Chapter 10 - The SPLPDFCFG and SPLPDFCFG2 Commands

SPLTOOL allows you to set up custom PDF attributes depending on the attributes of the spooled file being converted to PDF.

Use the SPLTOOL PDF Configuration (SPLPDFCFG) or SPL2PDFCFG2 command to bring up a screen that will allow you to change, add, or delete entries. To add an entry, simply type the values on the top line. The change values, simply type over the old PDF values in the PDF Document Attributes column.

On the SPLPDFCFG comand, if you wish to set up entries specific for a user id, Press the F10 key to enable the User ID field. Enter the user id you wish to use and press enter. This will then load any entries set up for that user. Adding, removing and changing is the same as without a user id being used.

With SPLTOOL v9.65 and up, the SPLPDFCFG2 command also exists. This command allows you to match PDF attributes by using the User Data of the spooled file. Any matches found in this configuration will override any other settings.

Spooled File Attributes

The spooled file attributes correspond to the attributes that can be see using the Work with Spooled File Attributes (WRKSPLFA) command, or option 8 in WRKSPLF.

PDF Document Attributes

The PDF document attributes are what will be used when the closest match to the original spooled file attributes are found. If an entry is set up with a user id then it must match exactly.

The Width and Length in the above example, and also set up as defaults, represent a legal document that is either portrait (612x792) or landscape (792x612). You can specify any size you want, but you may have to play with the parameters to get it just right if you don't use on of these two values.

For a great resource on paper sizes used with PDF (Post Script Dimensions) for almost every paper size including A4, click here.

The Top attribute is the starting postion, from the bottom of the document, that the first line will start on. So, if you page is 792 long, a value of 792 will be the top of the page. The greater the number, the closer the page will start from the top margin.The Left attribute is the starting position from the left. The greater the number, the further to the left the page will start from the left margin. With both the Top and Left PDF attributes, experimentation may be required for odd sized reports.

Spacing is the spacing between each line. Font size is the size of the font (which is always Courier). Again, experimentation may be required.