Thank you kindly. That is exactly what was needed to move me off of stuck. I just deployed the app tonight. I believe it to be doing the trick as I write, based on feedback from three testers (including myself).

And the working code looks like this:

  $self->{'tt'} = Template->new({
   INCLUDE_PATH => $self->{'cfg'}->param("pdf.include_path"),
    OUTPUT_PATH => $self->{'cfg'}->param("pdf.tmp_path") });

  $self->{'tt'}->process($template,{ field => $field },$self->{'pdf_ou
+tput'} . '.tex',binmode => 1) || die $self->{'tt'}->error();

  my $cwd = cwd();
  chdir $self->{'cfg'}->param("pdf.tmp_path");
  $ENV{'USER'} = $self->{'cfg'}->param("pdf.user");
  $ENV{'HOME'} = $self->{'cfg'}->param("pdf.home");
  `latexmk -pdf $tmp_file.tex`;
  chdir $cwd;
  rename "$tmp_file.pdf", $file;
  unlink <$tmp_file.*>;
  $self->{'pdf_output_file'} = $file;
  $self->{'pdf_output_file_name'} = $self->{'pdf_output'} . '.pdf';
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This is meeting all of my requirements, with respect to filing the resulting file appropriately and avoiding the risk of race conditions which would corrupt our archives. I have control over what to name the files.

So far, the only complaint I've had about latexmk is how noisy it has been when I'm running my test suite. I'll have to review the --help on that script again. I'll bet their is a switch to quiet it down. But it was an easy install. I would be more comfortable calling methods somehow, for some reason using backticks other than in a quick throw-away script makes me nervous. But I have no idea if there is any reason for that.

With this trick, the only thing holding me back now is my rudimentary latex skills.

But I'd guess this will give me more reason to practice with that.

Thanks again for the lead.

-- Hugh

Pleased to have been able to assist!

Indeed latexmk is very loud by nature. calling it as follows:

$result = `latexmk -pdf -f -silent $filenaam`;
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will quite it down a bit, but not totally.

I usually add the -f (force) option, so latexmk doesn't quit at the first unresolvable error it encounters.

the only thing holding me back now is my rudimentary latex skills

Perhaps we should found a "LaTeXmonks" site, but thay will perhaps attract the wrong type of people! ;-)

CountZero

A program should be light and agile, its subroutines connected like a string of pearls. The spirit and intent of the program should be retained throughout. There should be neither too little or too much, neither needless loops nor useless variables, neither lack of structure nor overwhelming rigidity." - The Tao of Programming, 4.1 - Geoffrey James