How to print PDF files directly from SAP?

Question

We have created output that is being saved in a PDF format. We can store it on any drive or send it through email. However, we would like to be able to print a PDF file directIy without any manual intervention. Now users still have to open the file and hit the print button and we want to avoid this. So basically we want to be able to create e.g. a sales order, generate an order confirmation in PDF format and send it directly to the output device that we stored in output master data. I have a feeling it is not possible to print directly because output device has to be like a PDF1 to create the PDF file itself and there is no space left somewhere to store the physical output device. We use ECC 5.
kind regards
Angelique Heutinck

Answer 1

You can use this custom FM -:)
  FUNCTION Z_PDF_DOWNLOAD.
*"*"Interfase local
*"  IMPORTING
*"     REFERENCE(FILENAME) TYPE  STRING
    SELECT RQIDENT
    INTO (T_TSP01-RQIDENT)
    FROM TSP01
    WHERE RQOWNER EQ SY-UNAME
      AND RQCLIENT EQ SY-MANDT.
    APPEND T_TSP01.
    ENDSELECT.
    SORT T_TSP01 DESCENDING.
    CALL FUNCTION 'CONVERT_OTFSPOOLJOB_2_PDF'
         EXPORTING
              SRC_SPOOLID              = T_TSP01-RQIDENT
              NO_DIALOG                = ''
         IMPORTING
              PDF_BYTECOUNT            = NUMBYTES
              PDF_SPOOLID              = PDFSPOOLID
              BTC_JOBNAME              = JOBNAME
              BTC_JOBCOUNT             = JOBCOUNT
         TABLES
              PDF                      = PDF
         EXCEPTIONS
              ERR_NO_OTF_SPOOLJOB      = 1
              ERR_NO_SPOOLJOB          = 2
              ERR_NO_PERMISSION        = 3
              ERR_CONV_NOT_POSSIBLE    = 4
              ERR_BAD_DSTDEVICE        = 5
              USER_CANCELLED           = 6
              ERR_SPOOLERROR           = 7
              ERR_TEMSEERROR           = 8
              ERR_BTCJOB_OPEN_FAILED   = 9
              ERR_BTCJOB_SUBMIT_FAILED = 10
              ERR_BTCJOB_CLOSE_FAILED  = 11
              OTHERS                   = 12.
    IF SY-SUBRC EQ 0.
      CALL FUNCTION 'GUI_DOWNLOAD'
           EXPORTING
                BIN_FILESIZE            = NUMBYTES
                FILENAME                = FILENAME
                FILETYPE                = 'BIN'
           TABLES
                DATA_TAB                = PDF
           EXCEPTIONS
                FILE_WRITE_ERROR        = 1
                NO_BATCH                = 2
                GUI_REFUSE_FILETRANSFER = 3
                INVALID_TYPE            = 4
                NO_AUTHORITY            = 5
                UNKNOWN_ERROR           = 6.
      IF SY-SUBRC EQ 0.
        DELETE FROM TSP01 WHERE RQIDENT EQ T_TSP01-RQIDENT.
      ENDIF.
    ENDIF.
  ENDFUNCTION.
Greetings,
Blag.