How to get CakePdf to work in CakePHP 3.x? - cakephp

Question

I have installed CakePdf plugin in app/plugins folder and followed all the documentation possbile, thus my settings are as following:
// config/bootstrap.php
Plugin::load('CakePdf', ['bootstrap' => true, 'routes' => true]);
Configure::write('CakePdf', [
'engine' => 'CakePdf.WkHtmlToPdf',
'binary' => '/wkhtmltopdf/bin/wkhtmltopdf',
'margin' => [
'bottom' => 15,
'left' => 50,
'right' => 30,
'top' => 45
],
'orientation' => 'landscape',
'download' => true
]);
// config/routes.php
Router::extensions(['pdf']);
// controller/AppController.php
public function initialize()
{
parent::initialize();
$this->loadComponent('RequestHandler');
$this->loadComponent('Flash');
$this->loadComponent('Auth', [
'authenticate' => ['Form' => ['fields' => ['username' => 'email', 'password' => 'password']]],
'loginAction' => ['controller' => 'Users', 'action' => 'login'],
'loginRedirect' => ['controller' => 'Users', 'action' => 'index'],
'logoutRedirect' => ['controller' => 'Users', 'action' => 'login'],
'authorize' => 'Controller'
]);
}
Here is how a sample agendaPdf action looks like:
function agendaPdf(){
$agenda = 'sample agenda';
$this->viewBuilder()->options([
'pdfConfig' => [
'orientation' => 'portrait',
'filename' => 'agenda_123'
]
]);
$this->set('agenda', $agenda);
}
I have PDF layouts done, as well as a PDF folder inside the templates folder for the model's actions, however, if I go to app/users/agendapdf.pdf, I am given the following messages:
The action agendapdf.pdf is not defined in UsersController
Error: Create UsersController::agendapdf.pdf() in file: src/Controller/UsersController.php.
I would really like to know what could have went wrong and how I can fix it to work.

Answer 1

CakePdf does not include any of the supported PDF engines, so i tried wkhtmltopdf( Refered Link).
Step by Step process:
1. Install wkhtmltopdf binary file in your local or server system (Ubuntu, Window, Mac) - Download link : [wkhtmltopdf][2]
2. Check the installed location of wkhtmltopdf binary file - (i am using ubuntu so installed location is /usr/local/bin)
3. configure the wkhtmltopdf with cakephp:
- in : config/bootstrap.php like below:
Plugin::load('CakePdf', ['bootstrap' => true, 'routes' => true]);
Configure::write('CakePdf', [
'engine' => 'CakePdf.WkHtmlToPdf',
'margin' => [
'bottom' => 15,
'left' => 50,
'right' => 30,
'top' => 45
],
'orientation' => 'landscape',
'download' => true
]);
- Create a folder name "pdf" under your working template view folder:
* for ex: src/template/(working view folder)/pdf (src/template/budget/pdf)
- Create a file name "view.ctp" under newly created pdf folder under working directory:
* for ex: src/template/(working view folder)/pdf/view.ctp (src/template/budget/pdf/view.ctp)
- use below code in working controller - action(view - method)
$this->viewBuilder()->options([
'pdfConfig' => [
'orientation' => 'portrait',
'filename' => 'Invoice_' . $id
]
]);
* for ex:
public function view($id = null)
{
$budget = $this->budget->get($id);
$this->viewBuilder()->options([
'pdfConfig' => [
'orientation' => 'portrait',
'filename' => 'Invoice_' . $id
]
]);
$this->set('budget', $budget);
}
- Hit the controller and action to download as PDF.
* for ex: http://localhost:8765/projects/view/1.pdf
- if you are facing "wkhtmltopdf binary is not found or not executable" error. copy your wkhtmltopdf file from "/usr/local/bin" to "/usr/bin"
* cd /usr/local/bin
* sudo cp wkhtmltoimage /usr/bin/wkhtmltoimage
* sudo cp wkhtmltopdf /usr/bin/wkhtmltopdf