PDF::API2::Simple - Simplistic wrapper for the excellent PDF::API2 modules
use PDF::API2::Simple; my $pdf = PDF::API2::Simple->new( file => 'output.pdf' ); $pdf->add_font('VerdanaBold'); $pdf->add_font('Verdana'); $pdf->add_page(); $pdf->link( 'http://search.cpan.org', 'A Hyperlink', x => 350, y => $pdf->height - 150 ); for (my $i = 0; $i < 250; $i++) { my $text = "$i - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"; $pdf->text($text, autoflow => 'on'); } $pdf->save();
Take note that PDF coordinates are not quite what you're used to. The coordinate, (0, 0) for instance is at the lower-left hand corner. Thus, x still grows to the right, but y grows towards the top.
PDF::API2::Simple->new( 'file' => 'output.txt', 'width' => 612, 'height' => 792, 'line_height' => 10, 'margin_left' => 20, 'margin_top' => 20, 'margin_right' => 20, 'margin_bottom' => 50, 'width_right' => 0, 'height_bottom' => 0, 'effective_width' => 0, 'effective_height' => 0, 'header' => undef, 'footer' => undef, );
Creates a new PDF::API2::Simple instance. A good strategy is to create a new object for each pdf file you want to create. That is, of course, up to you.
file - The PDF file you want to write to. No default, parameter required
width - The width of the PDF file. Defaults to 612, the 8 1/2 x 11 US Letter width
height - The height of the PDF file. Defaults to 792, the 8 1/2 x 11 US Letter height
line_height - The standard height you want to define for lines. The default is 10
margin_left - The amount of margin space you want on the left side. Of course, you can specify whatever coordniates you want. Default is 20
margin_top - The amount of margin space you want on the top of each page. Default is 20
margin_right - The amount of margin space you want of the right side of each page. Default is 20
margin_bottom - The amount of margin space you want on the bottom of each page. Default is 50
width_right - A convenience property that contains the furthest x of the page, accounting for the margins specified
height_bottom - A convenience property that contains the largest y of the page, accounting for the bottom margin
y
effective_width - A convenience property that contains the width of the page, after the left and right margin have been accounted for
effective_height - A convenience property that contains the height of the page, after the top and bottom margin have been accounted for
header - This CODE reference will be called everytime a page is appended to the PDF, allowing you to specifiy a header for your pages
CODE
footer - This CODE reference will be called everytime a page is ended, allowing you to specifiy a footer for your pages
PDF::API2::Simple->open( 'open_file' => 'my_pdf.pdf', 'open_page' => 1, # Default is 1. # Any other options to new. );
This method opens an existing PDF for editing. You can include any other arguments that are valid for new and they will be set in the resulting object.
new
The following methods help you to manage the space on each page of your PDF.
Returns a true value if the current y minus line_height would write past the bottom margin.
line_height
theoretical_y
Returns a true value if the theoretical_y would write past the bottom margin.
Reduces the current y by line_height.
Closes the current page, resets the x and y values to thier default coordinates, and calls the header callback, if specified. This method may be called for in, such as if your autoflow text wraps over a page.
x
Closes the current page, and calls the footer callback, if specified. This method is usually called for you.
These methods help you manage the PDF itself
font_name
This method will add a font to be used throughout the PDF. You MUST call this at least once before laying out your PDF. font_name is a font name, such as 'Arial', or 'Verdana'. Appending 'Bold' seems to make the text bold, as in 'VerdanaBold'. Refer to PDF::API2 for more details.
MUST
You can optionally pass a font object and font size if you have loaded an external font.
my $font_obj = $pdf->pdf->ttfont('new_font.ttf'); $pdf->add_font('NewFont', $font_obj, '12');
Refer to PDF::API2 for the various font methods, like ttfont, available.
ttfont
pt
Set the current font by name, and optionally a font size.
An alias for the stringify method
Ends the current page, and returns the pdf as a string
file
End the current page, and save the document to the file argument, or the file specified when instaniating the object. If not suitable file can be found to save in, a Carp::croak is emitted. Aliases for this method are saveas and save_as.
Carp::croak
saveas
save_as
These methods modify the actual layout of the PDF. Note that most of these methods set some internal state. Most often, the last x and y are set after the rendered object.
Most times, underscores may be stripped and the arguments will still work, such as is the difference between fill_color, and fillcolor.
fill_color
fillcolor
text
%opts
Creates a 25x25 box at opts{x} (or the current x), opts{y} (or the current y) to represent an annotation at that point. The user may then click that icon for a full annotation.
opts{x}
opts{y}
This is an alias for the link method.
link
url
Specifies a link to url, having text. %opts may contain:
x - The x position of the link. Defaults to x.
y - The y position of the link. Defaults to y.
limit - The amount to "limit" the text. This will add an ellipis (...) a few characters from the end if the text length is greater than this numerical value. Defaults to 0, which is to mean "do not limit".
limit
align - Which alignment you want for your text. The choices are 'left', 'center', and 'right'. Defaults to 'left'.
align
font - Specifies via font name, the font to use. This sets the current font.
font
font_size - Specifies the font size. This sets the current font size.
font_size
fill_color - Specifies the fill color. This sets the current fill color.
stroke_color - Specifies the stroke color. This sets the current stroke color.
stroke_color
This method returns the width of the text.
