[geeks] Text to PDF (was Re: I need an HTML to PDF converter)

[Sheldon T. Hall]

Jonathan C. Patschke says ...
> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006, Sheldon T. Hall wrote:
>>
>> They generate, and store in the DB, several hundred HTML reports per
>> day.
>
> I certainly hope the database you're describing is more commonly known
> as a "file system".

Well, yeah, sorta.  The HTML files are encrypted, indexed, stored as
individual files in a directory structure; access information is maintained
in a TISAM file.  However, the DBMS system in question handles all these
details, and, to a program, it looks like the other databases in the system.

So, although the HTML files are in a filesystem, you can't access 'em as
files; you have to go through the DB so you can locate the one you want,
have it decrypted, etc.

The same DB also stores other types of files, using the same method.  Those
other files are scans of documents, word processing files, etc.  In fact,
you can fool it into storing anything if you just declare it as an OTHER
file.

Not so bad for something developed in 1978.

-Shel