Save Records as PDF

Saves records to a specified PDF file.

See also 

Options 

  • Append to existing PDF appends the records being browsed, the current record, or a blank record after the last page of the specified PDF file. When you append records, the PDF Options dialog box settings in the Document and Initial View tabs are ignored. Settings in the Security tab will not be applied to the PDF file. If the PDF file is already protected by a password, the password in the Security tab must match that for the PDF file.

  • With dialog specifies whether to display dialog boxes when the script step is performed, if a file has already been specified.

  • Specify output file allows you to specify the file path. Choose the folder you want to save to, or type the file path directly into the list. Specify one path per line. FileMaker Pro uses the first path it locates. See Creating file paths.

    You can select:

    • Automatically open file to have the output file open with the default application

    • Create email with file as attachment to display a new email message in the user’s default email application, with the output file attached

    If FileMaker Pro runs a script that does not specify an absolute path, and the database file containing the script is hosted, the path is assumed to be the current user’s Documents folder.

  • Specify options displays the "Save Records as PDF" Options dialog box. If you select Blank record from the Save list, the Appearance list is enabled. The Appearance list allows you to specify formatting options for fields.

    Select Options to display the PDF Options dialog box.

    • In the Document tab, you can specify descriptive information for the PDF file. For each of the options in the document tab, you can enter text directly, or click Specify to enter a field name or values from a calculation.

    • In the Security tab, you can assign passwords to the PDF file, as well as print and edit privileges. If print and edit privileges are allowed, you can specify if copying and screen reading software are permitted.

    • In the Initial View tab, you can define the initial view for the layout and magnification for the PDF file.

  • Create folders specifies whether to create new folders that you specify in the output file path.

Compatibility 

Product Supported
FileMaker Pro Yes
FileMaker Go Partial
FileMaker WebDirect Partial
FileMaker Server Partial
FileMaker Cloud Partial
FileMaker Data API No
Custom Web Publishing No

Originated in version 

8.0

Description 

This script step operates in all modes except Find mode.

Notes 

  • To save records as a PDF file, your privilege set must include Allow printing, or you must set the script to run with full access privileges.

  • In FileMaker Go:

    • The Create folders option is not supported.

    • Options in the Initial View tab are not supported.

    • If you don’t specify the output file path, FileMaker Go uses the name of the window to save the PDF file.

    • When appending records, options set in the Document tab aren’t ignored but won’t overwrite fields with existing data.

    • When appending records, only paths in the Documents and temporary folders are supported.

  • In FileMaker Server and FileMaker Cloud:

  • In FileMaker WebDirect:

    • This script step is not supported on mobile devices.

    • Saved files download to the web browser’s default download location.

    • The Create folders option is not supported.

  • In FileMaker Server, FileMaker Cloud, and FileMaker WebDirect:

    • The Automatically open file and Create email with file as attachment options are not supported.

    • The Print Setup script step sets options for this script step.

    • If fonts don’t display correctly in the PDF, make sure that all required fonts are installed and available to the Web Publishing Engine in your FileMaker Server deployment. See Claris Server and FileMaker Server Help. For a list of installed fonts for FileMaker Cloud, see FileMaker Cloud Help.

    • The Append to existing PDF option is supported only when appending to PDF files that were previously created within the same script.

    • If this script step performs multiple times in the same script and doesn't use Append to existing PDF, make sure each instance of this script step uses a unique filename. Otherwise, the most recently created PDF will overwrite older PDFs with the same name.

    • If a file path is not specified for the PDF, the default filename is "Untitled.pdf".

    • Web viewers don’t display content in PDFs.

Example 1 

Goes to the Products layout, shows all records, sorts the records, and saves the records as a PDF without prompting the user.

Copy 
Go to Layout ["Products"]
Show All Records
Sort Records [Restore; With dialog: Off]
Save Records as PDF [With dialog: Off; "Product Catalog.pdf"; Records being browsed ; Create folders: Off]

Example 2 

Finds all invoices with the current record's Customer ID, sorts, saves the invoices to a PDF, and appends the products purchased by the customer to the PDF.

Copy 
Go to Layout ["Invoices"]
Find Matching Records [Replace; Invoices::Customer ID]
Sort Records [Restore; With dialog: Off]
Save Records as PDF [With dialog: Off; "Customer Backup.pdf"; Records being browsed ; Create folders: Off]
Go to Related Record [Show only related records; Match found set; From table: "Products"; Using layout: "Products"]
Save Records as PDF [Append; With dialog: Off; "Customer Backup.pdf"; Records being browsed ; Create folders: Off]
Go to Layout [original layout]

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