Creating 1000 invoices on the fly

[webnology]

Hi all,

we're in the middle of creating an app for cardealers. They can enter their cars for a specific amount per week. At the end of the month, we would like the system to generate a detailed invoice for every car dealer. So, I would need an invoice per dealer, with every car on it, and its price.

What would be the best way to develop sth like this? Would it be possible to let the system fetch the data from the db, create pdf's per dealer, and store them somewhere in a folder? That would be optimal.

We will have about 1000 dealers every month, invoices can be more than 1 page.

Any ideas or remarks?

Many thanks,
M

[Jeanco]

I have recently created something similar for my office. I work at a university and we generate funding announcements on a regular basis. My approach involved creating an "Announcement" class which included a function generateAnnouncement() that took the data from the database and ran it through a template.

So my steps were as follows:
1) Query the database for all new announcements
2) For each new announcement, create an array of new Announcement objects to hold all its information.
3) Send each object in the array through the template, and save the file (in my case, I did it as an html).

I imagine you're quite capable of getting the data from the database, so here is the code I used for the templating:

class Announcement {
    //DECLARE VARIABLES
    var $spnsr_id; //sponsor ID
    var $spnsr_name; //sponsor name
    var $pgm_id; //program ID
    var $pgm_name; //program name
    var $pgm_type;
    var $pgm_description; //program description
    var $pgm_contact; //program contact
    var $cmp_id; //competition ID
    var $cmp_guideline_url; //competition URL
    var $cmp_name; //competition name
    var $cmp_awrd_range; //value of the award
    var $cmp_open_dt; //is it an open-ended date?
    var $cmp_internal_dt; //internal deadline
    var $cmp_dean_dt; //dean's deadline
    var $cmp_agency_dt; //agency deadline
    var $cmp_detail; //compeition description
    var $cmp_admin_info; //application details
    var $cmp_int_contact_nm; //RDS contact person's name
    var $interest_descr = array(); //array of keywords
    var $address = array(array()); //2D array of addresses
    var $discipline = array(); //array of disciplines (based on sponsor)
    var $url; //URL to link to back to PeopleSoft
    
    
    
    //CONSTRUCTOR
    function Announcement($spnsr_id, $spnsr_name, $pgm_id, $pgm_name, $pgm_type, $pgm_description, $pgm_contact, $cmp_id, $cmp_guideline_url, $cmp_name, $cmp_awrd_range, $cmp_open_dt, $cmp_internal_dt, $cmp_dean_dt, $cmp_agency_dt, $cmp_detail, $cmp_admin_info, $cmp_int_contact_nm, $interest_descr, $address, $discipline, $url) {
        $this->spnsr_id = $spnsr_id;
        $this->spnsr_name = $spnsr_name;
        $this->pgm_id = $pgm_id;
        $this->pgm_name = $pgm_name;
        $this->pgm_type = $pgm_type;
        $this->pgm_description = $pgm_description;
        $this->pgm_contact = $pgm_contact;
        $this->cmp_id = $cmp_id;
        $this->cmp_guideline_url = $cmp_guideline_url;
        $this->cmp_name = $cmp_name;
        $this->cmp_awrd_range = $cmp_awrd_range;
        $this->cmp_open_dt = $cmp_open_dt; 
        $this->cmp_internal_dt = $cmp_internal_dt; 
        $this->cmp_dean_dt = $cmp_dean_dt; 
        $this->cmp_agency_dt = $cmp_agency_dt; 
        $this->cmp_detail = $cmp_detail; 
        $this->cmp_admin_info = $cmp_admin_info; 
        $this->cmp_int_contact_nm = $cmp_int_contact_nm; 
        $this->interest_descr = $interest_descr; 
        $this->address = $address;
        $this->discipline = $discipline;
        $this->url = $url;
    }
    
    
    
    //GENERATES THE ANNOUNCEMENT USING THE TEMPLATE
    function createAnnouncement($listingType) {
        ob_start(); //turn on output buffering
        require("templates/tmpAnnouncement.php"); //parse the file
        $output = ob_get_contents(); //save its contents
        ob_end_clean(); //clear the buffer and turn off buffering
        
        //make the directory if its not available
        if (!is_dir("generatedAnnouncements")) {
            mkdir("generatedAnnouncements") or die("Cannot make directory");
        }
        if (!is_dir("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y"))) {
            mkdir("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y")) or die("Cannot make directory");
        }
        if (!is_dir("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y")."/".date("M"))) {
            mkdir("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y")."/".date("M")) or die("Cannot make directory"); 
        }
        if (!is_dir("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y")."/".date("M")."/".$listingType)) {
            mkdir("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y")."/".date("M")."/".$listingType) or die("Cannot make directory"); 
        }
        
