OutputTo PDF; The OutputTo action was canceled

Question

Bizarre...
I have a Print dialog box that allows the user to select Printer or PDF. I use it in all of my applications. The PDF option works in every app but one. In that one it throws Error 2501 - The OutputTo action was canceled.
Here's my code...
ReportFile = ReportPath + rptLabel + "_" + stDate + ".pdf"
DoCmd.SelectObject acReport, rptName
On Error Resume Next
DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputReport, rptName, acFormatPDF, ReportFile, True
If Err.Number > 0 Then
txtMsg = "Error in OutputToPDF: (" & Err.Number & ") " + Err.Description
GoTo OutputToPDF_Error
End If
In looking at other threads with the same problem, I saw one suggestion to precede the OutputTo command with this:
DoCmd.OpenReport RptName, acViewNormal, , , acHidden
I tried that and the report went directly to the printer instead of opening hidden, and still didn't output to the PDF.
Any suggestions?
Darrell H Burns

Answer 1

<Make sure that the path and name stored in ReportFile is correct.  If that path is not valid, I'd expect the OutputTo method to fail>
Yes, I always verify beforehand with a Dir().
<Check the value of the defined constant acFormatPDF to make sure it's defined>
The value is: PDF Format (*.pdf)
That looks correct.
Do you check the full constructed path and name, stored in the variable ReportFile by the code posted, or do you check just the path, stored in the variable ReportPath?  I note that your code contstructs ReportFile by concatenating variables and literals
like this:
    ReportFile = ReportPath + rptLabel
+ "_" + stDate
+ ".pdf"
I don't see you forcing a back-slash (\) between ReportPath and rptLabel -- does ReportPath already end in a back-slash?  If not, that could be the source of the error.  Or if the constructed file name isn't valid; for example, if rptLabel or stDate
contains characters that aren't legal for a file name.
Aside from that remote possibility, the only other thing that occurs to me offhand is that you may not have permission to write to the folder in question.  Can you verify that?  If you have the report open in Print Preview, can you use the built-in
export command from the ribbon to export the report to PDF successfully, to exactly the folder and file name your code is using?
Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
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