Someone in the VFP form had a URL: http://www.fytek.com

At that URL is a reporting tool that generates PDF files from within a prg, method or the command box in VFP. There is also a command line version available for Linux. It is called buildPDF.

I tested the tool this morning in VFP6 and found it awesome. One can even generate pdf forms that accept user entries and respond to a submit button with an html file.

All that is needed to activate it on a development PC is registering with regserv32.

Then, from the VFP command line or in a prg or method I can issue, as an example:

oPDF = createobject("build.PDF")
cRet = oPDF.SetPDFCmd ("PAGE=8.5,11>>")
cRet = oPDF.SetPDFCmd ("BOX=0,0,8.5,11,80,50>>")
cRet = oPDF.SetPDFCmd ("FONT=2,12 ALIGN=C>>")
cRet = oPDF.SetPDFCmd ("X=40 Y=10>>Hello, World")
cRet = oPDF.buildPDF
nFH = fcreate("C:\jlk.pdf",0)
=fwrite(nFH,cRet)
=fClose(nFH)
cRet = NULL
RELEASE cRet


jlk.pdf is a standard PDF file readable by Acrobat Reader.

In Linux one could use Kylix or KDevelop or anyother RAD tool, GUI or otherwise, to generate text files that contain buildPDF commands. The text file is then submitted to the buildPDF along with parameters.

In my experimentation I found it to be easy to use and very powerful.
For $300 US per development station one has a powerful report writer that is also cross platform, since the text file containing the commands can be read by either the WinXX or the Linux version.
JLK