Does MRI software work with PDF-eXPLODE? If so, how can I configure MRI software to run with PDF-eXPLODE?

ISSUE:

 I use MRI accounting software as our Back Office system to manage statements to tenants. I believe you have quite a few Clients of PDF-eXPLODE using MRI software.  How can I deliver these statements by email in bulk each month using PDF-eXPLODE?

ANSWER:

PDF-eXPLODE works with most accounting and report writing software in the market. Why? That is because PDF-eXPLODE installs as a Windows printer and has the capability to redirect the output it receives from Windows. The PDF-eXPLODE process, end to end, consist of converting Windows printer output to a "Master" PDF which in turn are exploded or split into multiple single or multi-page PDFs depending on the Tag ("hidden embedded text string") in the document. This "tag" found in the document ("Statement or Invoice") has been strategically constructed to match  the settings in PDF-eXPLODE Options. Here is a typical configuration :

Let's assume you know what you would like in terms of email subject and message content, the exploded filename, where you would like the exploded file archived, and many more configuration options per Report type (referred to as 'Message ID'). Once you create that information in PDF-eXPLODE, you are now ready to actually modify a copy of the MRI report template to start with (until we are sure it works and then only will you update the report to be used in future Statement runs in MRI) and create a Tag.

What is a Tag?

The “tag” is a collection of business data set out in a specific order and formatted to a set of rules which you configure in the PDF-eXPLODE options screen. Each page to be “exploded” must contain a tag. The tag is generally located in the page header (so it appears on all pages by default) and may be hidden using a small sized white colored font. Tags can be a basic email address or enhanced to be able to customize the exploded file name, archive folder, password security, email message and a lot more.

 A tag has the following layout, shown below in order of priority: 

<pdfexplode> or {pdfexplode} or [pdfexplode] → referred to as a 'left' or 'open' node 

1.  Variable - Up to 9 Variables separated by commas and ending with a '%' like this Var1, Var2, Var3, Var4, Var5, Var6, Var7, Var8, Var9% where 'Var' is a value that will be replaced by a database value when the report runs. Each value can be used for a specific purpose like filename, folder or even email subject or message.
   
2. Message ID - A Message ID is our name for a Report or Job stream (or type). It is a one-word text with no spaces and must be terminated (in the document tag) with a '#' like Paystubs# or Invoices# or Statements#
3. Email Address(es) - show a database email field here so that this value will change with each new document page. You can have more than one email address separated by either a comma or semi-colon.

 </pdfexplode> or {/pdfexplode} or [/pdfexplode] → referred to as a 'right' or 'close' node

This is what it would look like in a document tag:
<pdfexplode> variables% messageID# e-mails </pdfexplode>

How do we create this Tag in MRI Report writer?

 The following information was provided by a current MRI/PDF-eXPLODE User (USA):  

• Open the statement in Invoice Design
• Create a calculation cell. You will need to make it big enough to fit the entire tag line so it should take up a complete line in the rent bill. It is shown below with a red highlight around the line. You can insert this cell anywhere in the report where a line space exists.

•  Open the properties window for the cell.
• In the expression, type the following tag line:

<pdfexplode> ` CELL{BLDGNAME} ` ,CELL{ALTNAME1},Rent Bill,CELL{MONTH}% Global# CELL{EMAIL}</pdfexplode>

VARIABLES:   (the last 'Var' value  must end with a '%')

Cell BLDGNAME is the name of the property name. It is surrounded by a a "back quote" on either side of the cell formula. As the Property name is a Variable and variables (1 to 9) are a list of comma delimited values, we cannot afford to have a comma inside the Data of Property name. The use of back quote ensure that PDF-eXPLODE understands that any comma within the data value remains part of that data and not a delimiter or start of the next data value.

Cell ATLNAME1 is the tenant's full name.

Text 'Rent Bill' used as a variable to insert into the email. 

Cell MONTH is the billing month of the rent bill.

Cell EMAIL is the tenant’s email address.

MESSAGE ID : (The text must end with a '#')

Global# is the name of the Message ID rule set up in PDF-explode. Each Building or geographical area or document type can have different email messages by defining one or more Message IDs to identify different buildings for instance.

EMAIL

Cell EMAIL  the email address for teh tenant from the DB

Once this tag has been fully tested for correct data populating the cell, you may then change  the font color to white to hide the tag. The Tag MUST have a font type of Arial; however, in order to fit the entire tag on one line,  make the font = Arial (FontID=49 see Format Property window below) size=  7.

What If you have some Tenants who want Emails and others still want Paper statements? 

In the following case, we need a method of deciding which statements will be extracted for sending by email and which ones will go to a printer.  Instead of the <pdfexplode> </pdfexplode> Tag Expression as shown above, you will now need to write a different Expression based on an IF-THEN-ELSE logic. In the screen below ( CELL  properties), the Expression shows an IF{PAPEMAIL}... below.  You need a custom field in your database to hold the tenant’s rent bill preference: either paper, email or both. You can customize the options for this rent bill report by ensuring that the Tenant DB has the Custom field populated with 'E' or 'P' – email or paper. This IF statement is saying that the report writer should only add the tagline when the user is generating the rent bills that will be emailed. Otherwise nothing will print. The “ELSE” here is create a "Blank" tag like this <pdfexplode></pdfexplode> which PDF-explode will make into a "Blanktag.PDF" containing all tenant "paper" statements to be printed.  

Where you do not have a custom field in your DB identifying a paper or email tenat election, you take out the IF statement completely and go for the original tag line shown above, since you do not have the custom field or else your system will crash out with an error message that ‘[PAPEMAIL] cannot be found’. 

 Here are the property screens for the IF expression

CELL Property screen

 This is what is in the Expression field: (in here you can write some IF-THEN-LOGIC formula which will then update into the CELL properties window under 'Expression'. You can have the ELSE show <pdfexplode></pdfexplode> or leave blank as shown below. 

 Here is what the FORMAT  properties screen looks like:

Here is what the OPTIONS  properties screen looks like:

 Your formula can be as follows:

IF{ Expression ,   TRUE PART ,  FALSE PART  }  The False part will produce a PDF only containing tenants with either no email or desirous of receiving a paper statement. PDF-eXPLODE will name the PDF "Blanktag.pdf" and you can print its contents at the end of processing.

IF{  [PAPEMAIL]=E , <pdfexplode>`CELL{BLDGNAME}`,CELL{ALTNAME1},Rent Bill,,,CELL{MONTH},% Global# CELL{EMAIL}</pdfexplode> , <pdfexplode></pdfexplode> }

 or

IF{ Expression ,   TRUE PART  }  The False part does not exist here so blank tag pages will be ignored from processing or emailing.

IF{  [PAPEMAIL]=E , <pdfexplode>`CELL{BLDGNAME}`,CELL{ALTNAME1},Rent Bill,,,CELL{MONTH},% Global# CELL{EMAIL}</pdfexplode>  }