explorer

I'm attempting a PHP tutorial from a magazine which will, if successful, enable PDF's to be generated from a web page.

It requires the PDF extrension to be installed. I've had a quicklook to see if it's enabled or installed (i uploaded a phpinfo.php file) but can't see any reference to it. Is it something that UH can add?

I'm a beginner with PHP, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

TygerTyger

It appears to be installed already, unless my PDF converter is working by voodoo.

__________________
Check your accessibility and web page quality

Terra

Waiting for my .net magazine in the post - hopefully it'll be here tomorrow - the PHP PDF converter tutorial sounds interesting!

__________________
Underground, Overground, Wombling Free!

explorer

I'm following the .NET tutorial as well

I've got it to work locally (WAMP), but haven't figured out the correct path to put the 'output.pdf' in on UH.

You have to change the /dev/net/output.pdf bit to wherever you want to have the pdf file saved.

pdf_open_file($pdf, "/dev/net/output.pdf");

Samizdata

A slightly different take on this, but Apple's Safari browser can save pages, including this one, in PDF format by choosing File > Print > PDF (it requires no tutorial).

Presumably it is available in the Windows version of Safari, and there are Firefox extensions to do the same thing. There are also third-party add-ons for IE7 but apparently they don't work in the default "Protected Mode".

You may have your reasons for wanting the file created on the server, though.

Adam

It makes more sense to have it created on the server. You can't guarantee what browser the client is using

Samizdata

As I said, people may have their reasons - it's just that I can't think of any.

I would be concerned about possible "duplicate content" issues with Google.

I may well be missing the point, of course...

desquinn

A good reason for having this is part of an invoicing system so the invoice can be generated on the fly into a PDF format....

MRobinson

Creating the PDF file on the server is the best approach IMO since it does not limit you. On the server it would be straight-forward to "email this PDF to a friend" for example - not sure how that would be achieved client-side without user intervention.

Also, printing the page as PDF can give different results from what's required. e.g. I generate PDF invoices that look entirely different from the displayed page (with letterhead, terms and conditions etc) - although you could do a lot with a print media stylesheet I suppose.

There are plenty of pure PHP alternatives that don't require the PHP extension.
e.g. FPDF, or Zend_Pdf (php5) amongst many others.

__________________
Mark
Get Firefox | SitePoint

"It's difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it" - Upton Sinclair

Samizdata

Thanks - I took the OP's post ("enable PDF's to be generated from a web page") as dealing with converting an existing HTML page to PDF, and couldn't understand why anyone would want to.

I use print media stylesheets on almost everything.

RoryB

Do you know if this tutorial is available online at all? Or if this will work on UH?

ijl

It's not available online from the original source which the latest issue of .net magazine. The Website is at Home - .net magazine but although quite a bit of the content is available online after publication I couldn't see this article.

They also publish the files on a CD with the mag - so you'll need to get a copy of the mag I'm afraid.

__________________
"Old web developers don't die, they degrade gracefully..."

Seen on www.socialsignal.com

Charles

I came across this post by accident but I am sure glad that I did.
I didn't know about Zend_PDF and now I will be looking into using it.