saving file generated by TCPDF

Question

I'd like to generate and open PDF when user clicks on a button. Here is my code so far:

index.php:

</html>
<head>
<script>
$('.cmd_butt').click(function() {
    $.ajax({
    url: 'create_pdf.php',
    data: {id: $(this).attr('order_id'), name: $(this).attr('name')},
    type: 'post'
    });
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<button class="cmd_butt" order_id="250" name="pdf_but">Download PDF</button>
</body>
</html>

create_pdf.php:

<?php

//header('Content-type: application/pdf')
header("Content-type: application-download");
//header("Content-Length: $size");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=MyPDF.pdf");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");

require_once('tcpdf/config/lang/eng.php');
require_once('tcpdf/tcpdf.php');

// create new PDF document
// some code
// some code

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

?>

How can I open a new window with generated PDF? Or notify user with "save as" dialog to download this PDF? I've tried different Output() combinations but none of them worked.

possible duplicate of [POST to server, receive PDF, deliver to user w/ jQuery](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2186562/post-to-server-receive-pdf-deliver-to-user-w-jquery) — Adeel, Feb 20 '13 at 11:05
not a duplicate. The post doesn't explain how to open a new window with PDF — Alex, Feb 20 '13 at 11:09
jQuery `.ajax` will not redirect, you may need to use `GET` method, or create a dummy form, and then submit — Steely Wing, Feb 20 '13 at 11:19
If you want to create a dummy form, you can refer this http://stackoverflow.com/a/6440159/1877620 — Steely Wing, Feb 20 '13 at 11:22

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 28 '14 at 09:51

4

Have you tried this

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

This will prompt the user to choose where to save the PDF file.

edited Aug 28 '14 at 09:51

Rohan Kumar

40,431
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answered Feb 20 '13 at 11:10

Webgrity

99
1
9

Thank you SO much! I didn't want to have to save to server. I already had a page generating a pdf using TCPDF...but at the end of my script I was using 'I' instead of 'D'. The simple change to 'D' worked! – Kirt Sep 18 '13 at 15:17
@Webgrity This throws error `TCPDF ERROR: Unable to create output file: ../invoice_job_6.pdf` – RN Kushwaha Jan 09 '15 at 12:19
@RNKushwaha try using an absolute path for the file. – Dan Jun 04 '19 at 14:59

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 20 '13 at 11:22

3

Ajax can only fetch textual data, it can't show the PDF directly or in a new window (from response).

You need to either submit form instead of AJAX, or create a file from ajax call and in response, gets a response about creation of file. e.g. created file name, and than open a new window based on that.

answered Feb 20 '13 at 11:22

Adeel

19,075
4
46
60

In that case, how do I dispose of PDF file after user has downloaded it? – Alex Feb 20 '13 at 11:29
Just submit form and use the method mentioned by Basant. in this case the file is not created on File system, so no need to worry about dispose. – Adeel Feb 20 '13 at 12:09

Misho · Answer 3 · 2013-03-28T10:52:39.427

0

Change

<button class="cmd_butt" order_id="250" name="pdf_but">Download PDF</button>

to

<a href="create_pdf.php?order_id=250" target="_blank">Download PDF</a>

Remove the java in index.php
Remove the headers in create_pdf.php

edited Mar 28 '13 at 10:52

answered Mar 28 '13 at 10:47

Misho

2,911
2
14
9

saving file generated by TCPDF

3 Answers3

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