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Save as PDF Control
View Controls - Save as PDF
Configure SmartObject
Configure Rule to execute a PDF Method
PDF Methods
Access PDF File
Using an existing SmartObject with the Save as PDF control
Using the PDF File in a workflow
Using the Save as PDF control on a Form to attach the PDF file to an E-mail in a Workflow
Quick Steps
Considerations
Scenarios
The Save as PDF control takes a snapshot of the View/Form at a particular point in time when an Event is executed, for example
when a Button is clicked. The PDF snapshot is saved to a SmartObject and executed by using one of the Execute Control
Method actions.
Internet Explorer 9 or Internet Explorer 10 is required to be installed on the K2 server to render PDF documents
The Save as PDF control is available in the Export section of the Controls tab in the Toolbox and when dragged onto the canvas, it
is displayed as below:
Fig.1 Save as PDF control
Properties
Feature
Description
How to use it
Can be set in runtime using
Rules
Name
A unique identifier for the selected
control. This property is required
Type a new name if required
No
SmartObject
The SmartObject to be used when
saving the PDF. The SmartObject
should have a Create type function,
See Method, a File Property,
a Number/Autonumber property, and
a text property
Click the ellipsis next
to SmartObject to select the
SmartObject
No
Method
The method to be used to create the
PDF. Only Create type functions are
Select the Create method of
the SmartObject
No
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supported
File
The File type property is required for
the SmartObject. The file type to be
selected must always be PDF.
Select PDF as the File type
property from the list
No
Key Property
The unique identifier of the
SmartObject where the PDF file will be
saved
Select the unique identifier
No
File Name
The name of the PDF file created. This
field is empty by default. If no name is
specified, the default file is called
PDFFile.pdf. Rules and Expressions can
be used to set the File Name if a
unique name is required per PDF File.
Specify a name for the PDF
File if required. This field is
not compulsory
Yes, see Control
Properties Actions for
more information
Append Date
A Boolean value used to establish
whether the date should be added to
the end of the file or not. By default
the option is selected which will then
append the date.
Deselect the option if the
date should not be displayed
Yes, see Control
Properties Actions for
more information
Page Size
A list of sizes available for the creation
of the PDF document
Select the size to be used
when creating the PDF. The
following sizes are available:
Yes, see Control
Properties Actions for
more information
A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
A8
A9
A10
ArchA
ArchB
ArchC
ArchD
ArchE
B0
B1
B2
B3
B4
B5
Flsa
HalfLetter
Ledger
Legal
Letter
11x17
Note
Page Orientation
The following options are available:
Portrait
Landscape
Clean IFrames
Set to True by default. Definitions:
True - The control ensures that it
can ping each Content control URL
and if unsuccessful replaces it with
a non-crashing URL that renders
to be displayed on the PDF created
and inform the user that the page
could not load. When using many
Content controls on a Form, setting
it to true might have a performance
impact.
False - The control will try and
render the content of Content
controls. If the URL cannot be
located as a result of no internet
Select the orientation to be
used when creating the PDF
Yes, see Control
Properties Actions for
more information
Select the orientation to be
used when creating the PDF
Yes, see Control
Properties Actions for
more information
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connectivity for example the PDF
document will not be created.
Typically it would be set to false if
it can be guaranteed that all
Content controls will render when
the PDF document is rendered.
Configure SmartObject
When clicking on the ellipsis next to SmartObject in the Data Source section of the Properties, the Configure SmartObject screen
opens. Configure the SmartObject to be used when creating the PDF. A system PDF File SmartObject is created and can be used to
save all PDF's. In addition, a custom SmartObject can be created for this purpose.
Fig.2 Configure SmartObject
Feature
Description
How to use it
SmartObject
The SmartObject to be used when saving
the PDF
Click the ellipsis next to SmartObject to
select the SmartObject
Method
The method to be used to create the PDF.
This should be a Create method
Select the Create method of the
SmartObject
File
The File type property is required for the
SmartObject. The file type to be selected
must always be of File Type property.
Select the File type property from the list
Key Property
The unique identifier of the SmartObject
where the PDF will be saved
Select the unique identifier
Configure Rule to execute a PDF Method
A Rule needs to be configured to execute a PDF method. The methods available for the Save as PDF control are discussed in the
section below. One of the Execute Control Method actions can be used to execute these methods. Below is an example to show
how a Rule is configured to execute a PDF method:
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Fig.3 Configure Rule
PDF Methods
When executing the control method, the value of the control is set to the Key Property as selected in the SmartObject that is used
as the Data Source of the Save as PDF control. One example is where the control's value is mapped to a Data Field in a
workflow and a Load method is executed on the SmartObject to attach the PDF File to an e-mail. The Key Property is used as a way
of identifying the SmartObject that hold the new PDF document. For good practice this should be generated during the execution of
the SmartObject method and be unique, auto numbers work well. It is however possible that the Key Property value will not be
unique if good practices were not followed.
