Perl script/module?

jamesbil

Hi,

Im told someone familiar with pearl might be able to help me with this one:

I need to print 365 a5 pages with nothing but a date in the centre of each. A page per day. Must be centred vertical and horizontal in certain font and size.
eg:

17
May
2014

Is there a script or perl mudule to do this? Can one be written?

Total noob btw:o
Can they be printed in word/pdf?

Thanks

Skrynesaver

CPAN is the best source for Perl modules try PDF::Create

jamesbil

thanks,
as I mentioned I have no experience of perl so i s there an easy guide on how to do it?

Skrynesaver

Something like the following (WARNING Quick an ugly hack while waiting for a compile to complete on a Friday, untested code Your millage may vary terms and conditions apply)

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;

use PDF::Create;
# initialize PDF
my $pdf = PDF::Create->new('filename'     => 'page_a_day_cal.pdf',
                                        'Author'       => 'Bill James',
                                        'Title'        => 'Page a day calendar',
                                        'CreationDate' => [ localtime ], );
                                        
# add an A5 sized page
my $a5 = $pdf->new_page('MediaBox' => $pdf->get_page_size('A5'));

# Prepare a font
my $f1 = $pdf->font('BaseFont' => 'Helvetica');

#Month names array
my @mon=qw (Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec);

my $time =  1388576834 ; #epoch time on noon Jan 1st this year

for (0..365){
    # Add a page which inherits its attributes from $a5
    my $page = $a5->new_page;
    my @date=localtime($time);
    my $date_string= $date[3]."\n$mon[$date[4]]\n". $date[5] + 1900;
                       #font #size #x #y #text #alignment 'c' for centred
    $page->stringc($f1, 40, 306, 426, $date_string, 'c');
    $time += (24 * 60 * 60) # increment the day
}
$pdf->close();

jamesbil

TYhanks for the help,
I have installed strawberry perl
copied the above script and pasted in notepad++ and saved as .pl
now what?

Skrynesaver

Not really a Windows user, but try perl -v in the console

If that works, try perl c:\path\to\file.pl

After that play with the font size and x y positioning until you're happy, then print.

jamesbil

ok perl -v returns version
but the next says cant open perl script no such file

jamesbil

i saved your script in C:\perl cal\perl_cal
is this the address I would use?

jamesbil

ok got a little further.
now i am getting permission denied on line 8 of the above script
also getting cant use undefined value as a symbol reference at c:/strawberry/perl/site/lib/PDF/Create.pm line 61

jamesbil

further still..
now getting argument "1\nJan\n115" isn't numeric in addition <+> C:my path for line 28

Skrynesaver

Hi again, try putting brackets around the addition ie ($date[5] +1900)

jamesbil

great thanks

turbot

jamesbil wrote: »

great thanks

if Perl doesnt work, you could:

1) Create an excel file with a date in A1, then iterate that day by 1 day by choosing a2 = a1 +1 then copying and pasting that for 365 days

2) Do a mailmerge in Word

3) Save that as a 365 page PDF in Word.

look up tutorials on mailmerges for this route!

jamesbil

ok I'm looking at excel now.
how do I get it centred vertical and horizontal? and day in one cell then month then year?
eg:
17
May
2014