DataList to PDF Export

Question

I have an ASCX control which displays a tag cloud (red and green tags using a datalist). Is there a way to export this datalist to a PDF file, preserving both the tag size and its color? Thanks for your help

Answer 1

protected void GenerateReport(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    DataRow dr = GetData("SELECT * FROM Employees where EmployeeId = " + ddlEmployees.SelectedItem.Value).Rows[0]; ;
    Document document = new Document(PageSize.A4, 88f, 88f, 10f, 10f);
    Font NormalFont = FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 12, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK);
    using (System.IO.MemoryStream memoryStream = new System.IO.MemoryStream())
    {
        PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.GetInstance(document, memoryStream);
        Phrase phrase = null;
        PdfPCell cell = null;
        PdfPTable table = null;
        Color color = null;

        document.Open();

        //Header Table
        table = new PdfPTable(2);
        table.TotalWidth = 500f;
        table.LockedWidth = true;
        table.SetWidths(new float[] { 0.3f, 0.7f });

        //Company Logo
        cell = ImageCell("~/images/northwindlogo.gif", 30f, PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Company Name and Address
        phrase = new Phrase();
        phrase.Add(new Chunk("Microsoft Northwind Traders Company\n\n", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 16, Font.BOLD, Color.RED)));
        phrase.Add(new Chunk("107, Park site,\n", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)));
        phrase.Add(new Chunk("Salt Lake Road,\n", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)));
        phrase.Add(new Chunk("Seattle, USA", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)));
        cell = PhraseCell(phrase, PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT);
        cell.VerticalAlignment = PdfCell.ALIGN_TOP;
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Separater Line
        color = new Color(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#A9A9A9"));
        DrawLine(writer, 25f, document.Top - 79f, document.PageSize.Width - 25f, document.Top - 79f, color);
        DrawLine(writer, 25f, document.Top - 80f, document.PageSize.Width - 25f, document.Top - 80f, color);
        document.Add(table);

        table = new PdfPTable(2);
        table.HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_LEFT;
        table.SetWidths(new float[] { 0.3f, 1f });
        table.SpacingBefore = 20f;

        //Employee Details
        cell = PhraseCell(new Phrase("Employee Record", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 12, Font.UNDERLINE, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        cell.Colspan = 2;
        table.AddCell(cell);
        cell = PhraseCell(new Phrase(), PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        cell.Colspan = 2;
        cell.PaddingBottom = 30f;
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Photo
        cell = ImageCell(string.Format("~/photos/{0}.jpg", dr["EmployeeId"]), 25f, PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Name
        phrase = new Phrase();
        phrase.Add(new Chunk(dr["TitleOfCourtesy"] + " " + dr["FirstName"] + " " + dr["LastName"] + "\n", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 10, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)));
        phrase.Add(new Chunk("(" + dr["Title"].ToString() + ")", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)));
        cell = PhraseCell(phrase, PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT);
        cell.VerticalAlignment = PdfPCell.ALIGN_MIDDLE;
        table.AddCell(cell);
        document.Add(table);

        DrawLine(writer, 160f, 80f, 160f, 690f, Color.BLACK);
        DrawLine(writer, 115f, document.Top - 200f, document.PageSize.Width - 100f, document.Top - 200f, Color.BLACK);

        table = new PdfPTable(2);
        table.SetWidths(new float[] { 0.5f, 2f });
        table.TotalWidth = 340f;
        table.LockedWidth = true;
        table.SpacingBefore = 20f;
        table.HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_RIGHT;

        //Employee Id
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase("Employee code:", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase("000" + dr["EmployeeId"], FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        cell = PhraseCell(new Phrase(), PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        cell.Colspan = 2;
        cell.PaddingBottom = 10f;
        table.AddCell(cell);