The following methods are available:
SavePDF - This method executes synchronously. While executing the method, the browser is locked but the Key Property's
value is immediately available. This method is useful when the Key Property's value is required in the same Rule.
SavePDFAsync - This method executes asynchronously. While executing the method, the Key Property's value is not available.
After execution of the method, the When [Save as PDF] is Completed event is raised and the Key Property's value becomes
available. This method is useful when you do not need the Key Property's value; do not want to lock up the browser and want to
take advantage of the performance. The following Events are available for both methods mentioned above:
When [Save as PDF] is Started - Raised when the PDF is being created. If you are changing values or the html of the page
you should wait until this event is raised to prevent the changes from coming through to the PDF. For most users this will not be
an issue and the event can be ignored.
When [Save as PDF] is Completed - Raised when the PDF has been created. This means the control is done executing one of
its methods and its value is set to the new Key Property’s value. For users that want to get the Key Property’s value and are
using the SavePDFAsyc method, they must wait for this event before it will be available.
These Events are available in the Rule Designer after using the SavePDF or SavePDFAsync methods. An Action can be configured to
execute before or after the PDF is created. One example is where the SavePDFAsync method is used and you want to add a Label
to the document before it it saved as a PDF to indicate that it's a copy of the original document. A Rule can be configured to show
the Copy Label control before the PDF is saved. The Rules will look like this:
Event: When a control on the View raises and Event
Action: Execute a control's method
Fig.4 Rule to use the Save as PDF control with SavePDFAsync method
Event: When a control on the View raises and Event
Action: Show a control
Fig.5 Rule to show a control before PDF is saved
see KB001378 - How to use the synchronous and asynchronous execution options of the Save as PDF control for detailed
information about the application of the different execution types.
Access PDF File
The PDF File created can be accessed by creating a List View of the PDF File SmartObject (system SmartObject) which can be
found in the following location or alternatively in the location where the existing SmartObject was created:
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Fig.6 PDF File SmartObject
The PDF File is displayed as a link in the List View
Fig.7 PDF Files in List View
When clicking on the PDF link of the List View, the PDF File opens in Adobe Reader
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Fig.8 PDF Snapshot
Using an existing SmartObject with the Save as PDF control
An existing SmartObject can be used when saving the PDF File. The following SmartObject functions are required:
Create type function
See or List method
File property
Number/Autonumber property - Required to map into a Number in a workflow if required
This SmartObject can then be selected as the Data Source of the Save as PDF control. The PDF files will be saved to this
SmartObject and a List View can be created of this SmartObject to view the PDF files created.
Fig.9 Existing SmartObject
Fig.10 Existing SmartObject in List View
Using the PDF File in a workflow
The system PDF File SmartObject is automatically available for use in a SmartForms workflow. If an existing SmartObject was
used as the Data Source of the Save as PDF control, or if a new SmartObject was created for this purpose it should be workflow
enabled before use in a SmartForms workflow. To enable workflow functionality for the specific SmartObject, select the Allow this
SmartObject to be used in Workflows option on the details screen of the SmartObject Designer. The Get List method of this
SmartObject can then be used to attach the PDF file for example to an e-mail.
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Fig.11 Enable workflow functionality
Using the Save as PDF control on a Form to attach the PDF file to an E-mail in a Workflow
The Save as PDF control can be used to attach the created PDF file to an E-mail in a workflow. In order to do this a Parameter can
be used for example or mapping the value of the control in the context of the method being executed. In the example below we are
using a Form Parameter and a Workflow Data Field for this purpose. It is important to note that the PDF value will not necessarily
represent a Number value and the Parameter or mappings used must correlate to the PDF ID field type. The ID of the default PDF
File SmartObject is of type Autonumber, but if a custom SmartObject was created for use with the PDF for example, the Unique
property might be of another type.
See the following Knowledge Base articles:
KB001392 - How to attach a PDF file to an E-mail Event in a workflow
KB001394 - How to attach a PDF file to an E-mail Event in a workflow using a Form Parameter
In the image below the Save as PDF control is used on a Form.
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Fig.12 Save as PDF control used on a Form
A Parameter is added to the Form to map the PDF details. This Data Type should correlate to the ID of the PDF SmartObject and
the Data Field Type that will be used in the workflow to perform the mapping. Fig.13 Form Parameter
Rules are configured to execute the Save as PDF control's method to create the PDF and then transfer the data from the PDF
control to the Parameter.
Fig.14 Rules
Note that the PDF control is dragged to the Parameter field
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Fig.15 Map PDF control to Parameter
When creating a Data Field in the Workflow, it is important to use the same Data Type as was used when creating the Parameter.
