Web Viewer returning a blank screen as report for AFP reports with Java Transformer.

Products

• View
• Output Management Web Viewer

Issue/Introduction

Running View R14, DRAS and Java transformers with Web Viewer 12.1. Getting a black screen immediately followed by a blank screen returned from Web Viewer. More specifically getting the template of the report (as in boxes with borders on the page) but none of the actual printed data that should go into the boxes. The problem was only for outline fonts. The AFP report with Raster fonts looked ok in PDF, except when right-clicking to document properties it was not showing any Type3 fonts. But the pages “looked OK”. An AFP report with Outline fonts did no show any text for them in the PDF even though the  fonts were mapped the same way as before. 

Environment

Release: Output Management Web Viewer 12.1

Component: WBVLUW

 

Cause

View 14.0 manual states if the X2YY_A2PD If X2YY_PROC is specified, this parameter must be set to "A2PD" which is incorrect.

Resolution

The View 14.0 manual states if the X2YY_A2PD If X2YY_PROC is specified, this parameter must be set to "A2PD", optionally followed by one or more transformer options. Note: You can optionally specify X2YY_A2PD = A2PDL. This setting generates a linearized PDF, which loads faster in most browsers than a non-linearized PDF.

From the Spool manual, in the TRANSFRM= section, which describes the one or more transformer options after the A2PD piece states: L - Causes all fonts used to be rasterized. So, View manual is not correct. A2PDL does not generate linearized PDF.  It causes all fonts in the PDF to be rasterised. That is why the document properties was not showing any Type3 fonts. Because they were not in the PDF as Type3’s…Instead they were in there as rasterised fonts. And  rastering simply does not work for Outline fonts, which is why they were not showing in the PDF result.

After amending CAHAX2YP member in CAIOPTN library to set X2YY_A2PD=A2PD, the problem is resolved.