        //put the file in the right spot
        $outputFile = fopen("generatedAnnouncements/".date("Y")."/".date("M")."/".$listingType."/".$this->spnsr_id."-".$this->pgm_id."-".$this->cmp_id.".html", "w"); //open the file
        fwrite($outputFile, $output); //write the file
        fclose($outputFile); //close the file
                        
    } 

and then my template this this calls looks like this:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<title>RDS Announcement</title>
</head>
<body>
<center>
<table width="650" border="2">
<tr><td>
<table width="650">
  <tr>
    <td width="160">
    <img src="../../../../images/logo.gif" alt="Research Western" />
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <center><b>Funding Opportunites - Research</b><br />
    Further details regarding this announcement can be found at:<br />
    <a href="<?php echo (trim($this->cmp_guideline_url) != "" ? $this->cmp_guideline_url : "N/A"); ?>" target="_blank"><?php echo (trim($this->cmp_guideline_url) != "" ? $this->cmp_guideline_url : "N/A"); ?></a></center>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Agency/Award:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->spnsr_name) != "" ? $this->spnsr_name." - " : "N/A"); ?> <?php echo (trim($this->pgm_name) != "" ? $this->pgm_name." - " : "N/A"); ?> <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_name) != "" ? $this->cmp_name : "N/A"); ?>    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Website: </b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <a href="<?php echo (trim($this->cmp_guideline_url) != "" ? $this->cmp_guideline_url : "N/A"); ?>" target="_blank"><?php echo $this->cmp_guideline_url; ?></a>    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
      <td colspan="2">
    <hr />
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Grant Amount:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_award_range) != "" ? $this->cmp_award_range : "N/A"); ?>    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Deadline:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_open_dt) == "Yes" ? "Deadline is Open<br />" : ""); ?>
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_internal_dt) != "" ? "Internal: ".$this->cmp_internal_dt."<br />" : ""); ?>
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_dean_dt) != "" ? "Dean's: ".$this->cmp_dean_dt."<br />" : ""); ?>
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_agency_dt) != "" ? "Agency: ".$this->cmp_agency_dt."<br />" : ""); ?>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
      <td colspan="2">
    <hr />
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Subject Areas:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php 
    for ($x = 0; $x < count($this->interest_descr); $x++) {
        echo (trim($this->interest_descr[$x]) != "" ? $this->interest_descr[$x]." <br />" : "");
    }
     ?>    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Description:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->pgm_description) != "" ? $this->pgm_description : "N/A"); ?><br />
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_detail) != "" ? $this->cmp_detail : "N/A"); ?>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
      <td colspan="2">
    <hr />
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Application Details:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_admin_info) != "" ? $this->cmp_admin_info : "N/A"); ?>    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td colspan="2" align="left">
    <b>NOTE:</b> Letters of Intent and Full Applications are to be processed through Research Development Services for institutional signatures, and are to be accompanied by a completed RDAF form (bearing applicant, Chair and Dean signatures).  Requests for Institutional signatures should be received no less than 3 days prior to the posted Agency deadline.    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Western Contacts:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->cmp_int_contact_nm) != "" ? $this->cmp_int_contact_nm : "N/A"); ?>    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
      <td colspan="2">
    <hr />
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
    <b>Agency Contacts:</b>
    </td>
    <td align="left">
    <?php echo (trim($this->pgm_contact) != "" ? $this->pgm_contact : "N/A"); ?><br />
    <?php
        //the array of addresses
        for ($x = 0; $x < count($this->address); $x++) {
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr_descr]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr_descr]." <br />" : ""); 
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr1]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr1]." <br />" : ""); 
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr2]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr2]." <br />" : ""); 
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr3]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr3]." <br />" : ""); 
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr4]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_addr4]." <br />" : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_city]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_city].", " : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_state]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_state].", " : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_country_descr]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_country_descr]." <br />" : ""); 
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_postal_cd]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_postal_cd]." <br />" : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_prefix]) != "" ? "Tel: ".$this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_prefix]."-" : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_phone]) != "" ? $this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_phone]." " : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_ext]) != "" ? "ext ".$this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_ext]." <br />" : "");
            echo (trim($this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_fax]) != "" ? "Fax: ".$this->address[$this->numAddresses][spnsr_fax]." <br />" : "");
        }
    ?>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</td></tr>
</table>
</center>
</body>
</html>

Hope this helps.

[webnology]

Thanks Jeanco,

that is similar indeed. Do you get any problems with the number of files? I guess we'll have about 1000 every time we run the extraction. We will remove them from the server and hold them locally.

Thanks for the reply :-)

M

[Jeanco]

If you get timout errors look at adjusting the max_execution_time in php.ini

You can also do this using ini_set() http://ca.php.net/ini_set

Take a look at the php.net site for a bit, they have some functions you can use to reset the timeout counter each time the function is called. This means that you'd be able to keep the timeout reasonable, but have it reset each time. See this link: http://ca.php.net/set_time_limit