I imagine the other two filenames are getting across just fine. You could add a few debugging statements to your Java to make sure (System.err.println(report_filename)).

The problem is more likely to be at the Java end. Things to check:

• Your xmlData input path refers to a file that actually exists.
• Your xmlData input path refers to a file that is readable.
• That these classes actually work as you'd expect in Java, independently of Perl:
  • java.datasource.dom4j.Dom4jDataSource
  • java.xmlreport.ProcessPdf
  • java.xmlreport.ProcessReport

Just a blind suggestion from a passer-by: You should first make a stand-alone Java program that does what you want. Take the code you have in class PdfRecordGenerator, add a bare-bones public static void main(String[] argv) method that calls the real method (like you would in Perl). Muck around with it until you get it working. After that, remove the main method and try again through Perl.

Besides, there's always System.out.println() to debug and check that everything from Perl gets passed correctly.

Ok; here's what I have so far:

the code in the java, when run from the command line makes the pdf file, with the data in it. That code looks like this:

import java.datasource.dom4j.Dom4jDataSource;

import java.xmlreport.ProcessPdf;

import java.xmlreport.ProcessReport;

import java.io.*;


/**

 * Generate a PDF report using an XML file as the datasource. For this
+ use case this is the entire set of code needed

 * to use Windward Reports. For different output formats and/or differ
+ent datasources, the code will change.

 */

public class GeneratePdfReport {

 /**

  * Generate a PDF report using an XML file as the datasource.

  * @param template The report template.

  * @param report The generated report.

  * @param xmlData The XML data file.

  */


 public static void generatePdfReport(String template_filename, String
+ report_filename, String xmlData_filename) throws Exception {
        
        InputStream template = new FileInputStream(template_filename);
         OutputStream report   = new FileOutputStream(report_filename)
+;
        InputStream xmlData  = new FileInputStream(xmlData_filename);
  // generally called once when your app starts, not in here.

  ProcessReport.init();

  // create the report.

  ProcessPdf proc = new ProcessPdf(template, report);

  proc.processSetup();

  proc.processData(new Dom4jDataSource(xmlData), "");

  proc.processComplete();

 }
public static void main(String []args) throws Exception{
    String template_filename = "/path/PurchaseOrderTemplate.rtf";
        String report_filename = "/path/order.pdf";
        String xmlData_filename= "/path/order.xml";
 

GeneratePdfReport myTest = new GeneratePdfReport();    
myTest.generatePdfReport(
    template_filename,
    report_filename,
    xmlData_filename
);    
    
}

}
[download]

this works like a charm

BUT, when I put this code inside inline::java, get ride of the main, it runs, but the pdf file is empty. Here's the code:

#!/usr/bin/perl -w 
use strict;
use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);
BEGIN {
  
   $ENV{CLASSPATH}='.:/path/';


}
use Inline Java => <<'END', CLASSPATH => $ENV{CLASSPATH};
import java.datasource.dom4j.Dom4jDataSource;

import java.xmlreport.ProcessPdf;

import java.xmlreport.ProcessReport;

import java.io.*;


/**

 * Generate a PDF report using an XML file as the datasource. For this
+ use case this is the entire set of code needed

 * to use Windward Reports. For different output formats and/or differ
+ent datasources, the code will change.

 */

public class GeneratePdfReport {

 /**

  * Generate a PDF report using an XML file as the datasource.

  * @param template The report template.

  * @param report The generated report.

  * @param xmlData The XML data file.

  */


 public static void generatePdfReport(String template_filename, String
+ report_filename, String xmlData_filename) throws Exception {
        
        InputStream template = new FileInputStream(template_filename);
         OutputStream report   = new FileOutputStream(report_filename)
+;
        InputStream xmlData  = new FileInputStream(xmlData_filename);
  // generally called once when your app starts, not in here.

  ProcessReport.init();

  // create the report.

  ProcessPdf proc = new ProcessPdf(template, report);

  proc.processSetup();

  proc.processData(new Dom4jDataSource(xmlData), "");

  proc.processComplete();

 }


}
END

text("does this work still 2?");
my $template_file = '/path/PurchaseOrderTemplate.rtf';
my $report_file = '/path/order.pdf';
my $xml_file = '/path/order.xml';


my $generator = GeneratePdfReport->new;
$generator->generatePdfReport(
    "$template_file",
    "$report_file",
    "$xml_file"
);
print "yes it did\n";
[download]

also, the print command at the end of the code won't print. Any suggestions?