The Parameter is then mapped to this Data Field in the Workflow.
Fig.16 Workflow Data Field
The PDF Load method is used in the Attachments field of the E-mail event as shown below and the Workflow Data Field is in turn
used in the mapping to the PDF Load method
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Fig.17 PDF Load method
Fig.18 Map Data Field to PDF Load method
Quick Steps
Follow the steps below to apply the Save as PDF control to a:
System generated SmartObject (Easy)
Newly created SmartBox SmartObject (Advanced)
Easy
1. Add the Save as PDF control to a View or a Form
2. Add a Rule to Execute the Control's Method (often on a Button click)
3. Run the View or Form and execute the method 4. Create a List View linked to the SmartObject to view/access the PDF file
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Advanced
1. Create a SmartObject with an AutoNumber ID, and a File property
2. Add the Save As PDF control to a View or a Form
3. Set your SmartObject as the Data Source of the Save as PDF control a. Click the ellipsis next to SmartObject in the Data Source panel
b. Click the ellipsis next to SmartObject in the pop up dialog c. Select your SmartObject
4. Select a Page Size
5. Select a Page Orientation
6. Add a Rule to Execute the Control's Method (often on a Button click)
7. Run the View or Form and execute the method
8. Create a List View linked to the SmartObject to view/access the PDF file
Considerations
1. One of the following actions should be used to execute the Save PDF method:
Execute a control's method
Execute a subview control's method
Execute a View control's method that was opened in a subform
Execute a Form control's method that was opened in a subform
Execute a View control method
2. When executing the control method, the value of the control is set to the record ID of the SmartObject that is used as the
Data Source of the Save as PDF control. One example is where the control is mapped to a Data Field in a workflow and a
Load method is executed on the SmartObject to attach the PDF File to an e-mail. Essentially it gives you a reference to the
specific PDF document so you can load and use it in a subsequent step
3. Only one PDF File is supported per one record ID
4. Rules and Expressions can be used to set the Properties such as File Name if a unique name is required per PDF File
5. When using tabs on a Form, all tabs are included as pages in the PDF document
6. The PDF document is saved to the SmartObject selected as the Data Source in the properties section of the control
7. The Save as PDF control should be dragged onto the View/Form for it to be available in the Execute Control Method Actions
8. The Save as PDF control is available on View and Form level 9. When using a fixed Width such as 1024px for example on a Form containing a PDF control, the PDF created might contain
scrollbars. To fix this, change the Page size of the control to a bigger size or adjust the Page Orientation. Following are
calculations of the correct width to be used with the different Page sizes:
Page Size
Pixel/inch (control)
Pixels (Form Width)
A0
33,1
3178
A1
23,4
2246
A2
16,5
1584
A3
11,7
1123
A4
8,3
797
A5
5,8
557
A6
4,1
394
A7
2,9
278
A8
2
192
A9
1,5
144
A10
1
96
ArchA
9
864
ArchB
12
1152
ArchC
18
1728
ArchD
22
2112
ArchE
34
3264
B0
39,4
3782
B1
27,8
2669
B2
19,7
1891
B3
13,9
1334
B4
9,8
941
B5
6,9
662
Flsa
1,5
144
HalfLetter
8,5
816
Ledger
17
1632
Legal
8,5
816
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Letter
8,5
816
11x17
11
1056
Note
7,5
720
10. When using a List View with a fixed Width, the headers might not be properly aligned. The following variables could be
considered when formatting the View or Form:
PDF Control: A2 Portrait
Form Dimensions:
Padding - (default) 12px
Themes - All themes
Border sizing - (default) 12px
Form Width - 1560px
11. When using a Form with lots of Tabs or a List View with lots of columns, it is best to set the Orientation to Landscape and
the Page Size to A3. This will render the PDF efficiently
12. When using the default Out of the Box PDFFile SmartObject to store the PDF file, it is important to clean up unused PDF
files on a regular basis to ensure that performance issues are not encountered when having to load PDF files. PDF files that
are only required for the duration of the process can be subsequently removed for example
13. Binding the Save as PDF control to a data source that is specifically used for document management can be useful when
having to deal with large volumes of PDF files created. Microsoft SharePoint Document Libraries can be used for example to
store the PDF files
14. It is important to use a valid SSL Certificate on environments with a URL with a secure protocol. The third-party control will
tend to fail to convert the web page and CSS style files and images will also not render in the PDF Document on
environments with self-signed test SSL Certificates/Invalid SSL certificates
15. Other scenarios where the PDF Converter might fail are when there are various security restrictions on the
computer/network, like the firewall blocking access to the Certificate Revocation List
16. Adobe Reader 5.0 and later versions are supported
17. The Adobe Reader Application for Windows 8 tends to compress the PDF document. It is advised to rather use the Desktop
Application
Scenarios
The following scenarios are applicable when using the Save as PDF control:
Supported
Want to use the Save as PDF control – IE9 or later on the K2 Host
Server is a prerequisite
Supported
Do not want to use the Save as PDF control - IE on the K2 Host
Server is not required
Unsupported
Want to use the Save as PDF control but IE is not installed or available
on the server, or IE8 or previous version is installed
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1.1
PDF Converter
PDF Converter
The PDF Converter is available for use when the Save as PDF control is not present on a View/Form or the designer don't want to
use the Save as PDF control. The Broker also allows added functionality as you can specify dynamic URL’s and/or HTML and you are
not limited to taking a snapshot of what is currently reflected on the screen. A snapshot can be taken for example of http://www.google.com. When using the PDF Converter, the following should be considered:
Views and Forms used with the PDF Converter should be checked in as it authenticates on the Service Level and has no control over how it gets
authenticated as it does not impersonate the user. This obviously allows the use of any URL, but it should be used with discretion
Since the PDF Converter relies heavily on manual input, the outcome can not be controlled and debugging might be required if the behavior does not conform
to the intended use. It is important to ensure the correctness of what is captured before continuing with the process.
