Odd Print problem

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omni
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Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:34 am

Odd Print problem

#1 Post by omni »

Roger,

We have a client that prints invoices weekly, using win2pdf and saves as images. Never had a problem
Recently there are reports where the total on the invoice is not correct..it is not printing the correct digits.
It is reading from the invoice file and will print, for example, 1074.49 instead of 1074.40, 993.93 instead of 993.03.
and one other they found was 463.83 instead of 453.83.
All reported by customers as they email them out and do not look at these images in most cases
Always one digit just print wrong to the pdf.
There was one check last month that also printed one digit wrong.
High volume, maybe 1000+ each run. All a single page.

Ever seen such a thing..I have not.

Fred
Omni

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Auge_Ohr
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Re: Odd Print problem

#2 Post by Auge_Ohr »

do you still have all Positions when have different Sum :?:

i just can think that some "filter" does not work any more.
so how does your filter/scope look like :?:
greetings by OHR
Jimmy

omni
Posts: 531
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:34 am

Re: Odd Print problem

#3 Post by omni »

The print does no calculation, no filter, just prints what is in the file. The detail file prints correctly, when it goes back to the invoice file for the total the digit prints wrong (randomly). The invoice file does have the correct total.
If hardware, then we see it possibly as a READ error on the field, or a WRITE issue on the pdf print creation.
Both seem highly odd.

Fred

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rdonnay
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Re: Odd Print problem

#4 Post by rdonnay »

You must approach this problem using the "process of elimination".

If you suspect that it is the print driver (Win2Pdf), then you need to verify that what you are sending to Win2Pdf is always correct.
This can be done by creating a debug file in which you write the totals for each invoice to a text file.

nHandle := Fopen('Totals.txt',FO_READ+FO_WRITE)
FWrite( nHandle, INVOICE->invnumber + ' ' + Alltrim(Str(nTotal)) + CRLF
FClose(nHandle)

If it is found that a total is printed wrong, then it can be verified against the entry in Totals.txt.
If the total in the file matches what has been printed, then Win2Pdf has been "eliminated".
That would leave you with looking at your logic and how totals are being calculated.
“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This is how I approach problems when I have no idea where the problem lies, however there is no reason at all to believe that this could be caused by any print driver, therefore, (in my mind) the print driver has already been eliminated.
The eXpress train is coming - and it has more cars.

omni
Posts: 531
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:34 am

Re: Odd Print problem

#5 Post by omni »

Roger,

I was considering doing that, but I think its some sort of read error. There is no 'calculation' done in this feature. It is looping thru the invoice file and printing the total, which does not change. Again, another one that printed a '9' instead of a '0'.
Its doing 1000-1500 pdf's each run, and maybe one or two will do this, to our knowledge. No real way to check without just opening each pdf. They find out if the customer notices.
Think for them I will just use the billing detail summation instead and note both and retain.

Also checked and no other invoices had the amount that printed..in case it was somehow on the wrong record.

Never seen anything like this..

Fred

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Tom
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Location: Berlin, Germany

Re: Odd Print problem

#6 Post by Tom »

Hi, Fred.

If you had a kind of "read error", it would have been elsewhere aswell, like within textes and so. A 9 turned into a 0 looks like a typo in a not very often used picture/formatting clause. This is nothing caused by data errors, but within the printing routine. It's on your side, by 99.999999 percent.
Best regards,
Tom

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bwolfsohn
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Re: Odd Print problem

#7 Post by bwolfsohn »

Fred,

two suggestions:

1 Is this repeatable ? i.e. if the 179th invoice is wrong, will #179 be wrong again if you re-print them right away ?

2. Can you set a wtf to a log file that only triggers if what is being sent to the printer does not equal what it should be ?
Brian Wolfsohn
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omni
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Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:34 am

Re: Odd Print problem

#8 Post by omni »

They have been doing this on same system and program for 5-6 years. Last week I added to write to a file what is send to the printer and what the billing detail is on every invoice (invoice#, Invoice total sent and invoice detail total) . We can check for any differences and also check if one prints differently, reported by the recipient, and we have the information on that invoice at that moment in time. Run at night so cannot stop it.
Hope the invoice file has got the wrong amount (the one character) and it auto-updates later, although do not know how it would update. At least that would make sense.
Has not always been a 9 and 0, has also been a 5 and 6. Just always one character is wrong.


Fred

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