Automatically generate PDF file from XML file or Java's View object in Android
Make PDF from Android layout resources (e.g - R.layout.myLayout,R.id.viewID) ids or directly views objects
Run the sample app and see it's or youtube video below for getting more clearance.
- Simple: Extremely simple to use. For using Step Builder Design Patten undernath,here IDE greatly helps developers to complete the steps for creating a PDF from XMLs.
- Powerful: Customize almost everything.
- Transparent: It shows logs,success-responses, failure-responses , that's why developer will nofity any event inside the process.
Step 1. Add the JitPack repository to your root build.gradle at the end of repositories
android {
.
.
/*Need Java version 1.8 as Rx java is used for file write underneath for preventing UI freezing*/
compileOptions {
sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
}
.
.
}
.
.
allprojects {
repositories {
// ...
maven { url 'https://jitpack.io' }
}
}
.
.
Step 2. Add the dependency
dependencies {
implementation 'com.github.Gkemon:Android-XML-to-PDF-Generator:2.6.8'
}
You can generate PDF from many sources.
- Layout resources (i.e:
R.layout.myLayout) - View ids (i.e:
R.id.viewID) - Java view objects (i.e
View,TextView,LinearLayout) because sometimes we need to change the content of the XML and then dealing this java view object is only way to do this.
android:layout_width of the top most view of XML a fixed value in pixel or px (Recommandation is not use dp as it depends on device screen) instead of wrap_content and match_parent otherwise sizing could be malformed in PDF for different device screen.Suppose if you want to print an A4 sized pdf so you can see my example from where. You just need to make your XML's width:hight aspected ratio 1:1.14142. Referece is here.
( Only static content in XML will be printed by this approach. If you want to change the content of the XML ,suppose there is a text view in the XML and you want to populate it with a data then try the approach )
PdfGenerator.getBuilder()
.setContext(context)
.fromLayoutXMLSource()
.fromLayoutXML(R.layout.layout_print,R.layout.layout_print)
/* "fromLayoutXML()" takes array of layout resources.
* You can also invoke "fromLayoutXMLList()" method here which takes list of layout resources instead of array. */
.setFileName("Test-PDF")
/* It is file name */
.setFolderName("FolderA/FolderB/FolderC")
/* It is folder name. If you set the folder name like this pattern (FolderA/FolderB/FolderC), then
* FolderA creates first.Then FolderB inside FolderB and also FolderC inside the FolderB and finally
* the pdf file named "Test-PDF.pdf" will be store inside the FolderB. */
.actionAfterPDFGeneration(PdfGenerator.ActionAfterPDFGeneration.SHARE)
/*If you want to save your pdf in shared storage (where other apps can also see your pdf even after the app is uninstall).
* You need to pass an xmt to pdf lifecycle observer by the following method. To get complete overview please see the MainActivity of 'sample' folder */
.savePDFSharedStorage(xmlToPDFLifecycleObserver)
/* It true then the generated pdf will be shown after generated. */
.build(new PdfGeneratorListener() {
@Override
public void onFailure(FailureResponse failureResponse) {
super.onFailure(failureResponse);
/* If pdf is not generated by an error then you will findout the reason behind it
* from this FailureResponse. */
}
@Override
public void onStartPDFGeneration() {
/*When PDF generation begins to start*/
}
@Override
public void onFinishPDFGeneration() {
/*When PDF generation is finished*/
}
@Override
public void showLog(String log) {
super.showLog(log);
/*It shows logs of events inside the pdf generation process*/
}
@Override
public void onSuccess(SuccessResponse response) {
super.onSuccess(response);
/* If PDF is generated successfully then you will find SuccessResponse
* which holds the PdfDocument,File and path (where generated pdf is stored)*/
}
}); PdfGenerator.getBuilder()
.setContext(context)
.fromViewIDSource()
.fromViewID(R.layout.hostLayout,activity,R.id.tv_print_area,R.id.tv_print_area)
/* "fromViewID()" takes array of view ids and the host layout xml where the view ids are belonging.
* You can also invoke "fromViewIDList()" method here which takes list of view ids instead of array.*/
.setFileName("Test-PDF")
.setFolderName("Test-PDF-folder")
.actionAfterPDFGeneration(PdfGenerator.ActionAfterPDFGeneration.OPEN)
.build(new PdfGeneratorListener() {
@Override
public void onFailure(FailureResponse failureResponse) {
super.onFailure(failureResponse);
}
@Override
public void onStartPDFGeneration() {
/*When PDF generation begins to start*/
}
@Override
public void onFinishPDFGeneration() {
/*When PDF generation is finished*/
}
@Override
public void showLog(String log) {
super.showLog(log);
}
@Override
public void onSuccess(SuccessResponse response) {
super.onSuccess(response);
}
});( This approach is perfect when you need to change the XML content. You can change the content getting them by findViewById and change them and finally print them. Other example is here )
TextView tvText = view.findViewByID(R.id.tv_text_1);
tvText.setText("My changed content");
//By the following statements, we are changing the text view inside of our target "view" which is going to be changed.
//So if we now print the "view" then you will see the changed text in the pdf.
PdfGenerator.getBuilder()
.setContext(MainActivity.this)
.fromViewSource()
.fromView(view)
.setFileName("Test-PDF")
.setFolderName("Test-PDF-folder")
.actionAfterPDFGeneration(PdfGenerator.ActionAfterPDFGeneration.OPEN)
.build(new PdfGeneratorListener() {
@Override
public void onFailure(FailureResponse failureResponse) {
super.onFailure(failureResponse);
}
@Override
public void showLog(String log) {
super.showLog(log);
}
@Override
public void onStartPDFGeneration() {
/*When PDF generation begins to start*/
}
@Override
public void onFinishPDFGeneration() {
/*When PDF generation is finished*/
}
@Override
public void onSuccess(SuccessResponse response) {
super.onSuccess(response);
}
});Users of the library, sometimes have doubts that how to create multi-paged PDF. Though I mentioned it above but I need to show it again for more clearance. You can insert multiple xml or views object even view id in the parameter of the following methods to create multi-paged pdf:
If you want create multi-paged pdf from xmls-
.fromLayoutXML(R.layout.layout_1,R.layout.layout_2)
If you want create multi-paged pdf from view ids -
.fromViewID(activity,R.id.viewId1,R.id.viewId2)
If you want create multi-paged pdf from views-
.fromViewID(view1,view1)
Sometimes people gets stuck to print invoice or report via this library.So I wrote an example invoice/report printing fragment to visualise how to print an Invoice or Report. Here is the link also with an important documentation
With a method calling named openPDFafterGeneration(true), the generated file will be automatically opened automatically.So you DON'T NEED TO BE BOTHER FOR IT. FileProvider is used to open file here. To get a good insight about it please see the tutorial. The android:authorities name in the app is ${applicationId}.xmlToPdf.provider which might be needed if you want to deal with generated file CUSTOMLY,not letting the app open the generated file. you will get the generated file path in onSuccess(SuccessResponse response) response.
- Try to avoid to provide
match_parentandwrap_contentheight/width in XML. So it specifically. - If any of your footer view is not placed the footer position then you need adjust it using
marginTopand keep it in aScrollView.For example this issue is fixed by rearranging XML like this
So if you find any trouble,then you are also welcomed again to knock me.Thank you so much.
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The source code is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
