IBM i Access Client Solutions - Printer Output but using an API - db2

Question

I want to replicate the functionality of the IBM i Access Client Solutions "Printer Output" tool that is used to retrieve PDF's of spooled files from our IBM Db2 environment. Instead of a user interface, I want to replicate the functionality as an API.
I want to construct an API which takes inputs such as the filter parameters pictured below:
The output of the API would be PDF(s) of the printer output spooled files that match the parameters specified.
I figure that if I am able to access the i Access Printer Output tool, then I should be able to use my credentials to access the spool files using an API or something like that.
Where would I start in constructing something like this?
Also, are there any IBM guides that contain relevant information? I have looked but been unsuccessful. The Programmer's Toolkit is, also, not available with my version of i Access.
Also, I don't have developer roles, so if this is possible, it would need to be something that I can do with little authority within the IBM i servers and the Access client.

Answer 1

First off, IBM ACS is Java based. Thus everything it does can be found in the IBM Toolbox for Java, aka JTOpen aka JT400.
http://jt400.sourceforge.net/
Documentation https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.4?topic=java-toolbox
You're going to want to look at the reading a transformed spool file example
The transformation actually happens on the IBM i side, by specifying the appropriate workstation customization object, QCTXPDF in this case rather than the examples original QWPTIFFG4
// The following examples demonstrate how to set up a PrintParameterList to
// obtain different transformations when reading spooled file data. In the code
// segments that follow, assume a spooled file already exists on a server, and
// the createSpooledFile() method creates an instance of the SpooledFile class
// representing the spooled file.
// Create a spooled file
SpooledFile splF = createSpooledFile();
// Set up print parameter list
PrintParameterList printParms = new PrintParameterList();
printParms.setParameter(PrintObject.ATTR_WORKSTATION_CUST_OBJECT, "/QSYS.LIB/QCTXPDF.WSCST");
printParms.setParameter(PrintObject.ATTR_MFGTYPE, "*WSCST");
// Create a transformed input stream from the spooled file
PrintObjectTransformedInputStream is = splF.getTransformedInputStream(printParms);