How to Preserve CSS Styling in PDF Exports of Pre Elements?

Preserving CSS Styling in PDF Exports of Pre Elements

In the scenario of a syntax highlighter that offers the option to save highlighted code as a PDF, maintaining the CSS styling is crucial to preserve the aesthetics and functionality of the highlighted code.

Saving Pre Elements as PDF with CSS

To save a pre element as a PDF while maintaining its CSS styles, consider the following approach:

1. Create a New Window: Open a new browser window.
2. Append HTML and Styles: Insert the HTML of the pre element, including any relevant styles, into the document body of the new window.
3. Focus and Print: Focus on the new window and initiate the print process.
4. System Print Dialog: In the system print dialog, select the "Print to file" option to save the highlighted code as a PDF.

Code Example

<code class="javascript">$("#save").click(function() {
  var text = $("#output")[0].outerHTML;
  // retrieve and append `style` element, or define inline styling
  var styles = $("style")[0].outerHTML;
  var popup = window.open("", "popup");
  popup.document.body.innerHTML = text + styles;
  popup.focus();
  popup.print();
});</code>

Implementation Considerations

• Ensure that the styles variable contains either the style element or inline styling information relevant to the pre element.
• Adjust the CSS media queries as necessary to ensure optimal formatting in the PDF.

Conclusion

By implementing these techniques, you can effectively save pre elements as PDFs while preserving their CSS styling, allowing users to easily share and archive the highlighted code with accurate presentation.

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