Suggestions ? Inspiration :)

[Bob007]

K, First and foremost, bare in mind I have to do things catering to the stupidest person on the planet. If I do that, I find I have less problems and some of the people invloved have never used a computer in the life.

<scenario>

8 Dells Desktop PC`s. All running Microsoft windows XP pro. Office 2007 pro.
Cycle of these machines is as follows.
Monday up to 8 new users log on the account pre-made on the machines. The accounts are identical. The desktop is layed out the same accross all 8 machines and they have the same software installed. They use these machines till Friday afternoon. Then they are assigned another machine for the remainder of their course, away from these 8. Files they genrated in the first week are transfered to the new machine. The account they used is archived and deleted by going into an Admin account, deleting the folder for the account from C:\Documents and Settings. Then on the Next Monday a new user logs into that account and a set of files is created from the default profile and we start again at day 1.

This system has been in place for over 12 months and has worked very well. It allows each new user to sit at a new profile every week without suffering from the clutter generated by other users.

<Scenario 2>
As with everything in life. Someone in the office has a bright idea and now they want a paperless induction system in place. So to that end my brief was as follows.

Take the existing documents that the new users fill out on monday by hand, total of 9 pages, and convert them to PDF adding form fields to be filled in at the machine and a way to submit these to a hardcoded E-Mail address for datacollection.

<Up to speed>
I have done the PDF file. Added all the form fields. Setup the calculations that need doing within the form and added the button at the end to submit to the E-Mail specified. The PDF functions as its ment to. The clients sit down. Log on to the Machine. A new set of files in created and one of them new files is the PDF. They open this PDF. Follow the instructions and fill it out, After that they SaveAs to keep a copy within there files and hit a submit button. This button generates the E-Mail and sends the PDF to the hardcoded E-mail addy and the adminastration staff take it from there.

<Problem>
I have setup 8 E-Mail accounts. These are 1 for each machine. Something like Machine1@thisplace.com, Machine2@thisplace.com and so on. These E-Mail addys have one purpose and that is to send this PDF to the adminastration staff. After that it is no longer used during the first week.

Cutting a long story short. When we remove the old account folder and a new set of files created, the E-Mail settings are not kept. I was hoping that if I setup the E-Mail account within the account. Then used that account to created a new default profile. When a new user logs in the E-Mail settings would be transfered, but it seems not.

<What am asking for>
Help
Am looking at using a PRF files to generate the account but it won't handle passwords, Remember from the start I have to catering for the worlds stupidest peep, So having a new user thats never used a PC in there life enter a password to make the mail work isn't going to happen. So seems this is out.

Also considering an DMS in someform. But wouldn't know where to start. maybe Alfresco.

Sugestions. Morale support and Good Luck messages welcome.

 

[djpringle]

Do you really need to mail the PDF? Could it just not be saved in a remote location away from the user folders?

 

[Bob007]

I would like to save it to remote location. Its something am looking into. Seems I have to do a trusted function. As my javascripting skills are skillless it might take me a bit to get my head round it.

 

[Bob007]

Update on what I have for remote location saveas.

This is what I have so far and how its working/not working.

mySaveAs = app.trustPropagatorFunction(function(doc,path)
{
app.beginPriv();
doc.saveAs(path);
app.endPriv();
})
myTrustedSaveas = app.trustedFunction(function(doc,path)
{
// privileged and/or non-privileged code above
app.beginPriv();
mySaveAs(doc,path);
app.endPriv();
// privileged and/or non-privileged code below
});

This sits in the reader, javascript folder as myTrustedSaveas.js. Lifted directly from the Acrojs.pdf from adobe.

f = this.getField("FullName");
myTrustedSaveToRemoteLocation(this, "C:\PDF\Induction" + f.value + ".pdf");

This sits on my button up on my submit button. This works in a way.... Kinda. What i expected it to do was save a file to C: drive, PDF folder called Induction<FullName FIeld>.pdf. What it does is drop a PDF file on my desktop called PDFInduction<FullName Field>.PDF.

Confused

 

[Bob007]

damn 10 min timer.


Edit update.

f = this.getField("FullName");
myTrustedSaveas(this, "/C/PDF/Induction" + " " + f.value + ".pdf");

This gives me a file called Induction <Fullname field>.pdf in C:\PDF

facepalm.

Now how do i get it to use a remote location

 

[Deebs]

You should be able to use a UNC.

Create a share on a machine and then try this:

\\machinenamewhereshareis\sharename

 

[Bob007]

Tried that, seems adobe doesn't like \\server\share well not like is a bit strong, it had no opinion either way as it did nothing. infact it don't like \ at all. It seems to handle drive to folder navigation with / so thinking i'd be clever and try //server/share. It did nothing. Also /server/share did nothing. Thinking it just won't handle remote places. my next step is maybe mapping a Network share to a folder on the C drive. say C:\PDF and mapped to \\server\PDF and seeing if that works if i use the same code am useing now.

 

[MYstIC G]

file://

 

[Bob007]

file:// didn't work for remote location. file:/// didn't work for remote location. Also mounting the share on the harddrive as C:\PDF didn't work. Everything seems OK till i add the remote location. Then it just sits there and does nothing.

Right now I've used 8 outlook profiles files storted on a share and dropped a shortcut on each of the 8 desktops that just needs double clicking to import the E-Mail settings. Only thing it won't handle ishe password. So i've left instructions to the staff to add it before the learners hit the machines monday mornings. Best I can do for now and give me a bit of breathing space to see if i can sort this remote saveas out.

Thanks for the replies. Going to put this one down till monday. Maybe with a fresh head the answer will come, maybe not.

On a side note. Anyone have experiance with Alfresco DMS. Does it work. Pitfalls ? Tips ? Dude that owns places is looking at content management. Asking me to look around and advise him on a path. (advice means me saying "this one looks good" and him saying "ok put it in." type thing) don't want to pick something thats going to give me multi head aches down the line and should be fairly easy for the staff.