CreateForm 2.5 questions, zip and csv

We are currently on Create Form 2.5 and it does a great job processing pdfs for invoices and other similar documents. However, we are getting increasing request from our customers in two areas.

One is that our emails often contain an attachments that contains hundreds of pages and exceeds 5 mg plus for some clients. Many clients have limits on the size of incoming emails and our emails are being returned undeliverable. SO they are asking that we zip the attachment. Is there anyone that has an idea on if it is possible to set up CreateForm so that the contents of a folder are zip and that zip is sent via email, rather than a pdf?

Clients are also asking for spreadsheets in addition to or instead of pdf files. We can create a spreadsheet of course in JDE, but are also looking for a way to automatically email that spreadsheet.

Thanks.

I'm not sure I have a direct answer but can suggest some things to look at.

Regarding the size of PDF email attachments; as far as I know, Create!form does not have the functionality to ZIP the contents of a folder and then attach and email the result.

- Is Create!form merging a form project with the PDF output from JDE or just emailing the PDF generated by JDE?

--> If yes, compare the size of the PDF generated from JDE to the size it is after Create!form processes it. Check the file size of the PDF residing in the Print-Queue folder. Viewing the PDF then saving it from Acrobat will cause the file to be rewritten, changing the file size. I'm assuming that you've zipped a large PDF email attachment from Create!email and the reduction in size is significant.

--> If no, is JDE generating the smallest PDF file possible? For example, is a text/media attachment getting included in the PDF that should not?

- Check how your Create!form form project is configured. Is it possible that a large graphic/logo was used in the form design ? Large in relation to file size of the graphic file imported into Create!form and then used in the form project. It's possible to have objects in a form project that don't visibly show when you view a merged PDF - objects can be in the form project that are positioned off the viewable page or reside in sections that have been flagged to never display.

- Consider changing the work flow of Create!email. Use Create!stream to identify when a PDF is greater than the maximum number of pages desired, and then either break it into smaller chunks or route to another process to zip and email. Another option, email a notification with a link that will allow the client to access the large PDF.

- The current version of Create!form for EnterpriseOne is 3.2 - I don't have release notes available to me right now but check and see if reducing the merged PDF file size was something specifically addressed in that release.


Regarding email of spreadsheet information, I'm not familiar with this type of functionality in Create!form. Maybe configure something so JDE produces a spreadsheet to a specific location that Create!email then picks up and includes with the PDF attached to the email. Possibly other members will have more plausible ideas for you on this.


Karen.

You are on the non EnterpriseOne (i.e., OneWorld) version of Create!form, and a slightly older one. The newest release (6.1) would allow you to do most of what you are looking to do in terms of creating a ZIP file. The ZIP file would need to be created separately, but the Director (replacement / next version of Create!Stream) product allows you to run an external program, so you should be able to a) turn the PDF into a ZIP file, and b) attach it to the email. You could also (and again this is with the new 6.1 release) send the file to an FTP site and have clients retrieve it from there (could be from a link in the email).

Karen's comment about the logo size and other sub forms in the PDF are also quite valid. We (we are a Create!form partner) have found that the logo and image size that make up things like logos is one of the key factors in the size of the end PDF. Like Karen mentioned, you could also split the outbound file up and send a couple of emails - you can do this with your existing version of Stream and Email.

Regarding sending a CSV or spreadsheet file, Create!Stream / Email can do this ... easiest if there is naming convention that it tied to something in the inbound file or its file name. 6.1 also supports a feature called "Transform" which allows you to take an input file and transform it outbound ... and this can include a CSV or XML type file.

Hope this helps!