Generate PDF using TCPDF on ajax call

Question

I'm using TCPDF class to generate PDF. First I send some data in json format (jquery) then I would like to generate PDF with these data.

Could you tell me if I am right. I should generate pdf, save it on the server and then if ajax call returns success, redirect the user to this pdf. Is a good way?

I have:

$.ajax({
    url: '/pdf/fiele_to_generate_pdf.php',
    type: 'POST',
    contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
    data: $.toJSON(jsonObj),
    processData: false,
    dataType: 'html',    
    async: false,
    success: function(html) {
        window.location.href = '/pdf/example.pdf';      
    }
});

Thanks for any advice.

Edit: So I have sent a request to make the pdf via Ajax to the server, then the pdf file was generated and saved on the server. Then I have used window.location.href to redirect the user to this pdf. Everything works but I would like to avoid saving file on the server. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Ok this script will save the file and also display in the browser

the trick is in using the output method with the 'F' or 'I':

$pdf->Output("your path", 'F');  //save pdf
$pdf->Output('file.pdf', 'I'); // show pdf

---

CODE

<?php
class PDF extends TCPDF {
    public function Header (){                       
         $this->SetFont('dejavusans', '', 14);
         $title = utf8_encode('title');
         $subtitle = utf8_encode('sub title');
         $this->SetHeaderMargin(40);            
         $this->Line(15,23,405,23);      
    }

    public function Footer() {
        $this->SetFont('dejavusans', '', 8);
        $this-> Cell (0, 5, 'Pag '.$this->getAliasNumPage().'/'.$this->getAliasNbPages(), 0, false, 'R', 0, '', 0, false, 'T', 'M');
    }   

    public static function makeHTML ($json){
        $html = '<table border="0.5" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4">
        <tr>
            <th bgcolor="#DAB926" style="width:3%; text-align:left"><strong>you th</strong></th>      
        </tr>';
        for ($i=0; $i<count($json); $i++)
        {
            $a= $i+1; 
            $html .= '<tr>
                        <td style="width:15%; text-align:left">'.$json[$i]->Name.'</td>
                      </tr>';
        }   
        $html .= '</table>';
        return $html;           
    }   
}

function printReport ($json )
{
    set_time_limit(0);

    $pdf = new PDF("L", PDF_UNIT, "A3",true, 'UTF-8', false);

    $pdf->SetMargins (15, 27, 15, true);
    $pdf->SetFont('dejavusans', '', 8);
    $pdf->SetAutoPageBreak(TRUE,50);
    $pdf->AddPage();

    //create html
    $html = $pdf->makeHTML($json);  


    $pdf->writeHTML($html, false, false, false, false, '');

    if (!file_exists("your path"))
        mkdir("your path");

    $pdf->Output("your path", 'F');  //save pdf
    $pdf->Output('file.pdf', 'I'); // show pdf

    return true;
}

$json = json_decode("your json");
printReport($json);
?>