Fonts on unix server - oracle reports

[NotAllThere]

And more interesting.

[Ardesco]

Bloody hell, that's nearly as long as one of Denny's posts

Ah, but this one is useful

[DiscoStu]

Thanks, I have since received the note below (long) which shows how easy it all can be, have yet to try it out though.

>>>
This note attempts to document the steps needed to install the barcode
font provided by Logimatic on a Solaris system.

There were many false steps along the way. Although, I believe that
the false steps have been eliminated, please let me know if these
steps don't work in a pristine environment.

There may be other ways to enable barcode printing (for example, I'm
under the impression that using a TrueType font file should work when
using PDF:Embeding, but I had no success with that approach), but
following these steps should result in a environment when the barcode
font is displayed when using print preview or when printing a report
containing a barcode.

Using the provided barcode font (3OF9.ttf) in the Unix environment
requires conversion from a TrueType font to a Postscript Type 1 font
using a utility such as ttf2pt1.

ttf2pt1 wasn't installed on the Solaris system, so I used a Ubuntu
Linux system to do the conversion. Since ttf2pt1 wasn't already
installed, ttf2pt1 was installed using the apt-get command:
$ sudo apt-get -u install ttf2pt1

The conversion was performed using the command:
$ ttf2pt1 -e -m h=178 3OF9.ttf
(there were some warnings emitted which were eliminated by specifying
"-m h=178".)

ttf2pt1 generated 3OF9.afm (the font metrics) and 3OF9.pfa (the font).

For naming consistency (an Oracle Metalink article states that the
filename created in the AFM directory must match the FontName), rename
the files to match the "FontName" found in the .afm file
(DOf9Barcode):
$ mv 3OF9.afm DOf9Barcode.afm
$ mv 3OF9.pfa DOf9Barcode.pfa

(The source code for ttf2pt1 indicates that a leading digit is not allowed,
thus the mapping of the "3" to a "D".)

Transfer DOf9Barcode.afm and DOf9Barcode.pfa (as text files) to the
Unix system. These files should be placed in a directory included in
the REPORTS_PATH environmental variable (probably set in
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/reports.sh). We'll use /mars/test in this document.

There are two separate activities that must be performed:
o Enable print preview
o Enable printing

To enable the display of barcodes using the print preview function:
o Copy the .afm file to the $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/AFM
directory without the .afm suffix:
$ cp /mars/test/DOf9Barcode.afm $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/AFM/DOf9Barcode

o Update the PPD file(s) that is being used to include a line that
looks like:
*Font DOf9Barcode: Special "(001.004)" Standard ROM
If you aren't sure which PPD file is being used you may be able to
$ grep PPD $ORACLE_HOME/reports/cache/*
and look for lines that look something like:
NOTE: This file was generated with the PPD file screenprinter.ppd.

o Edit $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali and add
"3 of 9 Barcode" = "DOf9Barcode.afm DOf9Barcode.pfa"
to the PDF:Embed section (where "3 of 9 Barcode" is obtained from
"FullName" from the .afm file).

Before these changes will take effect, the report server must be restarted

At this point, a valid PostScript file should be being generated if
"Printer" is set as the destination type. However, the file probably
won't be printed correctly due to the lack of the barcode font being
present on the printer.

It is assumed that a PostScript capable printer is available. If
Ghostscript is being used to process the PostScript file before being
sent to a printer, further (Ghostscript) configuration steps may be
required.

$ORACLE_HOME/bin/rwlpr.sh is a shell script used by Oracle Reports to
queue a file to the print subsystem. We will modify this shell script
to prepend the DOf9Barcode.pfa file to the file generated by Oracle
Reports before the file is queued to the printer.

These lines should be inserted in the rwlpr.sh script after the if
statement that prints the help text for the shell script:

# Since we are using a font that is not present on our printers,
# we must prepend the PostScript Type 1 font file to the beginning
# of each file sent to the printer.

# To prevent major changes to this shell script, we'll insert some
# code here that modifies the file to be printed.

# Obtain filename (which is the last argument).
eval "tfilename=\$$#"

# "Update" file
mv $tfilename $tfilename.tmp
cat /mars/test/DOf9Barcode.pfa $tfilename.tmp >$tfilename
rm $tfilename.tmp

Note that /mars/test must be changed to the directory where the
DOf9Barcode.afm and DOf9Barcode.pfa files were placed. (I'd suggest
setting an environmental variable in the environment from where the
Oracle Reports process is started and using that environmental
variable instead of hard coding the path in various places.)

