Modify an existing PDF

[TobesC]

Hi everyone - I have the pdf of a form that i need to fill out with different information every time. that data is in my database - is there a way to have php create a new pdf using the existing document as a template, and writing the data to a desired location on the page?

 

i know its a bit complicated, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks.

[zq29]

I'm not sure if it can be done with this, but have you taken a look at the FPDF class?

[willpower]

anyone got an answer to this?

[NerdConcepts]

Yeah, seriously? Anyone? This is on going HUGE problem that I am having to finish up some stuff I've been working on a long time.

 

Tried lots of things, I attempted to just open the file using what build in PDF stuff with a build in library on my server, HA, not even close.

Tried a few other classes.

 

tcpdf seemed like it may work, but it has so much junk tied with it I am not sure if that would be the way to go, since I am still not sure if you can simply open the existing form PDF, add text to it (using x,y) then save it. I know you can do the adding and saving and what not, but the whole opening an existing PDF is beyond me. I am checking to see if I can do a simple "background" image on a table and use PHP to fill in the variables and use tcpdf to use that PHP file to generate a PDF, but again, not sure if this is possible, since it seems to be overly complicated at this point. Haven't had a whole lot of time to check it out but I thought I would bring this to light to maybe the people having problems might also figure it out or find it useful.

[Mchl]

FPDF won't work for this, but you can ask this question on their forum

http://www.fpdf.org/

 

They've much experience dealing with PHP and PDF

[JonnoTheDev]

I dont think that opening an existing PDF and writing data to it can be done although I have not looked at the FPDF library.

I have used the PDF libraries in the ZEND framework (think its ZEND_pdf) to create a pdf document using user inputted data and using x,y coords to place the data which worked well, especially for creating hings like invoices on ecommerce apps.

[Barand]

Using FPDF all you need to do is create a subclass of the fpdf class to create your form and have method/s to set the bits that change each time.

[Mchl]

But FPDF can't use existing PDF as an template. It'd be necessary to create a code, that would produce same output as 'template' document.

[Barand]

... create a subclass of the fpdf class to create your form ...

 

Yes, that's what I said

[Mchl]

Wasn't obvious to me

[NerdConcepts]

is there a way to convert an outside PHP file into a PDF? That may do the job for a few of us. I know it would me.

 

It would allow me to recreate the PDF into HTML and PHP to fill in the needed values and then covert the code over to PDF.

[Guest Xanza]

Sorry if this seems rude, but you guys keep asking the same question that Barand already answered - yes this can be done, but NOT from an existing PDF, you'll have to recreate a template from a subclass to create your form then a class to add the data that you want to customize it. If anyone has WaMu Online Banking you can view a simple class in action by clicking: "Set up Direct Deposit". Once you click it - it will take you to a page that will allow you to download a PDF file that already contains most of the information personalized from your account - then you print it out and hand it in to your employer. It's a really good example, you can try and Google the results if you would like... That's always a good place to start.

[NerdConcepts]

The thing is, there was an "answer" but people do like to actually get a solution. Not just, write a class. But maybe an existing class? And, yes here it is and how to do it!

 

Go and download this...

http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=620047

 

1) Drop the contents of the download into a subdirectory of your website. Example of mine: http://localhost/testapp/tcpdf/

2) Write a PHP file to contains your form. Make sure to read the documentation (some HTML is no acceptable)..for example... "form2pdf.php"

3) Create a PHP file that contains the following code.

 

require_once('tcpdf/config/lang/eng.php');
require_once('tcpdf/tcpdf.php');

$pdf = new TCPDF(PDF_PAGE_ORIENTATION, PDF_UNIT, PDF_PAGE_FORMAT, true); 
$pdf->SetCreator(PDF_CREATOR);
$pdf->SetAutoPageBreak(TRUE, PDF_MARGIN_BOTTOM);
$pdf->setImageScale(PDF_IMAGE_SCALE_RATIO); 
$pdf->setLanguageArray($l); 
$pdf->AliasNbPages();
$pdf->SetFont("helvetica", "", 10);

$pdf->AddPage();
$htmlcontent = file_get_contents("form2pdf.php", false);
$pdf->writeHTML($htmlcontent, true, 0, true, 0);

$pdf->Output("example.pdf", "I");

 

And run the this PHP file, it will auto generate the PDF and display it on the screen. That is just a simple test that I just now did for my solution. Still going through the TCPDF coding to change somethings on it to personalize it to work better for what I am doing. Also go through the examples, there are LOTS of different applications for this class file.

 

Hope this helps.