While what Wirt says is 99% correct, I feel obliged to make some small
clarifications:

1) PDF is *usually* distilled from PostScript, but not always.  There are
custom versions of our Central product that actually generate PDF natively
(although these versions aren't yet ported to the HP3000).

2) Although QueryCalc is probably the best known HP3000 program that
generates PostScript, JetForm Central for HP3000 will also generate it.

3) While the Adobe Acrobat distiller is the most popular approach to
distilling PostScript into PDF, you may also be interested in the GNU
Ghostscript program.  It also will distil PostScript into PDF (with some
limitations).  I don't believe there's currently a port of Ghostscript for
the HP3000, so you'll still have to either port it to the HP3000 (source is
freely available) or utilize a version for one of the other platforms Wirt
listed.

I hope this helps,
Rob


------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 16 Oct 1998 22:05:16 EDT
From:    Wirt Atmar <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Spoolfiles and PDF format

Timothy Betz asks:

> Is there any way to take a spoolfile and convert it to PDF format with
>  existing utilities or freeware?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a modified version of PostScript code
(actually an underlying layer of PostScript brought to the surface), so
you'd
first have to take your spoolfile and convert it to PostScript.

That isn't difficult if you don't want it to look like anything much other
than a $STDLIST output -- or, of course, if the spoolfile is already in
PostScript format (although there are very few PostScript generating
programs
on the HP3000; QueryCalc is the only one that I'm aware of).

But the real rub occurs in that there is no PostScript-to-PDF "distiller"
program native to the HP3000. You would have to download the file to either
a
PC, Mac or UNIX box and then run it through an Adobe Acrobat distiller. When
done, you have a PDF file that can then be served up by pretty much any
machine you wish, including an HP3000.

Wirt Atmar