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How to print multiple invoices into single pdf file

  • 19 October 2020
  • 3 replies
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william.klotz
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Hello,

 

I couldn’t figure out how to move my original posting to the Technology forum so I’ve created a new posting.  Below is the original posting just for reference.

https://community.ifs.com/finance-financials-42/how-to-print-multiple-invoices-into-single-pdf-file-3476?postid=11875#post11875

 

We have a set of customers which we generate many invoices each day and they’ve asked us to consolidate them into a single PDF instead of the multiple PDF’s that CUSTOMER_ORDER_IVC_REP produces.  We use the built in report to print our invoices CUSTOMER_ORDER_IVC_REP with some modifications to pull in extra information and layout changes.  The CUSTOMER_ORDER_IVC_REP will generate one invoice report per invoice and usually we just print to a PDF instead of a paper.  These customers receive their invoices by EDI so the PDF invoice is really just a backup for them in case something goes wrong with the EDI transmission.  We initially thought of using collective invoice but the customers do not want a collective invoice and our accounting team does not wish to utilize collective invoice for these  customers.

 

So we are looking for a solution which would allow us to continue to use CUSTOMER_ORDER_IVC_REP but also produce a single PDF from multiple invoices.  So far we haven’t fount a solution other than to print the individual PDF’s to a file and use Adobe to merge them into one file but accounting is complaining this takes to much time each day.

 

I’m wondering if maybe a report rules could help us out to accomplish this task or do we need to create a completely new invoice report and instruct our accounting department to use this report when they want one PDF from multiple invoices.

 

Thank you,

William Klotz

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Best answer by CallumW 20 October 2020, 15:30

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CallumW
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There is no easy way to just merge PDF’s together using any IFS Features or Oracle tools.

 

Although no easy way, it isn’t impossible… (But both require adding in some Java files to your database)

  1. You can google for PL/PDF which is a paid for solution which has a toolkit to merge PDF’s via Oracle. 
  1. Alternatively if you are technical you could look to create your own customisation using tools such as iText to merge PDF files via Oracle.
  • You could then create some PL/SQL code to merge the PDF’s together and print out / email

 

As you have stated the invoices are only really used for backup purposes - I personally do not use report designer so cannot comment on that - however if I were looking to implement a solution I would create a Crystal QUICK Report and the steps would be as follows: 

  1. Create a custom Menu Item on customer invoices screen - ‘Print Special Invoices’
  2. Highlight multiple invoices and pass the invoice no’s as parameters to the report.
  3. Split the parameters upon entry in crystal and add in data connections via sub report in details section to CUSTOMER_ORDER_IVC_REP to get the latest printout for each invoice and pull the desired information from CUSTOMER_ORDER_IVC_REP. (You would need to run the RMB before the reports are removed from the archive)

 

Callum

Callum Wells - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/callum-wells
paul harland
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Hi @william.klotz 

there’s no way to do this in Report Rules.  I think you need a new report. 

I would have thought there must be some way to do the adobe merge action automatically? I guess it would still require some assembly and review time though.

william.klotz
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Userlevel 7
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Hi @CallumW and @paul harland ,

 

Thank you for your answers.  We’ve decided for now to take a slightly quicker route to get what we desire although not completely automated we will be able to get what we require quickly.  We’ve created a routing address and routing rule so accounting can choose send PDF to Connector which will store each of the invoices PDF’s in a separate file on a shared drive location.  Upon completion of printing accounting will have a shortcut on their desktop which will launch a command line program to merge all the PDF’s into one PDF document into an output directory so they can send it the customer.   For now I believe this will work and give me time to look into implementing a custom package and possible report to produce the same output from IFS.

 

Thank you,

William Klotz

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