Convert Informix file into pdf - pdf

Question

Is it possible to convert file into PDF directly from Informix?
Is there a command for it? If its not possible, then what should I do?
For example: I want to convert file sm2026.4gl into PDF.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if I understand the problem correctly, it looks like you're trying to get a PDF version of a 4GL program, which doesn't make any sense. There are any number of free websites that can do this for you.
If, however, you're asking how to get a 4GL report to generate a PDF, that's a considerably more interesting problem. Informix-4GL will not write a PDF file natively. If I remember correctly, 4Js Genero will, and Querix Lycia might.
However, on Linux, there is a PDF printer driver (cups-pdf) that will output the report to a PDF file.
Implementation of this is left as an exercise to the reader. :-)

Answer 2

There are a number of options available to you. What you choose will depend on how much time and money you are prepared to invest. The more you are prepared to invest, the better reports you will get
Do a google search for scripts/executables that will take a text file and convert to PDF. Examples include txt2pdf. These work on any text files and so are independent of the 4gl. You would amend your 4gl code to execute this via RUN immediately after your FINISH REPORT
Write 4gl libraries to create valid PDF output. That involves you reading the PDF manuals to see the structure required in a PDF file. The first line of the resulting file will begin "%PDF". This is a lot of work, I did it 15-20 years ago, I wouldn't do it again unless you want the control and independence this gives you.
Using a product such as FourJs Genero that will allow you to use your existing 4gl code to create PDF reports directly. At its simplest this involves adding a couple of lines prior to your START REPORT and leaving the REPORT statement intact. The report will use a monospaced font and look like your existing report, only it is a PDF instead of a TXT file.
IF fgl_report_loadCurrentSettings(NULL) THEN -- simple compatibility mode
CALL fgl_report_selectDevice("PDF") -- indicates PDF
... -- optional calls to indicate filename, paper, printer and other options if required
LET grw = fgl_report_commitCurrentSettings()
START REPORT report-name TO XML HANDLER grw
Using this option there are a few extra config options that are available such as adding watermarks/logos to every page that the free tools you find might not provide
The more feature rich option using FourJs Genero Report Writer involves stripping out any layout information from your 4gl code and designing the layout of the report in a WYSIWYG designer. Your 4gl code that gathers the data from the database and the functions that formulate the output is untouched. The REPORT statement no longer requires the layout information such as COLUMN 10, SKIP TO TOP OF PAGE, and that can be removed. The WYSIWYG design of the report controls the layout including full range of properties such as font, font attributes, positioning, page breaks, page numbering, images. So your 4gl code becomes
-- Report
-- No layout information in report, only need to gather and formulate data
REPORT report-name ...
BEFORE GROUP OF invoice
PRINT invoice.*
ON EVERY ROW
PRINT invoice_line.*
AFTER GROUP OF invoice
LET invoice_total.net = GROUP SUM(...)
PRINT invoice_total.*
END REPORT
...
-- Produce report
IF fgl_report_loadCurrentSettings("reportdesign.4rp") THEN -- load the WYSIWYG design
CALL fgl_report_selectDevice("PDF") -- indicates PDF
... -- calls to indicate filename, paper, printer and other options if required
LET grw = fgl_report_commitCurrentSettings()
START REPORT report-name TO XML HANDLER grw
As shown there are a number of options available to you. As to what you should do, that depends on what your goal is, and how much time and money you are prepared to invest to achieve that goal.