Send variable to tcpdf jQuery

Question

I want to send some html content via jQuery to tcpdf and create an pdf. I have this in my index.php:

$('#test').click(function() {
   var result='hello';
    $.ajax({
     type: 'POST',
     url: 'pdf.php',
     data: {result: result},         
    });
})

and the pdf.php:

<?php
$result = '';
 if(isset($_POST['result'])) {
    $result = $_POST['result'];
 }

require_once('tcpdf/tcpdf.php');
$pdf = new TCPDF(PDF_PAGE_ORIENTATION, PDF_UNIT, PDF_PAGE_FORMAT, true, 'UTF-8', false);
$pdf->SetCreator(PDF_CREATOR);
$pdf->SetTitle('Production sheet');
$pdf->SetHeaderData(PDF_HEADER_LOGO, PDF_HEADER_LOGO_WIDTH);
$pdf->setHeaderFont(Array(PDF_FONT_NAME_MAIN, '', PDF_FONT_SIZE_MAIN));
$pdf->setFooterFont(Array(PDF_FONT_NAME_DATA, '', PDF_FONT_SIZE_DATA));
$pdf->SetDefaultMonospacedFont(PDF_FONT_MONOSPACED);
$pdf->SetMargins(PDF_MARGIN_LEFT, PDF_MARGIN_TOP, PDF_MARGIN_RIGHT);
$pdf->SetHeaderMargin(PDF_MARGIN_HEADER);
$pdf->SetFooterMargin(PDF_MARGIN_FOOTER);
$pdf->SetAutoPageBreak(TRUE, PDF_MARGIN_BOTTOM);
$pdf->setImageScale(PDF_IMAGE_SCALE_RATIO);
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 9);

$pdf->AddPage();

$html = '
      <h1>TEST</h1> 
      <table>
      <tr><td>'.$result.'</td></tr>           
      </table>       
      ';
$pdf->writeHTML($html, true, 0, true, 0);
$pdf->lastPage();
$pdf->Output('test.pdf', 'I');
?>

If I define variable result ($result = "Hello";) and i run directly pdf.php it's working perfect. It seems that for some reason my post isn't taken by pdf.php... Some ideas?

Thank you!

Answer 1

I did say I'm too tired. As @andrew pointed out you were using inline output instead of download and in an Ajax call that won't really work. Reading through the comments if you want to Download the PDF and POST values to it here is my suggestions:

1) Create a FORM in your HTML

<form action='pdf.php' method=post target=_blank id=myform>
</form>

2) If you need to add data with Javascript then change your jQuery code as follow:

$('#test').click(function() {
   var result='hello';
   $("#my_form").append("<input type=hidden name=result value='"+result+'>");
   $("#my_form").submit();
});

3) Adjust the pdf.php to use $_POST instead of $_GET

You should consider if you really need an jQuery for this. If the result variable in your javascript get populated from user inputted form values you might just re-design your page and include all that in the form without the need of any additional jQuery at all.

Answer 2

You're using

$pdf->Output('test.pdf', 'I');

I meaning destination: Inline. See the manual

You either have to use option F and specify a file name on the server then redirect the user to that filename or use option D to force a download.

Something like:

$('#test').click(function() {
   var result='hello';
    window.open('/pdf.php?result='+result, '_blank');
});

And

<?php
$result = '';
 if(isset($_GET['result'])) {
    $result = $_GET['result'];
 }

 .....

 $pdf->Output('test.pdf', 'D');

EDIT

For large amounts of data you would be better to use the ajax method you were experimenting with, but handling the returned pdf document in the ajax response would be tricky, it is probably doable with a javascript file reader

As simpler option would look something like this:

$('#test').click(function() {
   var result='hello';
    $.ajax({
     type: 'POST',
     url: 'pdf.php',
     data: {result: result},         
    }).done(function(filename){
         $('#testDiv').html('<a target="_blank" href="/'+filename+'">download your pdf</a>');
   });
})

And

<?php
$result = '';
 if(isset($_POST['result'])) {
    $result = $_POST['result'];
 }

 ....

 $filename = time().'.pdf';
 $pdf->Output($filename, 'F');
 echo $filename;

so whats happening is you're creating pdf files on the server and appending a link to the page using ajax, its not the best solution as it leaves all pdf files on the server and the user only gets to see the link once.

Should hopefully give you some ideas though.