iText and HTML Controls

[Akhilesh Trivedi]

iText helps me convert HTML to PDF. It works cool for most of requirements parsing even tables and borders, I want to have more positioning and HTML controls like text box and radio button tags to be converted into PDFs... is it possible through iText or do I need to switch over to something else?

[Akhilesh Trivedi]

This one doesnt work for me.

  
 
/*
 * $Id: FormTextField.java 3118 2008-01-31 05:55:47Z xlv $
 * $Name$
 *
 * This code is part of the 'iText Tutorial'.
 * You can find the complete tutorial at the following address:
 * <a href="http://itextdocs.lowagie.com/tutorial/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://itextdocs.lowagie.com/tutorial/</a>
 *
 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 *
 * [e-mail]
 */
 
package com.lowagie.examples.forms;
 
 
import java.awt.Color;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
 
import com.lowagie.text.Document;
import com.lowagie.text.DocumentException;
import com.lowagie.text.PageSize;
import com.lowagie.text.Rectangle;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.BaseFont;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.GrayColor;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfAnnotation;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfAppearance;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfBorderDictionary;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfContentByte;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfFormField;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfWriter;
 
/**
 * Generates an Acroform with a TextField
 * @author blowagie
 */
public class FormTextField {
    /**
     * Generates an Acroform with a TextField
     * @param args no arguments needed here
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        System.out.println("Textfield");
        
        // step 1: creation of a document-object
        Document document = new Document(PageSize.A4);
        
        try {
            
            // step 2:
            PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.getInstance(document, new FileOutputStream("textfield.pdf"));
            
            // step 3: we open the document
            document.open();
            
            // step 4:
            BaseFont helv = BaseFont.createFont("Helvetica", "winansi", false);
            PdfContentByte cb = writer.getDirectContent();
            cb.moveTo(0, 0);
            String text = "Some start text";
            float fontSize = 12;
            Color textColor = new GrayColor(0f);
            [B]PdfFormField field = PdfFormField.createTextField(writer, false, false, 0);[/B]
            field.setWidget(new Rectangle(171, 750, 342, 769), PdfAnnotation.HIGHLIGHT_INVERT);
            field.setFlags(PdfAnnotation.FLAGS_PRINT);
            field.setFieldName("ATextField");
            field.setValueAsString(text);
            field.setDefaultValueAsString(text);
            field.setBorderStyle(new PdfBorderDictionary(2, PdfBorderDictionary.STYLE_SOLID));
            field.setPage();
            PdfAppearance tp = cb.createAppearance(171, 19);
            PdfAppearance da = (PdfAppearance)tp.getDuplicate();
            da.setFontAndSize(helv, fontSize);
            da.setColorFill(textColor);
            field.setDefaultAppearanceString(da);
            tp.beginVariableText();
            tp.saveState();
            tp.rectangle(2, 2, 167, 15);
            tp.clip();
            tp.newPath();
            tp.beginText();
            tp.setFontAndSize(helv, fontSize);
            tp.setColorFill(textColor);
            tp.setTextMatrix(4, 5);
            tp.showText(text);
            tp.endText();
            tp.restoreState();
            tp.endVariableText();
            field.setAppearance(PdfAnnotation.APPEARANCE_NORMAL, tp);
            writer.addAnnotation(field);
            
        }
        catch(DocumentException de) {
            System.err.println(de.getMessage());
        }
        catch(IOException ioe) {
            System.err.println(ioe.getMessage());
        }
        
        // step 5: we close the document
        document.close();
    }
}

I am able to compile the code, run it successfully,
the console shows "Textfield" (no exception or or any other messages), the output pdf file is created and shows the text "some start text" .

However the form-field (text box) is no where seen in the output pdf !!!
:roll:

PS: The code was picked up from iText Site
[ April 30, 2008: Message edited by: Akhilesh Trivedi ]

[Ulf Dittmer]

Try clicking on the text :-)

[Akhilesh Trivedi]

Thanks Ulf, clicked it, looks like an editable area. :-)