"Save A Copy" scripting problem

Based on the replies above, here is a script that does the export in one step.

function exportPDF_IL(pdfPath, preset ) {

        var docRef = app.activeDocument;
        var options = new PDFSaveOptions();
        
        if ((preset !== undefined) && (preset.length > 0))
            options.pDFPreset = preset;

        var numArtboards = docRef.artboards.length;
        var range = "1";
        if (numArtboards > 1) range += "-" + numArtboards;
            
        // If you supply a range then the saveAs becomes a saveACopy.
        pdfSaveOptions.artboardRange = range;

        // Prevent open after export
        pdfSaveOptions.viewAfterSaving = false;

        var myFile = new File(pdfPath);
        docRef.saveAs(myFile, pdfSaveOptions);
};

exportPDF_IL( "e:\\pdfs\\sample.pdf", "");

Thanks for this script. I've been using it for a few days and I really like it. However I remember now one of the reasons why I've been asking Adobe to add an Export PDF function to Illustrator as a new feature. Using your script (or one that I wrote myself a while back) causes the active document to lose it's UNDO history. Since we're saving the active document to PDF then reopening the original document from disk, all history is lost. It would be great if we could truly Export the document instead of Save As. If Adobe would just write modify their Export menu item to allow for this, all would be good.

I've been using your script, I just make sure I'm happy with the current state before running it, since I will lose the history.

var doc = app.activeDocument; // Name of the active document
var original_file = doc.fullName; // we need to store the original file and path
var pdfOption = 'Ansichts-PDF 150dpi'; // Name of PDF settings 
var pdfSuff = '_lowres.pdf'; // Suffix for PDF
var arr = doc.name.split(".");
var extension = "";
if (arr.length>1) extension = "." + arr.pop();
var filename = arr.join("."); // Just generate a clean file name
var name_pdfpreview = filename + pdfSuff; // new name and suffix for PDF
var export_folder = "~/Desktop/"; // Define path where to save PDF
// save as PDF and tell function which options to use and how to name the PDF
function saveCopyAsPDF (setPDF, namePDF) {
        var destFolder = null;
            destFolder = export_folder;
        var options = null;    
            options = new PDFSaveOptions ();
            options.pDFPreset = setPDF;
            options.viewAfterSaving = false; // just to be sure not to open Acrobat
        var targetFile = null;
            targetFile = new File (destFolder + namePDF);    
        doc.saveAs (targetFile, options); // here we save the PDF 
        doc.close (); // now we close it in Illustrator ...
        app.open (File (original_file)); // ... and re-open the Illustrator file
}
saveCopyAsPDF (pdfOption, name_pdfpreview);

Hope this will help.

It's a workaround: just store the original file info in a variable, write the pdf, close it, and return to the orginal file.