At this point, it should be possible to route a report to a printer.

Good luck!




Here's diffs of the files that were edited:

$ diff -u $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd.org $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd
--- /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd.org Tue Apr 23 10:26:00 2002
+++ /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd Mon Jan 14 07:42:07 2008
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@
*Font Times-Roman: Standard "(001.007S)" Standard ROM
*Font ZapfChancery-MediumItalic: Standard "(001.007S)" Standard ROM
*Font ZapfDingbats: Special "(001.004S)" Special ROM
+*Font DOf9Barcode: Special "(001.004)" Standard ROM
*?FontQuery: "
save
{ count 1 gt



$ diff -U 7 $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali.org $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali
--- /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali.org Wed Nov 10 03:39:00 2004
+++ /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali Mon Jan 14 08:15:06 2008
@@ -246,14 +246,15 @@

[ PDF:Embed ]

# This example shows how to embed Type 1 helvetica font into the PDF file:
# helvetica = "helvetica.afm helvetica.pfa"
# You need to specify the .afm file before the .pfa file.
# The font files must exist in one of the folders specified in REPORTS_PATH.
+"3 of 9 Barcode" = "DOf9Barcode.afm DOf9Barcode.pfa"


[ PDF:Subset ]

# This example shows how to subset Arial True Type font into the PDF file:
# helvetica = "Arial.ttf"
# The True Type font files must exist in any one of the folders specified in







*** The diff of rwlpr.sh also includes the changes required for printing to work with ***
*** Solaris 10. ***


$ diff -U 7 $ORACLE_HOME/bin/rwlpr.sh.org $ORACLE_HOME/bin/rwlpr.sh
--- /oracle/u01/product/mt1/bin/rwlpr.sh.org Thu May 26 23:39:00 2005
+++ /oracle/u01/product/mt1/bin/rwlpr.sh Mon Jan 14 12:36:31 2008
@@ -146,14 +146,29 @@
# If asked for Help, then Print the Help and exit
if [ "$1" = "-help" ]
then
printhelp
exit
fi

+# Since we are using a font that is not present on our printers,
+# we must prepend the PostScript Type 1 font file to the beginning
+# of each file sent to the printer.
+
+# To prevent major changes to this shell script, we'll insert some
+# code here that modifies the file to be printed.
+
+# Obtain filename (which is the last argument).
+eval "tfilename=\$$#"
+
+# "Update" file
+mv $tfilename $tfilename.tmp
+cat /mars/test/DOf9Barcode.pfa $tfilename.tmp >$tfilename
+rm $tfilename.tmp
+
# Unix print commands that we will try to use for printing
# Consider this as a kind of an array , from where we will
# try and pick up one that exists on this system
if [ `uname -s` = "HP-UX" ] # If OS is HP-UX
then
PRNCMDS="lp"
else
@@ -179,28 +194,28 @@
then
if [ `basename $PRNCMDPATH` = "lpr" ]
then
if [ `uname -s` = "Linux" ] # If OS is Linux
then
$PRNCMDPATH `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
- if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9
+ if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.10" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9 / 5.10
then
$PRNCMDPATH `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
$PRNCMDPATH "$@"
fi
fi
else
# parse and Fix the command Line as Required by lp
if [ `uname -s` = "Linux" ] # If OS is Linux
then
getLpCommandLine `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
- if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9
+ if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.10" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9 / 5.10
then
getLpCommandLine `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
if [ `uname -s` = "HP-UX" ] # If OS is HP-UX
then
getLpCommandLine `echo $@ | sed 's/-#/-c/' | tr -d "\""`
else
<<<

Bloody hell, that's nearly as long as one of Denny's posts

[Chantho]

Any use? - http://developers.sun.com/dev/gadc/t...ing_fonts.html

Looks like a hidden "fonts" folder in the home directory of the user the Oracle Reports process is running under.

Thanks, I have since received the note below (long) which shows how easy it all can be, have yet to try it out though.

>>>
This note attempts to document the steps needed to install the barcode
font provided by Logimatic on a Solaris system.

