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alternatives</title></head><body>
<div>Thanks Dale,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>This was a hard lesson learned while I started to learn FPDF the
past day or two: You need to follow/direct the cursor each step of the
way. Once I learned that, I stopped tearing my hair out....until
I got to word wrap at the end of cell. ;-)</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I am sort of where I first was with fx.php: I can recreate a
single function from the tutorial, but combining the functions to get
what you want is the real trick.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>J</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>At 11:43 AM -0500 10/2/07, Dale Bengston wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Jonathan,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>One thing that helps me when I'm using
FPDF/FPDI to fine tune content to fit specific places on a template is
to put a nice red border on my cells and text blocks, so I can see
their complete "footprint" on the page, regardless of the
content I'm drawing within them. (If you're already drawing cell
borders with FPDF, you may not need to do this everywhere.) Then take
the borders off when you're ready to go live.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Other things that trip me
up:</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>* Losing track of the x/y location of the
"cursor" while I'm creating the page.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>* Mixing inches and points and having
content land in the wrong spot, or completely off the
page.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>If you are building a PDF with a tight
layout, you may generate literally hundreds of sample PDFs while you
fine tune the piece.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Dale</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>On Oct 2, 2007, at 11:16 AM, Steve Winter
wrote:</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The other thing which occurred to me
while I was off on a run was, have you considered using FPDI, and
creating a pdf template which has the actual form in it, ie the
template that the teachers would have written on with a pen, and then
using FPDF to overlay the FMP content onto that form...??...might be
easier than creating the form on the fly as well (for one thing then
you don't have to worry about boxes lining up exactly ;-)<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Cheers<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Steve<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>
<hr size="2"></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><b>From:</b>
fx.php_list-bounces@mail.iviking.org [<a
href="mailto:fx.php_list-bounces@mail.iviking.org"
>mailto:fx.php_list-bounces@mail.iviking.org</a>]<b> On Behalf Of</b>
Steve Winter<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, 2 October 2007 4:28 p.m.<br>
<b>To:</b> 'FX.php Discussion List'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> RE: [FX.php List] Precision Printing alternatives<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Hi Jonathan,<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>In my view FPDF really is your best bet,
and based on the alternatives you've come up with, your only
bet...<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>This has been the answer to every
web-based printing problem that I've come across because it
doesn't matter what OS or what printer the end user has, the outcome
is still the same... I've used it for reports, letters,
certificates, filling in forms (where the output from FMP has to go
onto a government issued form) etc etc<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>You are however correct that establishing
the template can be time consuming, that said, once it's done,
it's done and will work flawlessly on every system...<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Someone mentioned the other day that part
of the issue with FPDF was that you have to specify everything based
on XY co-ordinates, however I personally believe that is one of its
strengths since it allows you to put content precisely where you want
it... in a job that I've just been working on for a commercial
printer we're using it in combination with a Flash application to
create print-ready files from data which is manipulated in flash, the
content output to php and the pdf generated pixel perfect...<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>In answer to your FPDF question, to get
text to wrap in a field use Multicell see <a
href="http://www.fpdf.org/en/doc/multicell.htm"
>http://www.fpdf.org/en/doc/multicell.htm</a> for details...<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Cheers<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Steve<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>-----Original Message-----<br>
From: fx.php_list-bounces@mail.iviking.org [<a
href="mailto:fx.php_list-bounces@mail.iviking.org"
>mailto:fx.php_list-bounces@mail.iviking.org</a>] On Behalf Of
Jonathan Schwartz<br>
Sent: Tuesday, 2 October 2007 4:10 p.m.<br>
To: FX.php Discussion List<br>
Subject: [FX.php List] Precision Printing alternatives<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Hi Folks,<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>(There's a question at the end of this
long email recap)<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I'm still going in circles on my school
progress report project.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The problem goes back to printing report
cards after teachers enter<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>student data. There are 200+ teachers in
6 schools. The input side</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>has been intended to be web based using
fx.php. No problems there.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The output side is the real challenge. I
didn't originally think so,<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>but I do now.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Earlier on this list, I inquired about
using FPDF and I received good<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>reviews for that method. However, in
attempting to set that up, I<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>now see the expertise in FPDF required
and time involved in getting<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>the template set up. It could take 100
hours...or more....just for<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>the template.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>If you'd like to see the test, it appears
below. I have placed the<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>same simplified sample "cell module"
in 4 places on a page. Have not<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>figured out how to wrap text inside a
cell. That's what the 4th<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>example was trying to do, and where I
gave up...<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href="http://www.exit445.com/mvll/fpdf/tutorial/test5.php"
>http://www.exit445.com/mvll/fpdf/tutorial/test5.php</a><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The SECOND alternative is to distribute a
runtime FMP file that<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>allows teachers to import data from the
server and then use it to<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>print the Progress Reports. (You can't
use a runtime to connect to<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>the server).. I guess I could use the
Excell spreadsheet php class<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>to do the export. This alternative is
lousy in that it involves<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>input in one place and output in
another....with steps in between.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I thought of a THIRD alternative. I
believe that all the school's<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>printers are networked and visible on the
network across the<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>district. Perhaps if I used a single FMP
CLIENT connected to the<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Server at headquarters. and then script
the printing of progress<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>reports from the FMP client to the remote
printers. There's a recipe<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>for disaster.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Of course, a FOURTH alternative is to
purchase 200 copies of<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>FileMaker. There's not budget for
that.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>THE QUESTION:<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>That being said...how do php and mysql
systems print data to paper?<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I must be missing some huge piece of the
puzzle. Without better<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>alternatives, I'm thinking of walking
away from this "opportunity".<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>J<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>--<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Jonathan Schwartz<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Exit 445 Group<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href="mailto:jonathan@exit445.com">jonathan@exit445.com</a><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href="http://www.exit445.com">http://www.exit445.com</a><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>415-381-1852<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite>_______________________________________________<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>FX.php_List mailing list<br>
</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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<blockquote type="cite" cite>Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database:
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.<br>
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.37/1042 - Release Date:
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<blockquote type="cite" cite>No virus found in this outgoing
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.<br>
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.37/1042 - Release Date:
1/10/2007 6:59 p.m.<br>
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<blockquote type="cite"
cite>_______________________________________________</blockquote>
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<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
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<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Jonathan Schwartz</div>
<div>Exit 445 Group</div>
<div>jonathan@exit445.com</div>
<div>http://www.exit445.com</div>
<div>415-381-1852</div>
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