Conversion of various file formats to PDF

Question

I need to convert files of different file formats like .doc, .pst, .xlx, .txt, gif, jpegs etc. to PDF.
There are open source JAVA API available to do this eg. iText, and Faceless API. But they do not convert the file more accurately. How is it possible to do this using Java? Is there any other API available to do the same? How is it possible through Adobe Distiller APIs ?
Some solution which I have found are converting those files first to PostScript and then using PDFWriter converting it to PDF. How good it is?? Can anybody give some idea on it??
Any Suggestion / solutions will be welcome.
rgds
Shailender Rawat

Answer 1

Hi ,
I am trying to Print RTF to PDF file and maybe there is a way by first converting RTF to PS and then printing PS using acrobat distiller ... but how do I specify the destination for the PDF file .
I am trying to set the destination by this code -
PrintRequestAttributeSet aset =
               new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
                    aset.add(new Copies(1));
          try{
               aset.add(new Destination(new URI("file:///foo/bar")));
          } catch (java.net.URISyntaxException uri) {
               System.out.println( " URI exception "+ uri ) ;
Is this how output is sent to PDF file ???
Flavor is - DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.POSTSCRIPT;
/* locate a print service that can handle it */
          PrintService[] pservices =
               //PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(flavor, aset);
                    PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(flavor, aset);
          System.out.println( "what is the service found " +pservices.length );
and I get the printer - Acrobat distiller and I print using this code -
if (pservices.length > 0) {
               System.out.println("selected printer " + pservices[0].getName());
               /* create a print job for the chosen service */
               System.out.println(" services found ");
               DocPrintJob pj = pservices[0].createPrintJob();
               try {
                    * Create a Doc object to hold the print data.
                    * Since the data is postscript located in a disk file,
                    * an input stream needs to be obtained
                    * BasicDoc is a useful implementation that will if requested
                    * close the stream when printing is completed.
                    System.out.println(" file found") ;
                    FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream("NavneetTest.ps");
                    System.out.println(" Trying to print doc ") ;
                    Doc doc = new SimpleDoc(fis, flavor, null);
                    /* print the doc as specified */
                    pj.print(doc, aset);
               } catch (IOException ie) {
                    System.err.println( " Exception is " + ie);
               } catch (Exception e) {
                    System.err.println(" Exception is " + e);
and I get error in a windows dialog described below -
error writing to C:\WINNT\Profiles\All Users\Desktop\*.pdf for Document My Document :-The filename, directory, or volume label syntax is incorrect ..
Do u wish to retry or cancel the job?
Retry/Cancel
.. don't know how to set the uri value in the destination object to point to local hard disk folder if that is the way to print PDF . Can you please share the solution u have found ? I am really stuck !!!
Regards,
Navneet