Renders text onto the PDF.
autoflow - Any value but 'off' will notify this method to use "autoflowing" heuristics to gracefully wrap your text over lines and pages. Useful for variable length text. Note that due to laziness, this option is mutually exclusive with limit.
autoflow
If autoflow was not specified, this method returns the width of the text in scalar context, the bounding box of the text in list context. In autoflow mode, this method returns nothing.
src
Renders an image onto the PDF. The following image types are supported: JPG, TIFF, PNM, PNG, GIF, and PDF. Note that the module determines the image type by file extension.
width - The width of the image. Defaults to 100.
width
height - The height of the image. Defaults to 100.
height
scale - Amount to scale the image. Defaults to 1. (only available for PDF types)
scale
Renders a line onto the PDF.
x - The x position of the line. Defaults to x.
y - The y position of the line. Defaults to y.
to_x - The x position where to draw the line to.
to_x
to_y - The y position where to draw the line to.
to_y
fill_color - Specifies the fill color. This sets the current fill color. Defaults to current_fill_color.
current_fill_color
stroke_color - Specifies the stroke color. This sets the current stroke color. Defaults to current_stroke_color.
current_stroke_color
width - Specifies the width of the line. Defaults to 0.5.
Renders a rectangle onto the PDF. Rectangles are usually drawn specifying two coordinates diagonal from each other. (5, 5) to (30, 30) for example, would produce a 25 x 25 square.
x - The x position of the rect. Defaults to x.
y - The y position of the rect. Defaults to y.
to_x - The x position where to draw the rect to.
to_y - The y position where to draw the rect to.
stroke - A value of 'on', 'true', or 'yes' will enable the stroke. Defaults to 'on'.
stroke
fill - A value of 'on', 'true', or 'yes' will enable the fill. Defaults to 'off'.
fill
The following properties are read/write, and may be used as $pdf->prop to read, $pdf->prop('val') to set.
Gets/sets the header callback.
Gets/sets the footer callback.
Gets/sets the file used to save the PDF. It's recommended that you do not set this.
Gets/sets the width of the current page. It's recommended that you do not set this.
Gets/sets the height of the current page. It's recommended that you do not set this.
Gets/sets the default line height. This is used in most space layout methods.
Gets/sets the left margin.
Gets/sets the top margin.
Gets/sets the right margin.
Gets/sets the bottom margin.
Gets/sets the calculated value, width - margin_right
margin_right
Gets/sets the calculated value, height - margin_bottom
margin_bottom
Gets/sets the calculated value, width - (margin_left + margin_right)
margin_left
Gets/sets the calculated value, height - (margin_top + margin_bottom)
margin_top
Gets/sets the current page object. It's hard to find a good reason to set this, but it is possible to do so.
Gets/sets the raw PDF::API2 object. This allows you great flexibility in your applications.
Gets/sets the array of fonts we have been storing via the add_font method.
add_font
Gets/sets the current font.
Gets/sets the current font size.
Gets/sets the current stroke color. Aliases for this method are stroke_color, and strokecolor
strokecolor
Gets/sets the current fill color. Aliases for this method are fontcolor, set_font_color, font_color, fillcolor, and fill_color.
fontcolor
set_font_color
font_color
Gets/sets the current x position.
Gets/sets the current y position.
Please mail all bug reports, fixes, improvements, and suggestions to bugs -at- redtreesystems -dot- com.
This project belongs to Red Tree Systems, LLC - http://www.redtreesystems.com, but is placed into the public domain in the hopes that it will be educational and/or useful. Red Tree Systems, LLC requests that this section be kept intact with any modification of this module, or derivitive work thereof.
Thanks to Jim Brandt for noting that the default values didn't do well with false values.
Thanks to Denis Evdokimov for submitting more margin-fixing goodness.
Thanks to Jonathan A. Marshall for fixing a long standing margin issue, and pointing out further documentation shortcomings.
Thanks to Jim Brandt for the open method, contributing code to add_font, and offering beer.
Thanks to Pradeep N Menon and Alfred Reibenschuh for pointing out optimizaiton issues, and helping to resolve them.
Thanks to Simon Wistow for uncovering several bugs and offering up code.
Thanks to Bryan Krone for pointing out our documentation shortcomings.
PDF::API2
There is an examples folder with this dist that should help you get started. You may contact pdfapi2simple -AT- redtreesystems _dot_ com for support on an individual or commercial basis.
To install PDF::API2::Simple, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm PDF::API2::Simple
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install PDF::API2::Simple
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.