It is highly recommended to rather use the Save as PDF control as all of the above is built into the logic behind the control.
The PDF Converter has three functions:
Create PDF from HTML (raw HTML to PDF Format)
Create PDF from URL (Captures a URL to PDF Format)
Create PDF from HTML or URL
HTML - Creates a PDF file at a certain point in time
URL - Creates a PDF file upon load of the page
These functions are available in the ServiceObject Explorer when creating an Advanced SmartObject.
Fig.1 PDF Converter Service
When using these functions, the following properties are applicable:
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Fig.2 PDF Converter Service Properties
The values of the properties in Runtime should be provided as follows:
Feature
Description
HTML string
This must be an HTML value, and could be something as follows:
Copy Code
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html> URL string
This is the entire URL that you are attempting to access, for example:
http://www.google.com
SmartObject Name
The SmartObject used to create the PDF file. The default PDF SmartObject is called
PDFFile. If another SmartObject was created with the correct properties as mentioned in
the Save as PDF control topic, this name can be used
SmartObject Method
Type Create
SmartObject File Property
Name
Type PDF
ID Property Name
Type ID
File Name
Type a name for the PDF file
Page Size
Type a Page Size, see the Save as PDF control topic for Page sizes
Page Orientation
Type the Page Orientation, see the Save as PDF control topic for Page Orientation options
URL Base
The base value of your URL. If the URL you’re aiming at contains any parameters, they
should be included in the above “URL string” value, but excluded from the value provided
here. As such, this value will also be something like: http://www.google.com
ID Property Value
The value of the record ID of the SmartObject that was executed. Select the property
name in the “ID Property Name” field. The value of this property populates the PDF
Control value after an execution was successfully done. Can be used in a workflow to load
the saved PDF file
Clean iFrames
Set to True by default. Definitions:
True - The broker ensures that it can ping each Content control URL and if
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unsuccessful replaces it with a non-crashing URL that renders to be displayed on the
PDF created and inform the user that the page could not load. When using many
Content controls on a Form, setting it to true might have a performance impact.
False - The broker will try and render the content of Content controls. If the URL
cannot be located as a result of no internet connectivity for example the PDF
document will not be created. Typically it would be set to false if it can be guaranteed
that all Content controls will render when the PDF document is rendered.
Conversion Delay
Causes a delay on how long it will take the converter to render the URL specified to
create a PDF. The value is noted in seconds. Type a number
When using the SmartObject created using the Service Object in a View, a Button and Rule are automatically added to execute the
specific method when clicked.
Once the PDF file is created, the File can be accessed by creating a List View of the PDFFile SmartObject or the SmartObject created
for this purpose, see the Save as PDF control topic.
Considerations
When running the PDF Converter executed as the Service Account, the PDF document will contain all data that the Service
Account can see for the specific execution request. For Example: If Forms Authentication is set to true, the execution request
will return a login screen, which will reflect in the PDF
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2
K2 smartforms Copyright and Trademark Statement
© 2008-2013 SOURCECODE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SOURCECODE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS ARE PROTECTED BY ONE OR MORE U.S.
PATENTS. OTHER PATENTS PENDING. SOURCECODE, K2, K2 BLACKPEARL, K2
BLACKPOINT AND K2 SMARTFORMS ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OR
TRADEMARKS OF SOURCECODE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC. IN THE UNITED
STATES AND/OR OTHER COUNTRIES. THE NAMES OF ACTUAL COMPANIES AND
PRODUCTS MENTIONED HEREIN MAY BE THE TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE
OWNERS.
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