Database Update node vs Run Program node

Cathy Wilbur

Well Known Member
I have been asked to take the PDF file I just merged with the data and have it upload the PDF file to a database table. I have one of two options.

1) An UPDATE DATABASE node that would update the database for the new PDF that I just processed using the Merge and Send nodes.
2) Kick off a separate RUN PROGRAM node - batch PCL task that will loop thru my folder of individual PDF files and upload those PDF files to a database table.

We have a large XML file that contains a tax document for each student (6158 students total).
We split the large XML file by student then MERGE the student data with the form then SEND the PDF file to a folder.
Want to now take these PDF files and update the database with this special PDF blob field.

Reason we want to do this is so the student can go online and print their own merged PDF tax document so we no longer have to print 6158 x 2 pages (form plus government detail instruction document). Total PDF document is a size of 15KB.

A) Would use a DATABASE UPDATE node to do this. Do I need a special Createform license to do Database Updates from Createform Director?
OR
B) Wait until the the entire XML file has been processed then kick off a Run Program node that would execute a batch PCL task to loop thru the the Publisher PDF directory then update the Database with all these PDF files.

What is better way to do this? Does anyone have any recommendations? If I did it by student I would have all kinds of single commits.

Has anyone updated the database directly from a Createform Director Script using an Update Database Node or did you use a Run Program node to kick off a separate batch task?

Would be interested how you did this and to see the Update Database node example and the Run Program node example. For your database connection string you can replace the userid by "userid" and password by "pswd".

We came across this logic on web to write a PCL executable to perform the task.

http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_store_insert_pdf_file_oracle_table_blob.htm

So I am leaning towards using a Run Program node.

Know I need to set up an Oracle DSN for each of these tasks. We currently use the Database just to do lookups in Createform Director and Createform Designer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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