Generate PDF in ElectronJS

Electron is a popular framework for building cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

In this article, we will explore how to generate PDF files in Electron using the jsPDF library. We'll cover the basics of PDF generation, how to install and use the jsPDF library, and how to customize the appearance and content of PDFs.

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. PDF is a file format used to represent documents that is independent of the application operating system, software, and hardware used to create the document. PDF files can be opened and viewed on any device with a PDF reader and are often used for sharing documents and data.

PDF developed by Adobe Systems.

PDF files can contain a variety of content, including text, images, tables, and other data, and can be customized using features such as page layout, margins, headers, and footers.

Generate PDF files in Electron

jsPDF library is a popular and easy-to-use framework for creating PDF files in JavaScript that will be used to create PDF files in Electron.

Run the following command in the terminal window to install the jsPDF library -

npm install jspdf

We can leverage this library to generate PDF files by requiring the library in our Electron application after installation and creating a new PDF file using the "jsPDF" function Object() { [native code] }.

Here is an example of how to create a simple PDF file containing only one page of text -

const { jsPDF } = require("jspdf");
const doc_file = new jsPDF();
doc_file.text('Welcome Home!', 15, 15);
doc_file.save('demo_document.pdf');

By running this code, a new PDF document will be created, the word "Hello, World!" will be added to the document, and the document will be saved in the current directory as a file named "document.pdf".

Customize the appearance and content of PDF

The jsPDF package provides many options to change the appearance of PDFs. For example, we can customize the PDF's page size, margins, fonts, and add photos and tables.

Page size

To set the page size, we can use the "setProperties" method, which allows us to specify the page size and orientation of the PDF -

const jsPDF = require('jspdf');
const doc_file = new jsPDF();
doc_file.setProperties({
   title: 'New Doc File',
   subject: 'Creating text document',
   author: 'Prerna Tiwari',
   keywords: 'text, document, PDF',
   creator: 'New Text'
});
doc_file.text('Welcome Home!', 10, 10);
doc_file.save('demo_document.pdf');

Margin

To set the margins of a PDF, we can use the "setMargins" method, which allows us to specify the top, bottom, left, and right margins of the PDF in points (1/72 inches) -

const jsPDF = require('jspdf');
const doc_file = new jsPDF();
doc_file.setMargins(5, 5, 5, 5);
doc_file.text('Welcome Home!', 5, 5);
doc_file.save('demo_document.pdf');

Font

To set the font of the PDF, we can use the "setFont" method, which allows us to specify the font family, size and style -

const jsPDF = require('jspdf');
const doc_file = new jsPDF();
doc_file.setFont('Times New Roman', 'Italics');
doc_file.text('Welcome Home!', 10, 10);
doc_file.save('demo_document.pdf');

Add image

To add an image to a PDF, we can use the "addImage" method, which allows us to specify the image file, location and size -

const jsPDF = require('jspdf');
const doc_file = new jsPDF();
doc_file.addImage(imageData, 'PNG', 15, 15, 150, 160);
doc_file.save('demo_document.pdf');

This code will add a JPEG image to a PDF file at the specified location and size.

Add table

To add a table to a PDF we can use the "autoTable" method which allows us to specify table data, columns and layout options -

const jsPDF = require('jspdf');
const doc_file = new jsPDF();
const tableData = [
   ['Name', 'Age', 'City'],
   ['John', '30', 'New York'],
   ['Jane', '25', 'Chicago'],
   ['Bob', '35', 'Los Angeles'] 
];
doc_file.autoTable({
   head: [['Name', 'Age', 'City']],
   body: tableData
});
doc+_file.save('demo_document.pdf');

This code will add a table containing the specified title and data to the PDF.

in conclusion

In this tutorial, we looked at how to create PDF files in Electron using the jsPDF package. The basics of PDF creation, installation and use of the jsPDF library, and how to modify the appearance of a PDF are all addressed.

By using the jsPDF module, you can easily create PDF files in Electron and modify their appearance and content to suit the requirements of your application. For sharing documents and data, PDF files are a practical and well-supported option that can be used in a variety of applications.

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