I have to make a script that saves an Invoice in PDF format.
The way i did it so far is to make a PDF Template with fields like {*BUYER_NAME*} in it and str_replace them.

The problem that i have is when the names of the buyer, or products are too long. How do i make the string to spilt into another row. And how do i make the text below it to go even lower.

Does anybody have a diferent method of doing this ? Maybe Much Better.

The other thing that i was thinking is to make the whole invoice from scratch in PDF.

Thank you

If you run the site on a vps or dedicated server, you should look to FOP ( http://xmlgraphics.apache.org/fop/ ).
It's a java command line software that allows you to create a PDF dynamically by providing datas (in a XML file) and formating (via an XSL-FO stylesheet) to generate the PDF.
The XSL stylesheet is not really different from HTML, and this could be far more effective than replacing strings in a already generated PDF.

http://www.w3schools.com/xslfo/default.asp
http://www.renderx.com/tutorial.html
http://www.ecrion.com/Support/Resour...XSLFO.xml.html

thank you for you're answer, but i don't have a VPS

any other ideeas ?

PHP can generate PDFs by itself using a custom .dll.

Originally Posted by Foundationflash

PHP can generate PDFs by itself using a custom .dll.

True, but what an head crusher when you need to do something a little bit complicated....
I don't remember what lib I was using, but take a look on http://www.fpdf.org/ , they seems to be pretty widely used, and surely you could find resources for it.

Yeah, I would agree that it's quite difficult, but it can be done. I generate PDF invoices that include right aligning like this:

PHP Code:

<?php
function gety($suspect){
return 842 - $suspect;
}
function parse_pence($pence){
if($pence == 0)return "£0.00";
$pence = "£".($pence/100);
if(strlen($pence) == 2)$pence = $pence.".00";
return $pence;
}
if($_POST){
$runningtotal = 0;
$items = 1;
$totalitems = 0;
$pdf = pdf_new();
$ident = $_POST['ident'];
$dear = $_POST['dear'];
$path = $ident.".pdf";
$months = $_POST['months'];
$hours = $_POST['hours'];
$webcost = $_POST['cost'];
$extras = $_POST['extras'];
$extrascost = $_POST['extrascost'];
$servicecost = $_POST['servicecost'];
$usewebdesign = $_POST['webdesignselect'];
$useextras = $_POST['extrasselect'];
$useservices = $_POST['serviceselect'];
$usecustom = $_POST['customselect'];
$customline= $_POST['customline'];
$customprice = $_POST['customprice'];
if($usewebdesign) $totalitems++;
if($useextras) $totalitems++;
if($useservices) $totalitems++;
if($usecustom) $totalitems++;
pdf_open_file($pdf, $path);
$font = pdf_load_font($pdf, "Helvetica-Bold", "host", "");
$fontid =  pdf_findfont($pdf, 'Helvetica-Bold', 'host', 0);
pdf_begin_page($pdf, 595, 842);
pdf_setfont($pdf,$font,14);
pdf_moveto($pdf, 28, gety(280));
pdf_lineto($pdf, 564, gety(280));
pdf_moveto($pdf, 438, gety(260));
pdf_lineto($pdf, 438, gety((330 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_moveto($pdf, 28, gety((305 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_lineto($pdf, 564, gety((305 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_moveto($pdf, 28, gety((330 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_lineto($pdf, 564, gety((330 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_stroke($pdf);
$logo = pdf_load_image($pdf, "jpeg", "flogo.jpg", "");
pdf_fit_image($pdf, $logo, 28, gety(140),"");
$signharry = pdf_load_image($pdf, "jpeg", "harrysign.jpg", "");
pdf_fit_image($pdf, $signharry, 28, gety((535 + (35 * $totalitems))),"scale 1.5");
$signleon = pdf_load_image($pdf, "jpeg", "leonsign.jpg", "");
pdf_fit_image($pdf, $signleon, 200, gety((530 + (35 * $totalitems))),"scale 1.5");
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Foundation Flash", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Foundation Flash",$fontid,14)), gety(46));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Email: foundationflash@gmail.com", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Email: foundationflash@gmail.com",$fontid,14)), gety(61));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Springbank House,", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Springbank House,",$fontid,14)), gety(81));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Spring Gardens Road,", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Spring Gardens Road,",$fontid,14)), gety(96));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Chappel,", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Chappel,",$fontid,14)), gety(111));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Colchester,", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Colchester,",$fontid,14)), gety(126));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"CO6 2DN", (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"CO6 2DN",$fontid,14)), gety(141));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,date("jS F Y"), (564 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,date("jS F Y"),$fontid,14)), gety(160));
pdf_setfont($pdf,$font,16);
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Dear $dear", 28, gety(200));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Below is a list of the services rendered, and a breakdown of costs. The", 28, gety(220));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"total amount due is listed in the Total: box.", 28, gety(240));
pdf_setfont($pdf,$font,14);
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Description of Service/Product Provided", 28, gety(275));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Sub-Total", 445, gety(275));
if($usewebdesign){
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Website design, totalling $hours hours", (433 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Website design, totalling $hours hours",$fontid,14)), gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,parse_pence($webcost), 444, gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
$runningtotal += $webcost;
$items++;
}
if($usecustom){
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"$customline", (433 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"$customline",$fontid,14)), gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,parse_pence($customprice), 444, gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
$runningtotal += $customprice;
$items++;
}
if($useextras){
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Extra resources required - $extras", (433 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Extra resources required - $extras",$fontid,14)), gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,parse_pence($extrascost), 444, gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
$runningtotal += $extrascost;
$items++;
}
if($useservices){
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Service included ($months months)", (433 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Service included ($months months)",$fontid,14)), gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,parse_pence($servicecost), 444, gety((275 + (35 * $items))));
$runningtotal += $servicecost;
$items++;
}
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Total:", (433 - pdf_stringwidth($pdf,"Total:",$fontid,14)), gety((325 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,parse_pence($runningtotal), 444,  gety((325 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_setfont($pdf,$font,16);
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any queries. Payment can", 28, gety((365 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"most easily be made by clicking the \"Make a Donation\" box on the right", 28, gety((385 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"hand side of www.foundation-flash.com.", 28, gety((405 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Yours sincerely,", 28, gety((455 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_show_xy($pdf,"Harry Burt and Leon Aves", 28, gety((550 + (35 * $totalitems))));
pdf_end_page($pdf);
pdf_close($pdf);
pdf_delete($pdf);
}
?>

That's a complete mess of course, but it works perfectly.