The main functionality of the library is to convert HTML documents to PDF. But the library does much more than this. You can also convert HTML to raster images or HTML to SVG using the appropriate interfaces and you can edit, merge or split existing PDF documents.
There are two approaches to convert HTML to PDF. The first is to use the HtmlToPdfConverter class. The second approach is to create a Document object and to add a HtmlToPdfElement to it. Below are described in detail both methods.
The easiest approach is to use one of the HtmlToPdfConverter class methods to convert an URL or a HTML string to a PDF document. The resulted PDF document can be:
produced in a memory buffer using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrl(String) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtml(String, String) methods
saved in a file on disk using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrlToFile(String, String) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtmlToFile(String, String, String) methods
protected void convertToPdfButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { // Get the server IP and port String serverIP = textBoxServerIP.Text; uint serverPort = uint.Parse(textBoxServerPort.Text); // Create a HTML to PDF converter object HtmlToPdfConverter htmlToPdfConverter = null; if (radioButtonUseTcpService.Checked) htmlToPdfConverter = new HtmlToPdfConverter(serverIP, serverPort); else htmlToPdfConverter = new HtmlToPdfConverter(true, textBoxWebServiceUrl.Text); // Set optional service password if (textBoxServicePassword.Text.Length > 0) htmlToPdfConverter.ServicePassword = textBoxServicePassword.Text; // Set license key received after purchase to use the converter in licensed mode // Leave it not set to use the converter in demo mode htmlToPdfConverter.LicenseKey = "4W9+bn19bn5ue2B+bn1/YH98YHd3d3c="; // Set HTML Viewer width in pixels which is the equivalent in converter of the browser window width htmlToPdfConverter.HtmlViewerWidth = int.Parse(htmlViewerWidthTextBox.Text); // Set HTML viewer height in pixels to convert the top part of a HTML page // Leave it not set to convert the entire HTML if (htmlViewerHeightTextBox.Text.Length > 0) htmlToPdfConverter.HtmlViewerHeight = int.Parse(htmlViewerHeightTextBox.Text); // Set PDF page size which can be a predefined size like A4 or a custom size in points // Leave it not set to have a default A4 PDF page htmlToPdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageSize = SelectedPdfPageSize(); // Set PDF page orientation to Portrait or Landscape // Leave it not set to have a default Portrait orientation for PDF page htmlToPdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageOrientation = SelectedPdfPageOrientation(); // Set the maximum time in seconds to wait for HTML page to be loaded // Leave it not set for a default 60 seconds maximum wait time htmlToPdfConverter.NavigationTimeout = int.Parse(navigationTimeoutTextBox.Text); // Set an adddional delay in seconds to wait for JavaScript or AJAX calls after page load completed // Set this property to 0 if you don't need to wait for such asynchcronous operations to finish if (conversionDelayTextBox.Text.Length > 0) htmlToPdfConverter.ConversionDelay = int.Parse(conversionDelayTextBox.Text); // The buffer to receive the generated PDF document byte[] outPdfBuffer = null; if (convertUrlRadioButton.Checked) { string url = urlTextBox.Text; // Convert the HTML page given by an URL to a PDF document in a memory buffer outPdfBuffer = htmlToPdfConverter.ConvertUrl(url); } else { string htmlString = htmlStringTextBox.Text; string baseUrl = baseUrlTextBox.Text; // Convert a HTML string with a base URL to a PDF document in a memory buffer outPdfBuffer = htmlToPdfConverter.ConvertHtml(htmlString, baseUrl); } // Send the PDF as response to browser // Set response content type Response.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/pdf"); // Instruct the browser to open the PDF file as an attachment or inline Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", String.Format("{0}; filename=Getting_Started.pdf; size={1}", openInlineCheckBox.Checked ? "inline" : "attachment", outPdfBuffer.Length.ToString())); // Write the PDF document buffer to HTTP response Response.BinaryWrite(outPdfBuffer); // End the HTTP response and stop the current page processing Response.End(); }
Another approach is to add HTML content to a PDF document using HtmlToPdfElement objects. The initial Document to which the HTML elements are added are either new documents created using one of the class constructor or documents initialized with the result of another HTML to PDF conversion using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrlToPdfDocumentObject(String) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtmlToPdfDocumentObject(String, String) methods.
protected void convertToPdfButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { // Get the server IP and port String serverIP = textBoxServerIP.Text; uint serverPort = uint.Parse(textBoxServerPort.Text); // Create a PDF document Document pdfDocument = null; if (radioButtonUseTcpService.Checked) pdfDocument = new Document(serverIP, serverPort); else pdfDocument = new Document(true, textBoxWebServiceUrl.Text); // Set optional service password if (textBoxServicePassword.Text.Length > 0) pdfDocument.ServicePassword = textBoxServicePassword.Text; // Set license key received after purchase to use the converter in licensed mode // Leave it not set to use the converter in demo mode pdfDocument.LicenseKey = "4W9+bn19bn5ue2B+bn1/YH98YHd3d3c="; // Create a PDF page where to add the first HTML PdfPage firstPdfPage = pdfDocument.AddPage(); // The element location in PDF float xLocation = float.Parse(xLocationTextBox.Text); float yLocation = float.Parse(yLocationTextBox.Text); // The URL of the HTML page to convert to PDF string urlToConvert = urlTextBox.Text; // Create the HTML to PDF element HtmlToPdfElement htmlToPdfElement = new HtmlToPdfElement(xLocation, yLocation, urlToConvert); // Optionally set the HTML viewer width htmlToPdfElement.HtmlViewerWidth = int.Parse(htmlViewerWidthTextBox.Text); // Optionally set the HTML viewer height if (htmlViewerHeightTextBox.Text.Length > 0) htmlToPdfElement.HtmlViewerHeight = int.Parse(htmlViewerHeightTextBox.Text); // Optionally set the HTML content clipping option to force the HTML content width to be exactly HtmlViewerWidth pixels htmlToPdfElement.ClipHtmlView = clipContentCheckBox.Checked; // Optionally set the destination width in PDF if (contentWidthTextBox.Text.Length > 0) htmlToPdfElement.Width = float.Parse(contentWidthTextBox.Text); // Optionally set the destination height in PDF if (contentHeightTextBox.Text.Length > 0) htmlToPdfElement.Height = float.Parse(contentHeightTextBox.Text); // Optionally set a delay before conversion to allow asynchonous scripts to finish htmlToPdfElement.ConversionDelay = 2; // Add the HTML to PDF element to PDF document // The AddElementResult contains the bounds of the HTML to PDF Element in last rendered PDF page // such that you can start a new PDF element right under it firstPdfPage.AddElement(htmlToPdfElement); // Save the PDF document in a memory buffer byte[] outPdfBuffer = pdfDocument.Save(); // Send the PDF as response to browser // Set response content type Response.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/pdf"); // Instruct the browser to open the PDF file as an attachment or inline Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", String.Format("attachment; filename=Add_HTML_to_PDF_Elements_to_PDF.pdf; size={0}", outPdfBuffer.Length.ToString())); // Write the PDF document buffer to HTTP response Response.BinaryWrite(outPdfBuffer); // End the HTTP response and stop the current page processing Response.End(); }