second bit of text');
To include an image into the PDF file. It uses the physical file on disc and can then be
used at any point on any page.
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->include_image('I1','test1.png','600','350', 'png', '../');
This is the im option for displaying page data
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->pagedata('im','0','12','F1','12','0','0','0','0','I1 600 350');
OK so are all the data lines and pages written now. Hope so because it's time to write the
PDF file. This might take a minute because it's playing with reading the temporary file and
outputting this to the PDF File,
1 = Page size LE = Letter and A4 = A4 defaults to letter
2 = Page orientation PO = Portrait and LA = Landscape
($status, $message) = $pdfrep->writepdf('A4','PO');
The module always returns the status and a message. so you can just check the status to see if an error
occured.
Well thats it enjoy the module and I hope it is useful.
Please if you find any bugs or wish for any enhancements let me know and I will do
my best to accomodate them.