Automating creation of a PDF document from Word via VBA

[rtrsr]

Is there a VBA routine that would allow me to pass keystrokes into an active
document -- as if they had been entered by a user?

I'm trying to create a routine that creates (automatically) a PDF copy of
the currently active document. The goal is to produce a PDF image of the
active document that (1) bears the filename of the active document (without
the ".doc", of course) and (2) is written in the currently active document's
folder - just by having the user invoke a hotkey or press a custom button on
the button bar.

My problem is getting VBA to pass the current document's name into the
PDF-creation system's dialog box.

I can't find a PDF creation system (at least one that I can afford) that
will let me pass the document name to it as an argument. So I propose to
"brute force" around this by simply sending the same keystrokes a user would
type into the dialog box as if they were generated from the keyboard.

I know. This is old-fashioned DOS macro programming.... I'll let you laugh
at me if you can tell me how to get VBA to do the same thing [grin]!

Rick

 

[Amedee Van Gasse]

rtrsr shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.docmanagement:

I can't find a PDF creation system (at least one that I can afford)

There you have it. I believe this /should/ be possible (not sure,
didn't try it) with the full Adobe Acrobat. It installs some macros,
and I would be surprised if those macros couldn't be used in some way.

 

[Graham Mayor]

The Adobe macros are not accessible for editing and will always prompt for
the filename (while offering the original document name) I see no way to
by-pass that without access to the Adobe code. Printing to the Adobe driver
*may* be possible but my attempts to introduce the filename in vba code
still results in a stop at the filename screen.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Amedee Van Gasse]

Graham Mayor shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.docmanagement:

The Adobe macros are not accessible for editing and will always
prompt for the filename (while offering the original document name) I
see no way to by-pass that without access to the Adobe code. Printing
to the Adobe driver *may* be possible but my attempts to introduce
the filename in vba code still results in a stop at the filename
screen.

I *am* surprised. I cannot imagine that such a thing hasn't been done
already, somewhere out there in the real world.

 

[rtrsr]

Amedee,

I posted a related inquiry over in the VBA-General Newsgroup. My idea there
was to brute-force a solution by passing the keystrokes for the document
name straight into the PDF-Creating dialog box - sorta like we used to do
with the "original" macros back in the Days of DOS.

I got a one-word response from "Steve Hudson - Word Heretic":

=========
SendKeys
=========

OK, I've looked this up on
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?url=/library/en-us/script56/html/wsmthsendkeys.asp
and, at first blush, this looks like a hopeful solution.

Do you have any experience with this? If it won't work, I'd sure like to
know it before I waste time hammering away.

Rick Rodgers

 

[rtrsr]

Graham,

I posted a related inquiry over in the VBA-General Newsgroup. My idea there
was to brute-force a solution by passing the keystrokes for the document
name straight into the PDF-Creating dialog box - sorta like we used to do
with the "original" macros back in the Days of DOS.

I got a one-word response from "Steve Hudson - Word Heretic":

=========
SendKeys
=========

OK, I've looked this up on
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?url=/library/en-us/script56/html/wsmthsendkeys.asp
and, at first blush, this looks like a hopeful solution.

Do you have any experience with this? If it won't work, I'd sure like to
know it before I waste time hammering away.

Rick Rodgers

 

[Graham Mayor]

Steve's responses can sometimes be a bit cryptic - ask if he would
elaborate.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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