Change pdf filename programmatically using Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional

Thanks, khkremer.  I don't know if upgrading is an option.  We may have found a workaround in the meantime.  Let me try this workaround and I will get back to you.
Thanks,
Alexis

khkremer.
We can upgrade to Acrobat 9 Professional.  If so, how do we change the filename using the registry key?  Also, we will have multiple pages to print to one pdf file before we want to change the name.  Can we set Acrobat to not create a new pdf each time we do a printscreen and have the ability to tell Adobe when we are done printing to that pdf and to start a new one?  I can open a new question for that if you want.

We almost had this process working using pdfFactory but we are running into some inconsistencies and may end up having to use Adobe after all.

Also, I won't be back to this client again until Wed so I can't test anything out until then.
Thanks,
Alexis

Take a look at the Distiller API Reference (http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/pdfs/Distiller9APIReference.pdf) - this document shows you how to turn off the prompt for the filename and provide the name via the registry key.

Unfortunately, you can only do this for one job at a time (unless you can send all the pages in the same print operation). So you would need to collect a number of PDF documents, and then when you are done you can use VBA to automate Acrobat to combine all these documents into the one output document.

One more thing: The registry key is dependent on the application name, so your program needs to be changed when you move the solution from Access to Vee.

We are currently testing in Vee only.  I am no longer testing in Access.  We worked around the filename problem by writing a VBScript program to rename the Vee.pdf file created by the process after the process is done.  The Vee application can call a batch file so I created a batch file that calls my VBS program.  That works, however, we ran into some timing issues with the VBS trying to change the name even though the pdf has not finished being written yet.    

We're not sure if we can write VB code from within Vee.  That's why we tried to figure out a solution that would be outside of Vee.  If I can change the registry key and combine multiple PDF documents using VBScript, that should work from Vee.

Thanks,
Alexis

Your timing issues would be resolved by setting this registry key. Can you run a batch script before the print operation?

Yes, we can run a batch script at any point, including before we print.  We are printing using the equivalent of a printscreen and have the pdf driver set as the default printer.  This PC will not be used for anything but our application so this is not a problem.

Thanks,
Alexis

OK, in that case it's simple: Just set the registry key in your pre-print batch script (that of course requires that you have access to your desired output name at that time). It does not matter at which time you set the key, as long as it is set when you actually submit the job to the Adobe PDF printer. Distiller will remove the key after it's done, so you have to set it again the next time around (to a different name to avoid overwriting the first one).

We know the desired filename at the very begining of the process.   I can set the registry key.  However, since we call the print several times before we are done but we want one pdf file, I will have to combine the multiple pdf files.  I will probably have to keep resetting the registry key before each print to filename_1, filename_2, etc. (where filename is our desired filename) so I can combine them at the end.  I will be at the client on Wed and will try to test this out. I have to review the API to figure out the registry key and combine files syntax.

Thanks for your help.  I'll let you know how it goes.
Alexis

Your first attempt may not work - because you may not know the correct application name. Do you have access to the application before you visit your client? If so, you should run a few tests to find out what the application uses as it's name when it initiates the print request.

Once way to do that is to check a different registry key. I describe the method in this question:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Web_Development/Document_Imaging/Adobe_Acrobat/Q_23629368.html

(here is the one comment that you actually need from that discussion:
OK, then you may have the correct program filename. Use your application and print to the Adobe PDF printer, then open regedit and look in the PrinterJobControl key. There should be a new value with a name that starts with "LastPdfPortFolder - ", followed by the application name (unfortunately, it does not list the path). Is that the same application name that you've used?)

I think I understand what you are saying.  Unfortunately, the applicaiton is an engineering app that I do not have access to unless I am there.  I will do what you said and get the name from regedit.  I know the app outputs all pdf files to the name vee.pdf but that may be different from what I will see in regedit.

Thanks again for all the details.  I've never had to work with pdf file creation before.  The project we are working on is very important to the company and this printing issue is the last hurdle and it is complete.

Regards,
Alexis

I set the registry key, however, when I tested using Wordpad as you suggested in some other posts, it doesn't work.  The pdf file name is not going to where I wanted and doesn't have the filename I set.  Plus, the registry key is still there after I print so I know something's wrong.

I attached a screenshot of the registry setting I created.  Did I do something wrong?  I installed Adobe Acrobat Professional 9.0 before I did any of this.  Once I get the Wordpad example working, I will try to get it to work with the Vee application.

Thanks,
Alexis

I figured out the problem after doing  more testing.  Although my registry setting was correct, I had changed the Adobe Output PDF Folder setting from "prompt" to a physical folder.  I thought maybe that was interfering with the registry.  When I put the setting back to "prompt", and then ran Wordpad, it worked.  Now I will try to write a batch script to change the setting so I can call it from the vee program.  I'll let you know if I have any questions.
Thanks,
Alexis

Hi khkremer,
I tested manually setting the registry key for the vee application and the pdf file was created correctly.  I reviewed various posts on windows scripting but I can't get a complete file written.  I'd like to do this in VBScript.  For now, I want to get it to work with the Wordpad example.  I wrote a script below based on code I found but I don't know where to tell the script that the application is Wordpad.  The two string values I manually entered in regedit under "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ADOBE\Acrobat Distiller\PrinterJobControl" are "C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" and "C:\Documents and Settings\processtest\My Documents\MyPDFFiles\mypdf.pdf".  How do I get both values in the script?  Am I even close here (see code snippet)?
Thanks,
Alexis

Dim WshShell, bKey
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
myKey = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ADOBE\Acrobat Distiller\PrinterJobControl\" 
WshShell.RegWrite myKey, "C:\Documents and Settings\processtest\My Documents\MyPDFFiles\mypdf.pdf", "REG_SZ"
set WshShell = Nothing
                                              

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