        //Address
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase("Address:", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        phrase = new Phrase(new Chunk(dr["Address"] + "\n", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)));
        phrase.Add(new Chunk(dr["City"] + "\n", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)));
        phrase.Add(new Chunk(dr["Region"] + " " + dr["Country"] + " " + dr["PostalCode"], FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)));
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(phrase, PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        cell = PhraseCell(new Phrase(), PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        cell.Colspan = 2;
        cell.PaddingBottom = 10f;
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Date of Birth
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase("Date of Birth:", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase(Convert.ToDateTime(dr["BirthDate"]).ToString("dd MMMM, yyyy"), FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        cell = PhraseCell(new Phrase(), PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        cell.Colspan = 2;
        cell.PaddingBottom = 10f;
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Phone
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase("Phone Number:", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase(dr["HomePhone"] + " Ext: " + dr["Extension"], FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        cell = PhraseCell(new Phrase(), PdfPCell.ALIGN_CENTER);
        cell.Colspan = 2;
        cell.PaddingBottom = 10f;
        table.AddCell(cell);

        //Addtional Information
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase("Addtional Information:", FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.BOLD, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_LEFT));
        table.AddCell(PhraseCell(new Phrase(dr["Notes"].ToString(), FontFactory.GetFont("Arial", 8, Font.NORMAL, Color.BLACK)), PdfPCell.ALIGN_JUSTIFIED));
        document.Add(table);
        document.Close();
        byte[] bytes = memoryStream.ToArray();
        memoryStream.Close();
        Response.Clear();
        Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
        Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=Employee.pdf");
        Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
        Response.Buffer = true;
        Response.Cache.SetCacheability(HttpCacheability.NoCache);
        Response.BinaryWrite(bytes);
        Response.End();
        Response.Close();
    }
}

private static void DrawLine(PdfWriter writer, float x1, float y1, float x2, float y2, Color color)
{
    PdfContentByte contentByte = writer.DirectContent;
    contentByte.SetColorStroke(color);
    contentByte.MoveTo(x1, y1);
    contentByte.LineTo(x2, y2);
    contentByte.Stroke();
}
private static PdfPCell PhraseCell(Phrase phrase, int align)
{
    PdfPCell cell = new PdfPCell(phrase);
    cell.BorderColor = Color.WHITE;
    cell.VerticalAlignment = PdfCell.ALIGN_TOP;
    cell.HorizontalAlignment = align;
    cell.PaddingBottom = 2f;
    cell.PaddingTop = 0f;
    return cell;
}
private static PdfPCell ImageCell(string path, float scale, int align)
{
    iTextSharp.text.Image image = iTextSharp.text.Image.GetInstance(HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath(path));
    image.ScalePercent(scale);
    PdfPCell cell = new PdfPCell(image);
    cell.BorderColor = Color.WHITE;
    cell.VerticalAlignment = PdfCell.ALIGN_TOP;
    cell.HorizontalAlignment = align;
    cell.PaddingBottom = 0f;
    cell.PaddingTop = 0f;
    return cell;
}

Answer 2

Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
    Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename=GridViewExport.pdf");
    Response.Cache.SetCacheability(HttpCacheability.NoCache);
    StringWriter sw = new StringWriter();
    HtmlTextWriter hw = new HtmlTextWriter(sw);
    datalist1.RenderControl(hw);
    StringReader sr = new StringReader(sw.ToString());
    Document pdfDoc = new Document(PageSize.A4, 10f, 10f, 10f, 0f);
    HTMLWorker htmlparser = new HTMLWorker(pdfDoc);
    PdfWriter.GetInstance(pdfDoc, Response.OutputStream);
    pdfDoc.Open();
    htmlparser.Parse(sr);
    pdfDoc.Close();
    Response.Write(pdfDoc);
    Response.End(); 

Answer 3

Use a PDF library for .NET. The best example is probably iText. The book iText in Action is also well worth the investment and will get you up and running with the iText .NET API quickly.

Create a PDF version of your tag cloud in addition to your ASCX/HTML version, rather than trying to convert an HTML fragment to PDF.