Creating a PDF catalog

Thank you very much! looking forward to seeing, using it!

Fez-o Joe:

:clap:

OK, I've got the code working, created the PDF and it's looking fine. (albeit 145+ pages! :shocking:)

I'll clean up the php and repost it here, shortly.

Other helpful tips:

You have to have more than 32Megs on your php.ini file or it'll error out - I've updated mine to 96M and it works. If you can change your php.ini file it's:

memory_llimit = 96M

Put that at the end of the file. If you can't change yours - call your server host and ask them to change it. :)

I'll be working on reformatting the pdf slightly as it only lists 5 or 6 products per page.

Good luck.

Hi. Just wondering if you got this code up yet? Could you give me an idea of what it does?

Does it generate a pdf catalog based on your current product listings? I've seen on other websites where they have a e-catalog link, when you click it a catalog is generated in real time. It's through a php file vs an actual pdf link like I've also seen which is another option...but still not as efficient.

Thank you!!

OK - there's some major issues with formatting that are 'almost' beyond my control... I'm still a php noob - so it's taking me quite a bit.

Some issues I've found:

• image links take the person away from the pdf if displayed in a browser. the link need to have a _blank attrib, but the line is being generated as just a link, not a < a > (which would have made it easy!)

• the number of items per page is coming up short on the page calculation, and it's leaving a ton of white space.

• they really meant it when they said only jpg or gif - if you don't have an proper image set, it'll error out - a good way to fix your database, but be prepared.

As always, backup your files...

OMG! Just wanted to share with you all...I found exactly what I was looking for!

Check out this add on:
http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&products_id=276

Good Luck! It works perfectly for me :smile:

Fez-o Joe:

OK - there's some major issues with formatting that are 'almost' beyond my control... I'm still a php noob - so it's taking me quite a bit.

Some issues I've found:

• image links take the person away from the pdf if displayed in a browser. the link need to have a _blank attrib, but the line is being generated as just a link, not a < a > (which would have made it easy!)

• the number of items per page is coming up short on the page calculation, and it's leaving a ton of white space.

• they really meant it when they said only jpg or gif - if you don't have an proper image set, it'll error out - a good way to fix your database, but be prepared.

As always, backup your files...

Were you able to get this working? I am looking for a pdf catalog to put on site and be able to send to customers. I could put link on one of the EZ pages.

Thanks, Kim

kburner:

Were you able to get this working? I am looking for a pdf catalog to put on site and be able to send to customers. I could put link on one of the EZ pages.

I haven't revisited it since I got it working in the basic form - got too busy with other real world 'stuff' :shocking:

I did find that making a catalog with images, and one without proved to answer a lot of email questions. (and the home page links made it easy)

The biggest negative is the size of the PDF with images - in my case it's a 15Meg file with 600 items... I'm sure with compressing the images further could work, again - haven't had the time to revisit it.

I know, not the answer you wanted to see...

Fez-o Joe:

I haven't revisited it since I got it working in the basic form - got too busy with other real world 'stuff' :shocking:

I did find that making a catalog with images, and one without proved to answer a lot of email questions. (and the home page links made it easy)

The biggest negative is the size of the PDF with images - in my case it's a 15Meg file with 600 items... I'm sure with compressing the images further could work, again - haven't had the time to revisit it.

I know, not the answer you wanted to see...

Um...when you finally get back to it, I would like to use it. I have around 340 products. Thanks, Kim

kburner:

Um...when you finally get back to it, I would like to use it. I have around 340 products. Thanks, Kim

It can be used now - it's just not 'pretty' in my mind. Just grab the file from a few posts up and update your installation. as always, back-up first

You can see what they look like from my Disaster site first if you wish. I will try and look at it early next month.

Have fun,

Okie. I thought I'd give this a go and hopefully I'll have some semblance of a pdf catalog and I would be able to check it out, BUT...when I go to the Extras menu and select to create a pdf, I get a blank screen.

On the previous page I downloaded the updated pdf_catalogue.php file and replaced the old one. No change. I then went and downloaded the more recent one a few posts up. Still a blank page.

Any suggestions?

leilanddale:

Okie. I thought I'd give this a go and hopefully I'll have some semblance of a pdf catalog and I would be able to check it out, BUT...when I go to the Extras menu and select to create a pdf, I get a blank screen.

On the previous page I downloaded the updated pdf_catalogue.php file and replaced the old one. No change. I then went and downloaded the more recent one a few posts up. Still a blank page.

Any suggestions?

This is the error in the cache file:

Cannot redeclare class PDF in /var/www..../pdf_catalogue.php on line 30

The only thing that was giving me errors at that time were that some products had no picture assigned to them, not even the 'no_picture' - and this made it blow up.

Are you sure that you have ALL of the add-on files in the right sub-directories? Admin versus Include ? You did download the full add-on from the Zen site, then just overlayed the updated one from earlier?

Fez-o Joe:

The only thing that was giving me errors at that time were that some products had no picture assigned to them, not even the 'no_picture' - and this made it blow up.

Are you sure that you have ALL of the add-on files in the right sub-directories? Admin versus Include ? You did download the full add-on from the Zen site, then just overlayed the updated one from earlier?

Okie! Here's the thing. I have Super Orders installed as well. This was kind of conflicting. Other than that there were a few changes in general. Our tech guys sorted this out for me. I'm attaching the changed/additional files.

So....instructions. Download the module here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/archived_contributions/admin-tools/zenpdfcreator_0.96.zip

Download the attached file and upload to your adming folder.
Attachment #8764

These changes will ensure there's no further problems with Super Orders or other contributes that make use of the same kind of thing.

Hope this helps. :D

Great Mod and it works. :clap:

Dear all:

This thread is great and has helped me a lot, so first of all, thank you for that.

However, I have a problem, which I am absolutly unable to fix; My zencart is in Spanish and it has several special characters (é, ó, ñ and some others), but they do not appear in the pdf.

For example, where it should say Técnicas, it says Técnicas... obviously, the pdf cannot be used like that.

Can anyone help with that?

Thanks is advance!!!!!!!
:smile:

I have uploaded the modified files above and still get error:

FPDF error. //////coffeeberry.png

Any suggestions? I would volunteer to pay someone to get this mod up to speed with current zen cart

You might want to try it without the png files. They sometimes don't play well with others.

Hi, ive a blank page when i install this addon and ive about 4600 items. Can anyone please help? Thank you

alright, been told from hosting that my limit are fixed

max_execution_time = 30
max_input_time = 60
memory_limit = 64M

Does anyone have any other addon to generate a catalog for customers with images as printable catalog arent for me.

Thanks

Make sure that each product has a good image... even if its the 'no image' image. You can test this theory by changing the configuration file to not use images and rerun it. Do you get a file with products? Yes = need to fix images... No = check the add-on configuration file to make sure the right pathing is there.

I'm getting a 500 internal server error when I click on Generate PDF in the admin section. Prognosis? or did I install this mod incorrectly/incompletely?