CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF gives a diff result depending how it is run

Question

I will appoligize in advance for the lenght of this post, I just wanted to give enough details to be able present my problem.
CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF seems to give different reults when run in the foreground or background
We have an old report that was designed to run in the foreground it is a multi step process:
enter selection screen criteria
build an internal table of data
produce a report
if the result is good
  the user saves the report as a PDF manually
  the user clicks a button to Build and Execute a BDC
  loop through the internal table
     write data a data set
     build an internal table for errors
     write a report with the errors
     submit another progam that reads the data set and builds the BDC
Now without making any major design changes they want this report changed to be able to either run in the foreground without any user intervention or to be able to run in the background.
Foreground:
I have been able to:
- open/close the spool
- write to the spool
- convert the spool to PDF using Function CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF
- download the file PDF to the local drive using Function 'DOWNLOAD'
Background:
I have been able to:
- write to the spool
- convert the spool to PDF using Function CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF
- write the PDF file to the UNIX server THIS HAD TO BE DONE PROGAMATICALLY
If I run the same program with the same selection criteria in the foreground and background and I go into the SP02 and look at the spool they are identical.
Problem:
CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF seems to give different reults when run in the foreground or background
- the byte count
    Foreground - 14,935
    Background - 12,217
- the PDF result is different
    Foreground - looks the same as the spool
    Background - does not contain the error section
In the program I have do different things if I'm running in the foreground or background, but I'm using the same call to Function CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF and the spool from either run looks the same.
I have read in the forumn's that I function DOWNLOAD only works in the foreground.  OK so I had to write my own code to parse through the PDF table.
Does anyone know why the result from CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF would be different.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Jerry

Answer 1

I believe I have figured it out.
- I put a breakpoint at the call to CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF
- ran the program in the foreground
- just prior to the call to CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF I looked at the spool and it did not have the last page
- execute CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF byte count is 14,935
- execute the rest of the program
- look at the spool it now shows the last page
- look at the PDF it matches the spool
It appears that the last page of the spool may be buffered and may only show up in the spool when the program completes.
It also appears that when CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF is run in the foregound it includes the buffered spool information, but when CONVERT_ABAPSPOOLJOB_2_PDF is run in the background it does not.
I added a 'NEW-PAGE' line after the last line in the report now the last page comes out when run in either the foreground or the background.
Jerry