Generate PDF using node.js

🙋‍♂️ Shubham Verma 🗓 March 28, 2018

In this article, we will learn how we can generate PDF using nodejs.

To generate PDF we need a HTML page and using that page we will generate the same design in pdf. The HTML design would be a plateform to generate the PDF.

To create PDF you need to make HTML content of that particular, We will generate PDF of same HTML content.

So let's start generating PDF using node.js

I am using nodejs and I want to generate PDF on specific route ( end point/API ). It means I will hit that URL in my browser then it will generate the PDF and give us that pdf. we will use following npm modules:

ejs, fs and html-pdf

Create a package.json file and install the dependencies. you can take the reference of how you can create a package.json file from here

Install the above dependencies using npm:

npm install ejs fs html-pdf --save

Step 1: Create a server in nodejs:

Create a file with name "app.js" and paste the below code:


                        // app.js: Generate PDF using node.js
                    
                        const express = require('express');
                        const app = express();
                        const utils = require('./pdfGenerator')
                        const port = 3100;
                    
                        app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/'));
                    
                        app.get('/', (req, res) => {
                          utils.createPdf()
                            .then((htmlString) => {
                              res.redirect("http://localhost:3100/mypdf.pdf");
                            });
                        });
                    
                        app.listen(port, () => console.log(`App listening to port ${port}`));

Step 2: Write the HTML file to generate the pdf of that file:

Let's create a HTML file with name "example.html", and we will generate the pdf of html file later

Now create a file example.html in same directory and write the below code:

                     //example.html- Step 2: Write the HTML file to generate the pdf of that file:
                        <html>
                        <head>
                          <title>idKblogs</title>
                        </head>
                        <body style='width:100%'>
                          <hr>
                          <div>
                            <p>In this article, we will learn how we can generate PDF using nodejs.</p>
                            <p>To generate PDF we need a HTML page and using that page we will generate the same design in pdf. The HTML design
                              would be
                              a plateform to generate the PDF. </p>
                            <p>To create PDF you need to make HTML content of that particular, We will generate PDF of same HTML content.</p>
                            <p>So let's start </p>
                            <p>I am using nodejs and I want to generate PDF on specific route ( end point/API ). It means I will hit that URL in
                              my browser then it will generate the
                              PDF and give us that pdf. we will use following npm modules:
                            </p>
                            <p class="code">
                              ejs, fs and pdf
                            </p>
                            <h2>Step 1: Create a server in nodejs:</h2>
                            <p>
                              Create a file with name "app.js" and paste the below code:
                            </p>
                            <script src="https://gist.github.com/svsh227/e22cf13e0590ef740b56c5b3c6ec6460.js"></script>
                           
                            <h3>Step 2: Write the HTML file to generate the pdf of that file:</h3>
                            <p>Let's create a HTML file with name "example.html", and we will generate the pdf of html file later</p>
                            <p>Now create a file example.html in same directory and write the below code:</p>
                            <script src="https://gist.github.com/svsh227/e6cd6e81bf6ade5bafd07dd9baa492ea.js"></script>
                            <h3>Step 3: Write the logic to create generate pdf:</h3>
                            <p>
                              Let's write the logic to create the PDF, to do this create a file "pdfGenerator.js" and write the below code:
                            </p>
                            <p>
                              pdfGenerator.js
                            </p>
                            <script src="https://gist.github.com/svsh227/c25486ee4113f08493db7d5eec1d9c36.js"></script>
                            <h3>Step 4: Run the app :</h3>
                            <p>To get the result, we need to run the app using below command:</p>
                            <p class="code">
                              node app.js
                            </p>
                            <p>Now goto the Browser, and Hit URL "localhost:3100/" and see the result.</p>
                            <p>In your app folder you can see the pdf is generated of the given html file.</p>
                            <h3>Conclusion:</h3>
                            <p>In this article, we learned how we can create PDF file in nodejs.
                            </p>
                            <hr>
                            <p class="thanks">If you’re interested in Node.js or JavaScript, then <a target="_blank"
                                href='https://idkblogs.com'>this
                                link</a> will help.
                              Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article.
                              <br>
                              <br>
                        </body>
                        </html>

Step 3: Write the logic to generate pdf:

Let's write the logic to create the PDF, to do this create a file "pdfGenerator.js" and write the below code:

pdfGenerator.js

                              // pdfGenerator.js- Step 3: Write the logic to create generate pdf.
                        
                        const pdf = require('html-pdf');
                        const fs = require('fs');
                        
                        var readFile = function (fileName) {
                          return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
                            fs.readFile(fileName, 'utf8', (error, htmlString) => {
                              if (!error && htmlString) {
                                resolve(htmlString);
                              } else {
                                reject(error)
                              }
                            });
                          });
                        }
                        
                        
                        var createPDFFile = function (htmlString, fileName, callback) {
                          var options = {
                            format: "Letter",
                            header: {
                              "height": "15mm",
                              "contents": "<span>Shubham Verma: idkblogs.com</span>"
                            },
                            "timeout": 600000,
                            "footer": {
                              "height": "15mm",
                              "contents": {
                                first: "<div><span>1</span></div>",
                                default: "<div><span>idkblogs.com</span></div>", // fallback value        
                                 last: "<div>      
                              }
                            }
                          };
                        
                          pdf.create(htmlString, options)
                            .toFile('./' + fileName, function (err, data) {
                              if (err)
                                console.log(err);
                              else
                                console.log("PDF Generated .");
                            });
                        }
                        
                        exports.createPdf = function (path) {
                          return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
                            readFile("example.html")
                              .then((string) => {
                                return string;
                              })
                              .then((string) => {
                                createPDFFile(string, "mypdf.pdf")
                                .then((res)=>{
                                  resolve("DONE");
                                })
                              })
                              .catch((err) => {
                                resolve(err);
                              });
                          });
                        }

Step 4: Run the app :

To get the result, we need to run the app using below command:

node app.js

Now goto the Browser, and Hit URL "localhost:3100/" and see the result.

In your app folder you can see the pdf is generated of the given html file.

Create PDF using in your nodejs app: idkblogs.com

Source: idkblogs.com

Conclusion:

In this article, we learned how we can create PDF file in nodejs.

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