Pdf Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation Add the bundle via Composer:

   composer require creavio/pdf-bundle
   

   Enable it in config/bundles.php (Symfony):

   return [
       // ...
       Creavio\PdfBundle\CreavioPdfBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   ];
   

2. Configuration Publish the default config (if needed):

   php bin/console creavio:pdf:install
   

   Verify config/packages/creavio_pdf.yaml exists and adjust paths (e.g., mpdf_path).

3. First Use Case Generate a PDF from a Twig template:

   use Creavio\PdfBundle\Service\PdfService;
   
   class InvoiceController extends AbstractController
   {
       public function generatePdf(PdfService $pdfService)
       {
           $pdf = $pdfService->generate('invoice_template', [
               'invoice' => $this->getInvoiceData(),
           ]);
           return $pdf->stream('invoice.pdf');
       }
   }
   

   • Place Twig templates in templates/creavio_pdf/ (e.g., invoice_template.html.twig).
   • Use {{ pdf_service }} in templates to access mPDF-specific functions (e.g., {{ pdf_service.setCompression(true) }}).

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Template-Based PDFs

   • Dynamic Data: Pass variables to Twig templates:

     $pdfService->generate('template_name', ['user' => $user, 'items' => $items]);
     

   • Reusable Components: Extend base templates (e.g., base_layout.html.twig) for headers/footers.

2. Direct mPDF Usage Access the underlying mPDF instance for advanced features:

   $mpdf = $pdfService->getMpdf();
   $mpdf->SetCompression(true);
   $mpdf->WriteHTML($htmlContent);
   $pdfService->output('custom.pdf');
   

3. Twig Extensions Leverage mPDF functions in templates:

   {{ pdf_service.setDefaultFont('dejavusans') }}
   {{ pdf_service.setFontSize(10) }}
   

Integration Tips

• Symfony Forms: Render forms as PDFs by converting form HTML to Twig:

  {{ form_start(form) }}
      {{ form_widget(form) }}
  {{ form_end(form) }}
  

• Queueing Long-Generating PDFs: Use Symfony Messenger to offload PDF generation:

  $message = new GeneratePdfMessage($template, $data, $filename);
  $this->messageBus->dispatch($message);
  

  Implement a handler to use PdfService.

• Storage: Save PDFs to disk or cloud storage:

  $pdfService->save('template', $data, 'path/to/invoice.pdf');
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecated Package

   • Last release in 2017; mPDF has evolved since. Test thoroughly for compatibility (e.g., PHP 8.x, mPDF v8+).
   • Mitigation: Fork the repo or wrap the bundle in a service layer to isolate changes.

2. Template Paths

   • Templates must be in templates/creavio_pdf/; hardcoded in the bundle.
   • Fix: Override the path in config:

     creavio_pdf:
         template_dir: '%kernel.project_dir%/templates/custom_pdf'
     

3. Memory Limits

   • Complex PDFs may hit memory limits. Use mPDF’s streaming:

     $pdfService->stream('large_report.pdf', ['Compression' => true]);
     

4. Font Issues

   • mPDF requires fonts in mpdf/fonts/. The bundle assumes default paths.
   • Solution: Verify mpdf_path in config points to a valid mPDF installation with fonts.

Debugging

• Logs: Enable debug mode to trace template rendering:

  creavio_pdf:
       debug: true
  

• Output Inspection: Dump mPDF errors:

  $mpdf = $pdfService->getMpdf();
  if ($mpdf->errorCode) {
      throw new \RuntimeException($mpdf->errorInfo());
  }
  

Extension Points

1. Custom mPDF Config Override mPDF settings globally in config:

   creavio_pdf:
       mpdf:
           format: 'A4-L'
           default_font: 'dejavusans'
   

2. Event Listeners Hook into PDF generation lifecycle (e.g., pre/post-processing):

   // src/EventListener/PdfListener.php
   public function onPdfGenerate(PdfGenerateEvent $event) {
       $event->getMpdf()->SetTitle('Custom Title');
   }
   

   Register in services.yaml:

   services:
       App\EventListener\PdfListener:
           tags:
               - { name: 'kernel.event_listener', event: 'creavio.pdf.generate', method: 'onPdfGenerate' }
   

3. Service Override Replace PdfService for custom logic:

   services:
       Creavio\PdfBundle\Service\PdfService:
           alias: 'app.custom_pdf_service'
           public: true