Description:

The WordToPDF step belongs to the Engine category in FlowWright. Its XML definition identifies the step as wordtopdf, with the label “Convert Word to PDF” and the display name “Convert to PDF.” It is defined as a Process step using FlowWright.Workflow.Wordtopdf from FlowWright.Workflow.dll. The step has 2 input connections and 2 output connections.

Usage:

The WordToPDF step is typically used when a workflow contains a Word document that needs to be converted to PDF.

During process design:

1. Add the WordToPDF step to the process definition.
2. Specify the source Word document in the Word file path.
3. Specify a Variable/Global in Variable/Global to hold the PDF file path.
4. Connect the step to the surrounding workflow operations.
5. Save the Process Definition.
6. Create a Process Instance and execute the workflow.
7. Verify that the PDF file is generated.
8. Use the PDF file path stored in the configured Variable/Global in subsequent workflow steps.

Both properties are required, so they must be configured before the step can be used as intended.

Typical workflow suggestions:

• Convert generated documents to PDF - Use WordToPDF after a workflow creates or receives a Word document that needs to be converted to PDF.
• Generate PDF documents for distribution - Use WordToPDF when a workflow needs to convert a Word document before sending or distributing the resulting PDF.
• Document archival - Use the step when a workflow needs to create a PDF version of a Word document as part of a document archival process.
• Generate customer-facing PDFs - Use WordToPDF after preparing a Word-based document such as an invoice, quotation, agreement, report, or other business document.
• Prepare PDFs for downstream processing - Use the generated PDF path as an input to subsequent workflow processing.
• Automated document conversion - WordToPDF can be placed into an automated workflow whenever Word documents are generated as part of a larger business process.

Example:

Let’s build and execute the “wordToPDFDef” example.          

• Create a new process definition called “wordToPDFDef” and open the definition in designer mode. 
• Drag a “wordToPDF” step to the canvas.
• Connect the dots between the “Start” and “wordToPDF” steps, as shown above.  
• Define a variable or a global variable to store the PDF file path.
• Click the "wordToPDF" step to configure its "Required" properties. Provide a name for the step. Provide the path to the Word document on the app server. Provide a variable or a global to store the output PDF file path. Click the Save button. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• The “Logging” configuration is necessary for documentation and also measures workflow progress and percent complete. This is achieved by configuring the step state and percent fields individually, as shown in the images below. Configure the “Logging” using the following properties.

• Save the process definition, create a new instance, and execute it. Render the process instance. Click the process step. The step should convert the Word document to PDF and store the server file path information in an output or global variable.

Tips:

• Ensure that the Word file path points to the intended source Word document.
• Ensure that the Variable/Global that holds the PDF file path is configured, as it is required. 
• Use a descriptive Variable/Global name such as InvoicePDFPath, ReportPDFPath, or GeneratedPDFPath.
• Verify that the source Word file is available to the workflow when the step executes.
• Verify that the generated PDF exists at the path returned through the configured Variable/Global.
• Use the generated PDF path in subsequent document-management, notification, distribution, or processing steps.
• Test the conversion with representative Word documents before deploying the workflow.
• Keep document generation and PDF conversion as separate workflow stages where possible to make the workflow easier to understand and maintain.
• The XML definition does not document options for PDF formatting, page size, margins, compression, security, passwords, or other PDF-specific settings. Do not assume these are configurable properties of the step.
• The XML definition does not specify which Word document extensions are supported.
• The XML identifies True and False returns but does not document the runtime conditions associated with either path. 

Notes:

• Category: Engine
• Internal name: wordtopdf
• Label: Convert Word to PDF
• Display name: Convert to PDF
• Namespace: FlowWright.Workflow.Wordtopdf
• DLL: FlowWright.Workflow.dll
• Step definition type: Process
• Input connections: 2
• Output connections: 2
• Configurable properties: 2
• Word file property: wordFilePath
• PDF output property: pdfVarGlobal
• Word file path: Required
• PDF file path Variable/Global: Required
• Property data type: string
• Returns: False / True

Feature Comparison: WordToPDF vs. WordToText:

Both FlowWright steps convert a Word file into another file format, but they serve different output requirements:

• WordToPDF converts a Word document into a PDF file.
• WordToText converts a Word document into a text file.

Based on the supplied XML definitions, both steps have the same overall structure, number of properties, connection counts, and return paths. The primary differences are the output format and the output Variable/Global property.

Definition Sample:

You may provide a sample process definition containing the WordToPDF step and import it into the FlowWright Process Definition (XML file) page.

After importing the sample, configure:

• Word file path
• Variable/Global to hold PDF file path
• Connections to the preceding and subsequent workflow steps

Click here to download the sample file.