Any idea how to render a PDF using iTextSharp so that it renders the page using CSS. The css can either be embedded in the HTML or passed in separately, I don't really care, just want it to work.
Specific code examples would be greatly appreciated.
Also, I would really like to stick with iTextSharp, though if you do have suggestions for something else, it's got to be free, open source, and have a license that permits using it in commercial software.
Hi,
I am going to use iTextSharp for my new RealEstate project, i will create a PDF file out of selected estates and send it to print. If the thing that you mention "using css" is possible, it would be great.
I hope someone gives us a detailed answer about your question.
Thanks
It's not possible right now but nothing stops you from starting open-source project that will do it. I might actually start one, because I need it too!
Basically you will need parser that will convert html and css markup into iTextSharp classes. So <table> becames iTextSharp.SimpleTable and so on.
It would be easy to come up with prototype that would be able to work with limited html and css subset.
Update: Until the time this will be possible, this is how I temporarily resolved it for myself. Only two steps:
Make all your html reports printer friendly by providing stylesheets for print.
If some of your multi-page reports need to have headers on every page, set them up in THEAD html tag.
Now users will be able to print-friendly and if they choose PDFCreator printer driver, they will even be able to get report in PDF format (there are other pdf printer drivers but this one is free and open-source).
Also I know HTML is not as flexible as PDF but it might be good enough. I was doing some tests with real users and they actually like it because not only they can now print anything to PDF (even beyond my app), also their workflow is faster because they don't have to download and wait until their pdf reader opens up. they just print (or export to pdf) what they see on website directly from their webbrowser... kind of makes sense.
Hello Adam, I have some good news for you as well as bad. For your question, yes I am able to create dynamic pdf from html css and body content from database or current page. I am able to show proper images, datagrid(asp.net) and all..
Bad News: As I want to make exact screen shots like pdfs but still no luck. the positioning of text is not the same as with the html page... Inline stylesheet like
Grid header or footer classes wont work... only stylesheets which are reference or <style > ... </style > will work and no inline stylesheet.
I am using iTextSharp non-commercial.