There were many false steps along the way. Although, I believe that
the false steps have been eliminated, please let me know if these
steps don't work in a pristine environment.

There may be other ways to enable barcode printing (for example, I'm
under the impression that using a TrueType font file should work when
using PDF:Embeding, but I had no success with that approach), but
following these steps should result in a environment when the barcode
font is displayed when using print preview or when printing a report
containing a barcode.

Using the provided barcode font (3OF9.ttf) in the Unix environment
requires conversion from a TrueType font to a Postscript Type 1 font
using a utility such as ttf2pt1.

ttf2pt1 wasn't installed on the Solaris system, so I used a Ubuntu
Linux system to do the conversion. Since ttf2pt1 wasn't already
installed, ttf2pt1 was installed using the apt-get command:
$ sudo apt-get -u install ttf2pt1

The conversion was performed using the command:
$ ttf2pt1 -e -m h=178 3OF9.ttf
(there were some warnings emitted which were eliminated by specifying
"-m h=178".)

ttf2pt1 generated 3OF9.afm (the font metrics) and 3OF9.pfa (the font).

For naming consistency (an Oracle Metalink article states that the
filename created in the AFM directory must match the FontName), rename
the files to match the "FontName" found in the .afm file
(DOf9Barcode):
$ mv 3OF9.afm DOf9Barcode.afm
$ mv 3OF9.pfa DOf9Barcode.pfa

(The source code for ttf2pt1 indicates that a leading digit is not allowed,
thus the mapping of the "3" to a "D".)

Transfer DOf9Barcode.afm and DOf9Barcode.pfa (as text files) to the
Unix system. These files should be placed in a directory included in
the REPORTS_PATH environmental variable (probably set in
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/reports.sh). We'll use /mars/test in this document.

There are two separate activities that must be performed:
o Enable print preview
o Enable printing

To enable the display of barcodes using the print preview function:
o Copy the .afm file to the $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/AFM
directory without the .afm suffix:
$ cp /mars/test/DOf9Barcode.afm $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/AFM/DOf9Barcode

o Update the PPD file(s) that is being used to include a line that
looks like:
*Font DOf9Barcode: Special "(001.004)" Standard ROM
If you aren't sure which PPD file is being used you may be able to
$ grep PPD $ORACLE_HOME/reports/cache/*
and look for lines that look something like:
NOTE: This file was generated with the PPD file screenprinter.ppd.

o Edit $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali and add
"3 of 9 Barcode" = "DOf9Barcode.afm DOf9Barcode.pfa"
to the PDF:Embed section (where "3 of 9 Barcode" is obtained from
"FullName" from the .afm file).

Before these changes will take effect, the report server must be restarted

At this point, a valid PostScript file should be being generated if
"Printer" is set as the destination type. However, the file probably
won't be printed correctly due to the lack of the barcode font being
present on the printer.

It is assumed that a PostScript capable printer is available. If
Ghostscript is being used to process the PostScript file before being
sent to a printer, further (Ghostscript) configuration steps may be
required.

$ORACLE_HOME/bin/rwlpr.sh is a shell script used by Oracle Reports to
queue a file to the print subsystem. We will modify this shell script
to prepend the DOf9Barcode.pfa file to the file generated by Oracle
Reports before the file is queued to the printer.

These lines should be inserted in the rwlpr.sh script after the if
statement that prints the help text for the shell script:

# Since we are using a font that is not present on our printers,
# we must prepend the PostScript Type 1 font file to the beginning
# of each file sent to the printer.

# To prevent major changes to this shell script, we'll insert some
# code here that modifies the file to be printed.

# Obtain filename (which is the last argument).
eval "tfilename=\$$#"

# "Update" file
mv $tfilename $tfilename.tmp
cat /zzzz/test/DOf9Barcode.pfa $tfilename.tmp >$tfilename
rm $tfilename.tmp

Note that /zzzz/test must be changed to the directory where the
DOf9Barcode.afm and DOf9Barcode.pfa files were placed. (I'd suggest
setting an environmental variable in the environment from where the
Oracle Reports process is started and using that environmental
variable instead of hard coding the path in various places.)

At this point, it should be possible to route a report to a printer.

Good luck!




