Hi John;

  FWIW: I would switch your PB App(s) over to using the built-in PDF feature in PB2017Rx and higher.

Regards ... Chris

hi again Chris & Roland, super thanks for all that info, hope I didn't waste too much of anyone's time. I got it installed and working with ease, the Saveas to PDF works fine now, step 1 handled.

Step 2 is dealing with how this current auto-print-pdf home-grown app of ours is refusing to send PDF's where we want. Current code is programmatically setting up a ref to a 3rd party printer/driver ("CUSTPDF", no longer available I think), in the below fashion...

RegistrySet("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CUSTPDF", 'OutputFile', RegString!, a_filename)

ids_DataStore.Modify ('DataWindow.Printer="CUSTPDF"')
("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CUSTPDF", 'Orient', RegString!, ls_orient)
("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\CUSTPDF", 'BypassSaveAs', RegString!, '1')

...but the box also has the "Sybase Datawindow PS" printer set up, and set as default.  With this arrangement the app is printing PDF's fine, to the output folder we specify, on our old box.

With our new box and what I'm trying to set up, even with the Ghostscript/Sybase Datawindow PS  printer set up now, and running the above code, the app throws up a prompt window demanding the file type and path. It will only directly print PDF's (still) if I point it to the "Microsoft Print to PDF (redirected)" printer, and always sends them to the local machine \Documents folder, very frustrating. I can't help but think this is something to do with the way the above registry refs are pointing the thing to the printer, but tests remain to do. Any input/ideas on solving this last hurdle would be much appreciated. 

Hi Roland;

  Just an FYI ... Both IM2017R3 and IM2019 may not require the installation of GhostScript or any other 3rd party PostScript software solution if the IM User changes the PDF generation in their report(s) to be "NativePDF". This setting of course activates IM's internal PDF generation feature that does not require any external support.

  I tested the NativePDF feature setting as well when generating PSR files. I am pleased to report that IM carries the PDF settings from the report's PDF setting into its file structure. The PSR PDF settings are then picked up by other instances of IM and also by PowerBuilder applications that process that PSR file.

  I tested the above on my W10 PC's both with IM/PB 2017R3 and IM/PB 2019.

Regards ... Chris

never mind, found it and installed, thanks!

I have an example of how you can install the printer from code. It also comes with a detailed Ghostscript installation document with screen shots.

http://www.topwizprogramming.com/freecode_printerinstall.html

Hi John;

  Its well documented in the InfoMaker help ...

HTH

Regards ... Chris

hi Roland, thanks much, didn't know that. Is that a download/install I can get from Appeon or where? Haven't had to deal with this from scratch before. 

The SaveAs PDF function requires the Ghostscript based printer "Sybase DataWindow PS".