Transform data to PDF

This topic provides information about IPDS-to-PDF transform support, also called the PDF subsystem. The PDF subsystem is an IBM® Infoprint® Server for iSeries™ function that lets you generate Portable Document Format (PDF) files or Advanced Function Presentation™ (AFP™) files (for spooling only) from AFP, SNA character string (SCS), or Intelligent Printer Data Stream™ (IPDS™) spooled files. Intelligent routing is then used to route the output file. Intelligent routing is the ability to take the entire spooled file or any segment of the input spooled file and do any combination of these:

Generate a PDF file and send it as an e-mail attachment.
Generate a PDF file and store it as a stream file in the integrated file system.
Generate a PDF file and spool it.
Generate an AFP file and spool it.

Intelligent routing is controlled by values in a PSF configuration object and a mapping program.

Note:

The Print Services Facility™ (PSF) transform interface supports an IPDS-to-PDF transform program that emulates a TCP/IP-connected IPDS 4028, 3812, or Infoprint 40 printer device.

An IPDS-to-PDF transform that can be used with PSF is provided in the IBM Infoprint Server for iSeries product. The transform converts IPDS controls and data into PDF files. The output PDF files include text, graphics, and image data, as appropriate. The transform also stores the mail tag in a comment statement in the PDF output. The mail tag is specified in the printer file's USRDFNDTA parameter or the STRPAGGRP Data description specifications (DDS) keyword. For detailed information about the IPDS-to-PDF transform (including the user exit program), see the Infoprint Server for iSeries User's Guide.

To use the transform provided in Infoprint Server, PSF is not required.

A mapping program is a user exit program specified on the PSF configuration object's PDFMAPPGM parameter. You can do these and more with a mapping program:

Interpret routing tags
Specify the subject of an e-mail
Add text to the beginning of an e-mail
Specify the path to store the PDF stream file

If you are using a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server to send the e-mail, it has additional capabilities, such as specifying carbon-copy (cc), blind-carbon-copy (bcc), and return-to e-mail addresses; specifying a file to use as the body of an e-mail; and specifying attachments.

These topics describe the main ways to access the PDF subsystem and how to specify that a PDF file is sent as e-mail:

Transform spooled files to PDF without manual setup: For operating systems later than V5R3, this method requires no setup. It is best for simple applications, such as a trial run of a billing application. The input spooled files can only be output in one way, not a combination.
Transform spooled files to PDF with manual setup: This method requires varying levels of setup, depending on the complexity of the required output. This method gives you the most flexibility.
Send the PDF file as e-mail: This topic describes how to send an output PDF file as e-mail. It also describes how to use a mapping program to customize the e-mail.

Related information

Infoprint Server for iSeries User's Guide PDF