Here's diffs of the files that were edited:

$ diff -u $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd.org $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd
--- /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd.org Tue Apr 23 10:26:00 2002
+++ /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/PPD/screenprinter.ppd Mon Jan 14 07:42:07 2008
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@
*Font Times-Roman: Standard "(001.007S)" Standard ROM
*Font ZapfChancery-MediumItalic: Standard "(001.007S)" Standard ROM
*Font ZapfDingbats: Special "(001.004S)" Special ROM
+*Font DOf9Barcode: Special "(001.004)" Standard ROM
*?FontQuery: "
save
{ count 1 gt



$ diff -U 7 $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali.org $ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali
--- /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali.org Wed Nov 10 03:39:00 2004
+++ /oracle/u01/product/mt1/guicommon/tk/admin/uifont.ali Mon Jan 14 08:15:06 2008
@@ -246,14 +246,15 @@

[ PDF:Embed ]

# This example shows how to embed Type 1 helvetica font into the PDF file:
# helvetica = "helvetica.afm helvetica.pfa"
# You need to specify the .afm file before the .pfa file.
# The font files must exist in one of the folders specified in REPORTS_PATH.
+"3 of 9 Barcode" = "DOf9Barcode.afm DOf9Barcode.pfa"


[ PDF:Subset ]

# This example shows how to subset Arial True Type font into the PDF file:
# helvetica = "Arial.ttf"
# The True Type font files must exist in any one of the folders specified in







*** The diff of rwlpr.sh also includes the changes required for printing to work with ***
*** Solaris 10. ***


$ diff -U 7 $ORACLE_HOME/bin/rwlpr.sh.org $ORACLE_HOME/bin/rwlpr.sh
--- /oracle/u01/product/mt1/bin/rwlpr.sh.org Thu May 26 23:39:00 2005
+++ /oracle/u01/product/mt1/bin/rwlpr.sh Mon Jan 14 12:36:31 2008
@@ -146,14 +146,29 @@
# If asked for Help, then Print the Help and exit
if [ "$1" = "-help" ]
then
printhelp
exit
fi

+# Since we are using a font that is not present on our printers,
+# we must prepend the PostScript Type 1 font file to the beginning
+# of each file sent to the printer.
+
+# To prevent major changes to this shell script, we'll insert some
+# code here that modifies the file to be printed.
+
+# Obtain filename (which is the last argument).
+eval "tfilename=\$$#"
+
+# "Update" file
+mv $tfilename $tfilename.tmp
+cat /mars/test/DOf9Barcode.pfa $tfilename.tmp >$tfilename
+rm $tfilename.tmp
+
# Unix print commands that we will try to use for printing
# Consider this as a kind of an array , from where we will
# try and pick up one that exists on this system
if [ `uname -s` = "HP-UX" ] # If OS is HP-UX
then
PRNCMDS="lp"
else
@@ -179,28 +194,28 @@
then
if [ `basename $PRNCMDPATH` = "lpr" ]
then
if [ `uname -s` = "Linux" ] # If OS is Linux
then
$PRNCMDPATH `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
- if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9
+ if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.10" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9 / 5.10
then
$PRNCMDPATH `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
$PRNCMDPATH "$@"
fi
fi
else
# parse and Fix the command Line as Required by lp
if [ `uname -s` = "Linux" ] # If OS is Linux
then
getLpCommandLine `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
- if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9
+ if [ `uname -r` = "5.8" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.9" ] || [ `uname -r` = "5.10" ] # If Solaris Release 5.8 / 5.9 / 5.10
then
getLpCommandLine `echo $@ | tr -d "\""`
else
if [ `uname -s` = "HP-UX" ] # If OS is HP-UX
then
getLpCommandLine `echo $@ | sed 's/-#/-c/' | tr -d "\""`
else
<<<

[NoddY]

Where should a .ttf file go on a Solaris box so that an Oracle Reports process will pick it up?

This sort of thing is most definitely not my bag, so I apologise if the question is badly worded.

Any use? - http://developers.sun.com/dev/gadc/t...ing_fonts.html

Looks like a hidden "fonts" folder in the home directory of the user the Oracle Reports process is running under.

[Chantho]

Where should a .ttf file go on a Solaris box so that an Oracle Reports process will pick it up?

This sort of thing is most definitely not my bag, so I apologise if the question is badly worded.