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Bypassing OPP Issues: Reliable PDF Output via Blitz Report Post-Processing

Avatar photoCustomer Questions & Answers 7 replies

Our nightly batch processes suffer frequently when the Output Post-Processing (OPP) Manager becomes unstable or crashes, leading directly to widespread XML Publisher Failures that delay downstream operations. We urgently need a method that entirely removes this dependency on the OPP Java process for generating our critical report outputs, particularly complex multi-page PDF documents required for regulatory filing. Is there a viable reporting alternative capable of reliably generating high-quality PDF output directly, allowing us to maintain business continuity even when the OPP service is down?

7 replies

  • Support Enginatics

    For reports where XML Publisher dependency is the root cause of instability, switching to a solution that utilizes Custom Postprocess scripting is highly effective. Blitz Report excels here, as it generates its primary output in stable Excel or CSV formats immediately, and then uses a script to handle subsequent transformations, bypassing the OPP and XML formatting layer entirely.

  • Avatar photoCustomer

    If we use this Custom Postprocess feature to generate a PDF, what external tools are required on the Linux server, and how complex is the scripting involved for converting a large Excel workbook to a correctly paginated PDF document?

  • Support Enginatics

    Generating PDF output typically involves installing an external conversion tool, such as LibreOffice, on the EBS application server. The associated custom script simply calls this tool immediately after the Blitz Report runs, specifying conversion parameters—like generating single-page sheets—to handle large output gracefully, requiring minimal setup time.

  • Avatar photoCustomer

    Since the initial output is Excel, can users also configure options like cell borders or custom formatting before the final PDF conversion occurs via the post-processor script?

  • Support Enginatics

    Yes, specific user profile options, such as ‘Blitz Report XLSX Cell Borders’, allow for precise control over the Excel output formatting. This ensures the foundational Excel document is styled correctly before the post-processing script converts it into the final presentation-ready PDF file.

  • Avatar photoCustomer

    Does employing this method also solve the 65,536 row limit challenge often faced when using older Excel formats generated by some standard EBS processes?

  • Support Enginatics

    Absolutely. Blitz Report inherently generates modern XLSX output, supporting unlimited row counts by implementing an overflow mechanism that creates additional worksheets when the data exceeds the row capacity of a single sheet, effectively overcoming the older XLS row limits.

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