Exporting Output to PDF in a macro

[BBH123]

Hi,

I've written a macro in SPSS (version 18) syntax and it runs hundreds of
reports and exports them, I'd had various problems with spacing etc with
word and so I've decided to try and change to pdf, only I'm struggling to
set it to output the file in landscape and to set the margins etc as it
doesn't seem possible to do it in syntax if you're using pdf?

Looking through previous posts I've found the following script that Jon
Peck wrote:

begin program.
import SpssClient
SpssClient.StartClient( )
doc=SpssClient.GetDesignatedOutputDoc( )
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.Orientation, '2') # landscape
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.LeftMargin, '50') #values in
points
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.TopMargin, '50')
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.TopMargin, '50')
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.BottomMargin, '50')
SpssClient.StopClient( )
end program.

I've copied and pasted the script at the end of my macro, just before:
OUTPUT EXPORT
  /CONTENTS  EXPORT=VISIBLE  LAYERS=PRINTSETTING  MODELVIEWS=PRINTSETTING
  /PDF  DOCUMENTFILE=!QUOTE(!CONCAT("L:\...\",!crsnm,".pdf")).

However, it is completely ignored and I get an error message which says
that the script is longer than 251 characters.

I've spent literally days on this, any help would be much appreciated,
really trying to learn python but struggling!!

Thanks,

Bethany

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[Jon K Peck]

Putting a script inside a macro generally does not work, although there are ways around that.  As a first test, try running the script/program just before the  macro and then running your macro.

HTH,

(from France)

Jon Peck
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
new phone: [phone]




From:        Bethany <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        07/07/2011 04:16 PM
Subject:        [SPSSX-L] Exporting Output to PDF in a macro
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

Hi,

I've written a macro in SPSS (version 18) syntax and it runs hundreds of
reports and exports them, I'd had various problems with spacing etc with
word and so I've decided to try and change to pdf, only I'm struggling to
set it to output the file in landscape and to set the margins etc as it
doesn't seem possible to do it in syntax if you're using pdf?

Looking through previous posts I've found the following script that Jon
Peck wrote:

begin program.
import SpssClient
SpssClient.StartClient( )
doc=SpssClient.GetDesignatedOutputDoc( )
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.Orientation, '2') # landscape
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.LeftMargin, '50') #values in
points
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.TopMargin, '50')
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.TopMargin, '50')
doc.SetPrintOptions(SpssClient.PrintOptions.BottomMargin, '50')
SpssClient.StopClient( )
end program.

I've copied and pasted the script at the end of my macro, just before:
OUTPUT EXPORT
 /CONTENTS  EXPORT=VISIBLE  LAYERS=PRINTSETTING  MODELVIEWS=PRINTSETTING
 /PDF  DOCUMENTFILE=!QUOTE(!CONCAT("L:\...\",!crsnm,".pdf")).

However, it is completely ignored and I get an error message which says
that the script is longer than 251 characters.

I've spent literally days on this, any help would be much appreciated,
really trying to learn python but struggling!!

Thanks,

Bethany

=====================
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[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
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[BBH123]

Hi Jon,

I've just been told that the reports have to be in word after all so the
recipients can copy and paste tables. So I need to give up on pdf.
However, I've got issues with editing in word too!

I want to have a heading/page title at the top of every page except the
first and this heading/page title will change halfway through. TITLE is a
bit of a pain as everything has to be perfectly spaced and PAGETITLE seems
exactly the same? When my table sizes vary from report to report it's just
impossible to work out how putting in blank TITLE ' ' will work, I need
proper page breaks!

I also have a real problem with the way word will spread tables over
multiple pages - it doesn't seem to recognise them the same way as pdf?

I downloaded SPSSINC MODIFY OUTPUT and I know it's working as I can get
the help to run, but I can't for the life of me get the syntax right for
BREAKBEFORETITLES etc, I tried using the example:

SPSSINC MODIFY OUTPUT
[/PAGEBREAKS BREAKBEFORETITLES=TRUE] TITLELEVEL=TOP

but it  gave me the following error message:

683 SPSSINC MODIFY OUTPUT Subcommand PAGEBREAKS: BREAKBEFORETITLES must
specify a single unquoted string.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Bethany

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[Bruce Weaver]

BBH123 wrote

Hi Jon,

I've just been told that the reports have to be in word after all so the
recipients can copy and paste tables. So I need to give up on pdf.
However, I've got issues with editing in word too!

--- snip the rest ---

Have they never heard of the snap-shot tool in Acrobat?

[BBH123]

To add to my previous message, I've tried using:

SPSSINC MODIFY OUTPUT
/PAGEBREAKS BREAKBEFORETITLES=YES.

As I found an example online where someone used that, it seems to run it
within my macro and it doesn't give me any errors, however it doesn't
actually seem to do anything? I've put the command after most of the macro
just before the OUTPUT EXPORT part.

As for using snapshot in PDF, it's not worth the fight - I was having
problems when trying both pdf and word so I'd rather keep everyone happy!

Thanks,

Bethany

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