Create PDF in memory instead of physical file

Question

How do one create PDF in memorystream instead of physical file using itextsharp.

The code below is creating actual pdf file.

Instead how can I create a byte[] and store it in the byte[] so that I can return it through a function

using iTextSharp.text;
using iTextSharp.text.pdf;
Document doc = new Document(iTextSharp.text.PageSize.LETTER, 10, 10, 42, 35);
PdfWriter wri = PdfWriter.GetInstance(doc, new FileStream("c:\\Test11.pdf", FileMode.Create));
doc.Open();//Open Document to write
Paragraph paragraph = new Paragraph("This is my first line using Paragraph.");
Phrase pharse = new Phrase("This is my second line using Pharse.");
Chunk chunk = new Chunk(" This is my third line using Chunk.");

doc.Add(paragraph);

doc.Add(pharse);

doc.Add(chunk);
doc.Close(); //Close document

Encrypted PDF using memory stream, we can refer this at, https://www.aspsnippets.com/Articles/Create-Password-Protected-Secured-PDF-using-iTextSharp-in-ASPNet.aspx — Pranesh Janarthanan, Dec 13 '18 at 13:10

score 37 · Accepted Answer · answered May 12 '10 at 02:22

37

Switch the filestream with a memorystream.

MemoryStream memStream = new MemoryStream();
PdfWriter wri = PdfWriter.GetInstance(doc, memStream);
...
return memStream.ToArray();

answered May 12 '10 at 02:22

Mikael Svenson

39,181
7
73
79

How do you get the contents of memStream to show in a PDF reader without creating a file? – Osprey Aug 14 '18 at 15:25

score 26 · Answer 2 · answered May 12 '10 at 02:22

26

using iTextSharp.text;
using iTextSharp.text.pdf;
Document doc = new Document(iTextSharp.text.PageSize.LETTER, 10, 10, 42, 35);

byte[] pdfBytes;
using(var mem = new MemoryStream())
{
    using(PdfWriter wri = PdfWriter.GetInstance(doc, mem)) 
    {
        doc.Open();//Open Document to write
        Paragraph paragraph = new Paragraph("This is my first line using Paragraph.");
        Phrase pharse = new Phrase("This is my second line using Pharse.");
        Chunk chunk = new Chunk(" This is my third line using Chunk.");

        doc.Add(paragraph);

        doc.Add(pharse);

        doc.Add(chunk); 
    }
    pdfBytes = mem.ToArray();
}

answered May 12 '10 at 02:22

Samuel Neff

73,278
17
138
182

1

PdfWriter does not implement IDisposable so you cannot use it in a using statement. Maybe this is just in the version I am using though (5.0.5) as I know there have been some class changes from version 4 – musefan Jan 05 '12 at 11:49
4

@musefan, yes, in 5.0.5 that is the case. In the current version, 5.5, `PdfWriter` extends `DocWriter` which implements `IDocListener` which extends `IDisposable`. I don't know exactly when `IDisposable` was added to `IDocListener` but it was some time after 5.0.5 and before 5.5.0. – Samuel Neff Feb 28 '14 at 23:55

score 21 · Answer 3 · answered May 13 '10 at 03:36

I've never used iTextPDF before but it sounded interesting so I took upon the challenge and did some research on my own. Here's how to stream the PDF document via memory.

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ShowPdf(CreatePDF2());
}

private byte[] CreatePDF2()
{
    Document doc = new Document(PageSize.LETTER, 50, 50, 50, 50);

    using (MemoryStream output = new MemoryStream())
    {
        PdfWriter wri = PdfWriter.GetInstance(doc, output);
        doc.Open();

        Paragraph header = new Paragraph("My Document") {Alignment = Element.ALIGN_CENTER};
        Paragraph paragraph = new Paragraph("Testing the iText pdf.");
        Phrase phrase = new Phrase("This is a phrase but testing some formatting also. \nNew line here.");
        Chunk chunk = new Chunk("This is a chunk.");

        doc.Add(header);
        doc.Add(paragraph);
        doc.Add(phrase);
        doc.Add(chunk);

        doc.Close();
        return output.ToArray();
    }

}

private void ShowPdf(byte[] strS)
{
    Response.ClearContent();
    Response.ClearHeaders();
    Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
    Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" + DateTime.Now);

    Response.BinaryWrite(strS);
    Response.End();
    Response.Flush();
    Response.Clear();
}

score 8 · Answer 4 · answered May 12 '10 at 02:19

Where your code has new FileStream, pass in a MemoryStream you've already created. (Don't just create it inline in the call to PdfWriter.GetInstance - you'll want to be able to refer to it later.)

Then call ToArray() on the MemoryStream when you've finished writing to it to get a byte[]:

using (MemoryStream output = new MemoryStream())
{
    PdfWriter wri = PdfWriter.GetInstance(doc, output);

    // Write to document
    // ...
    return output.ToArray();
}

I haven't used iTextSharp, but I suspect some of these types implement IDisposable - in which case you should be creating them in using statements too.

Create PDF in memory instead of physical file

4 Answers4

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