Fax a Report

G

George

I would like to automate faxing reports using vb & the xp fax printer from within Access, has anyone had a go at this. Would prefer not to use MAPI method but print to fax driver and set fax number etc using VB
 
S

SA

George:

You really have to look at the fax software availalbe and determine which
allow you some level of automation to accomplsh what you are trying to do.
There's one common path, which is to use WinFax Pro, which is automateable
either through DDE or a COM object. (You just have to avoid using version
10.02, which was buggy and didn't allow automation.)

The second, low cost but not as easily used or effective solution is to use
the built in fax server program of Windows 2000 or Windows Xp. Each expose
a COM object that you can use for automation, in Win2K its called Faxcom 1.0
in the references list (Fax Service Client API for Windows 2000 in MSDN ) in
Xp its called the Microsoft Fax Service Extended Com Type Library in the
references list (Fax Service Extended COM api in MSDN). The drawback to
using this service, is that you have to output your report to an
intermediate file (e.g. a snapshot or pdf file) in order to fax it; secondly
when the item is faxed it leaves the server for the intermediate file type
running and doesn't shut it down. (All possible to be worked around). In
any event there are loads of vb examples for using both in the MSDN library
and you can come up with common code that works with both services for
platform independence. However, you can't support any Win9.x or NT clients
with this route either.

If you are interested in an inexpensive an easy to use interface to the
Winfax integration, then you might take a look at our Winfax Integration
Library for Access on our web.

HTH
--
Steve Arbaugh
ACG Soft
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/attac-cg

George said:
I would like to automate faxing reports using vb & the xp fax printer from
Click to expand...
within Access, has anyone had a go at this. Would prefer not to use MAPI
method but print to fax driver and set fax number etc using VB
 
E

Ed

Just for your info: Symantec has informed and confirmed that winfax does not
support graphics in Access reports. When faxing you get blanks where all
graphic images are. Any suggestions would be helpful here.
 
S

SA

Ed:

Thats not always true. Depends on the resolution of your graphics and on
the type of graphic. It does sometimes have problem with Graph Objects, but
we've fax reports with embedded emf files, bmps etc. High res JPEGs and
GIFs can cause probems.
 
M

MyndPhlyp

Ed said:
Hi: OK, Whats the format that works and I'll try to change my graphics.
Is it low res or high res that works. or is it trial & error or guessing.
Click to expand...

Just for grins, try using TIFF's for graphics at 100 dpi resolution.
Recalling the old DOS days when fax modems were becoming all the rage, every
fax application I dealt with loved TIFF's (and most old B&W scanners, too).
 
E

Ed

Thanks, Tiffs do not work either.
Must be some fix with symantec of a type of graphic to work.
Really appreciate everyone trying.
Ed
 
S

SA

The short solution is to go out and buy for $120 or so Winfax 10.03 and
connect your PC to a phone line and then automate faxing using the PC rather
than the external fax. (You could use our Winfax Library to do this all and
save yourself a bunch of time; you've probably expended that much in time
value already trying to find out how to control the cannon.)
 
E

Ed

Now that the result appears to recommend the Winfax software. Be aware that
Winfax does not support Access graphics in reports. I need to print reports
to pdf format then fax the pdf file as attachment. nice ha! Hoping Winfax
will address compat issue.
 
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