Master dynamic PDF generation with TCPDF in PHP

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Generating PDF Files from HTML Data
3. Installing TC PDF Library
4. Creating the HTML Table
5. Fetching Data from the Database
6. Displaying Table Data on the Web Page
7. Exporting HTML Table to PDF
8. Setting Document Information
9. Customizing Header and Footer
10. Adjusting Margins and Page Layout
11. Printing HTML Content to PDF
12. Saving and Displaying the PDF Document
13. Conclusion

Generating PDF Files from HTML Data

In this tutorial, we will discuss how to Create a PDF file from HTML data using the TC PDF class library and PHP. We will be using the TC PDF library, which is one of the best libraries for generating PDF files from HTML data in the PHP programming language. This library is widely used by developers to generate PDF documents in their projects, and it is known for its simplicity and efficiency.

Installing TC PDF Library

Before we start generating PDF files, we need to download and install the TC PDF library. You can download the library from the official TC PDF Website. Once you have downloaded the library, you need to put it in your working folder.

Creating the HTML Table

To generate a PDF file from HTML data, we first need to create an HTML table that contains the data we want to export. In our example, we will be using a database table called "employee" with four columns: head, name, gender, designation, and age. We will create a simple HTML table on our web page to display this data.

Fetching Data from the Database

Next, we need to fetch the data from the "employee" table in our database. We will create a PHP function called "fetch_data" that will fetch the data and return it in HTML format. We will use the fetch_array function to convert the data into an associative array and store it in a variable.

Displaying Table Data on the Web Page

Once we have fetched the data from the database, we will display it on the web page in HTML table format. We will use the output of the "fetch_data" function to create the HTML table and store it in a variable called "output". This variable will contain the HTML code for the table.

Exporting HTML Table to PDF

Now that we have the HTML table data, we can export it to a PDF document. We will use the TC PDF class library to create a PDF object and set the necessary document information. We will then use the "writeHTML" method to print the HTML content onto the PDF document.

Setting Document Information

Before generating the PDF file, we need to set some document information such as the creator, title, header data, header font, footer font, and margins. These settings will define how the PDF document will look and what information it will contain.

Customizing Header and Footer

We can customize the header and footer of the PDF document by setting header data, header font, footer font, and footer margin. These settings allow us to add logos, titles, and other branding elements to the PDF document. We can also control the font style and size of the header and footer.

Adjusting Margins and Page Layout

To ensure that the PDF document looks visually pleasing, we can adjust the margins and page layout. The TC PDF library allows us to set the left, top, and right margins of the document. We can also enable or disable the automatic page breaking mode and set the distance from the bottom of the page that triggers a page break.

Printing HTML Content to PDF

Once we have set up all the necessary settings, we can use the "writeHTML" method of the PDF object to print the HTML content onto the PDF document. This method takes the HTML content as its argument and prints it on the PDF document with the defined settings.

Saving and Displaying the PDF Document

Finally, we need to save the PDF document and display it to the user. We can use the "output" method of the PDF object to save the document to a file or display it in the browser. In our example, we will save the PDF document as "sample.pdf" and demonstrate how it can be viewed in the browser.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to generate PDF files from HTML data using the TC PDF class library and PHP. We have covered the installation process, creating the HTML table, fetching data from the database, displaying the table data on the web page, exporting the HTML table to PDF, setting document information, customizing the header and footer, adjusting margins and page layout, printing the HTML content to PDF, and saving and displaying the PDF document. With this knowledge, you can now easily generate dynamic PDF files from HTML data in your PHP projects.

Highlights:

• Generate PDF files from HTML data using TC PDF class and PHP
• TC PDF library is widely used and trusted by developers
• Create a simple HTML table to display the data
• Fetch data from the database and display it on the web page
• Export the HTML table to a PDF document using TC PDF library
• Customize the document information, header, footer, margins, and page layout
• Print HTML content to the PDF document
• Save and display the generated PDF document

FAQ:

1. Can I use a different library to generate PDF files from HTML data?

   • Yes, there are other libraries available for generating PDF files from HTML data, such as dompdf and mpdf. However, TC PDF is a widely used and reliable library in the PHP community.

2. Can I customize the appearance of the generated PDF document?

   • Yes, you can customize the appearance of the PDF document by adjusting the header data, header and footer fonts, margins, and page layout. This allows you to add logos, titles, and other branding elements to the document.

3. Is it possible to include images in the PDF document?

   • Yes, you can include images in the PDF document by setting the header data. You can specify the path to the image file and include it as part of the header content.

4. How do I save and display the generated PDF document?

   • To save the PDF document, you can use the "output" method of the PDF object and specify the filename. To display the PDF document in the browser, you can use the same "output" method without specifying a filename.