Creating an Adobe PDF over intranet from Access

[Dave]

Our company intranet allows various users to submit address information and
contact names and numbers using ASP pages, that save to an Access 2000
database. There are no issues with retrieving, editing, or deleting the
information. This solution works well for 60 users, and results in a
database about 300 kB, that feeds other processes downstream.

Because most of the front end users are novice (or temporary hires), we want
to make more standardized reports (that draw from this database) and present
the result to the users with a simple click from a web page. The users
would input their data once on one screen, and various required reports
would be created from another, minimizing their having to retype the same
information into Word templates, etc.

The reports should be formatted specifically as the same paper based form,
rather than having the users "copy and paste" from screen HTML, and attempt
to edit it. I would think a dynamically generated Adobe .PDF file would be
the best idea, so that the screen that opens will appear to look the same as
the paper based forms.

Does anyone have a lead on a software product that would meet my needs? I
assume that this would have to be installed at the server level, (probably
not a concern), but the cost should not be too high, and the software should
allow various types of forms (including calculations, images, etc) to be
shown. Our fiscal year ends in March, so I will need to acquire and test
before then.

Dave

[Nicole]

> The reports should be formatted specifically as the same paper based form,

rather than having the users "copy and paste" from screen HTML, and attempt
to edit it. I would think a dynamically generated Adobe .PDF file would be
the best idea, so that the screen that opens will appear to look the same as
the paper based forms.

ActivePDF works well for us with a similar report interface.
Basically when the users run a report (from the web application), it
asks them if they want the report in PDF, Word or HTML format, and
then formats the report appropriately.

[Michael Wiseley]

We use ACG Software's (or look on the web for Attac Consulting). They make
a PDF and Email class library that is excellent. We use it to output about
50 reports each day from Access into PDF formatted files, then use their
class library again to create emails in Lotus Notes with these PDF files
attached. Works great. Their help file has good code examples to help you
get up and running quickly.