SharePoint PDF Service Documentation

Features

PDF documents from one or multiple connected lists
Add content as text, image, PDF, hyperlink or EAN13 barcode
Simple, automatic listings or configured layouts
Lightweight implementation with Ajax/JSON
Supports multiple languages
For all Versions of SharePoint 2013 and 2010

About

Use this solution, if you want to create PDF documents directly from SharePoint data, Lists and Document Libraries. Use other great products, like the Muhimbi PDF Converter for SharePoint, if you want to convert already available documents to PDF. This solution is based on the amazing PDFsharp and MigraDoc Foundation Open Source library (WPF build) with minor customizations.

Installation

Open a SharePoint PowerShell window and add the solution with Add-SPSolution <wsp-file>. In SharePoint Central Administration deploy the farm solution. To activate/register your license, start the License Manager application on the server (run as Administrator) and activate/register your license.

Feature activation

This solution contains 3 SharePoint Features providing the same functionality. One at Farm level, one at Site Collection level and one at Site level. Just activate one at the level that is appropriate for you. Activating a Feature does nothing more than adding a JavaScript link to the pages using a AdditionalPageHead Control.

Create List "PDF Configuration"

Create a Custom List with the name PDF Configuration in each Web you want to use the PDF service. Add a Column to the List with the name Configuration and the following settings:

Optionally you can add a Column to the List with the name Published and the following settings:

PDF Configuration on a List

We now add a PDF configuration to a List, so the additional menu item Create PDF appears on the list items with the submenu item of our PDF configuration.

Add a Item to the List PDF Configuration. The Title will be shown in the menu.
In the column Configuration add this JSON object:

{
   "lists": [
      {
         "listname": "[listname]"
      }
   ]
}

Replace [listname] with the name of your List.

Optionally (recommended) add a View to the List. The name of the View must be the Title of your configuration Item. Select all the Columns you want to see in the PDF.

This is the simplest form of a PDF configuration and will create a PDF document like this.

Connected Lists

Connecting Lists allows you to use hierarchical data in the PDF documents like this:

Customer
    Order 1
        Order Item 1
        Order Item 2
        ...
    Order 2
        Order Item 1
        Order Item 2
        ...
    ...

Sample of a JSON configuration object with 3 hierarchical connected lists:

{
   "lists": [
      {
         "listname": "Customers"
      },
      {
         "listname": "Orders",
         "field": "Customer",
         "parentlist": "Customers",
         "parentfield": "ID"
      },
      {
         "listname": "Order Items",
         "field": "Order0",
         "parentlist": "Orders",
         "parentfield": "ID"
      }
   ]
}

Each connection of a List is defined by the following properties:

If SharePoint lookup fields are used, always use ID as the value for parentfield. You can use any field name, without SharePoint lookup connections.

Final step
On each connected List, create a View with the name of the configuration and select the Columns you want to show.

This sample will create a PDF document like this. You can start it from any of the 3 Lists.

Start Lists

You can use any List not involved in the PDF output to start the PDF. The same rules apply for Start Lists as for Connected Lists (see above).

Sample of a JSON configuration object with a configured Start List:

{
   "lists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "startlists": [
      {
         "listname": "Start List",
         "field": "Value",
         "parentlist": "Customers",
         "parentfield": "ID"
      }
   ]
}

Page Setups

Multiple Page Setup objects can be configured. The object with the name Normal is the standard Page Setup.

Sample of a JSON configuration object with a configured Page Setup:

{
   "lists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "startlists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "pagesetups": [
      {
         "name": "Normal",
         "pageformat": "A4",
         "height": 297,
         "width": 210,
         "orientation": "Portrait",
         "topmargin": 70,
         "rightmargin": 15,
         "bottommargin": 60,
         "leftmargin": 25,
         "headerdistance": 5,
         "footerdistance": 15,
         "backgroundpdf": "~/PDF Assets/PDF1.pdf",
         "imagewidth": 35,
         "imagemaxdpi": 600
      }
   ]
}

Styles

Multiple Style objects can be configured. The object with the name Normal is the standard Style.

Sample of a JSON configuration object with a configured Style:

{
   "lists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "startlists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "pagesetups": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "styles": [
      {
         "name": "Normal",
         "font": {
            "name": "Open Sans Light",
            "size": 3.5,
            "color": "FF000000",
            "bold": false,
            "italic": false
         },
         "paragraph": {
            "leftindent": 0,
            "rightindent": 0,
            "linespacing": 5.25,
            "spacebefore": 0,
            "spaceafter": 0,
            "alignment": "Left",
            "shadingcolor": "00000000",
            "shadingradius": 0,
            "bordertop": {
               "width": 0,
               "distance": 0,
               "color": "FF000000"
            },
            "borderright": {
               "width": 0,
               "distance": 0,
               "color": "FF000000"
            },
            "borderbottom": {
               "width": 0,
               "distance": 0,
               "color": "FF000000"
            },
            "borderleft": {
               "width": 0,
               "distance": 0,
               "color": "FF000000"
            }
         }
      }
   ]
}

Content

The Content object hierarchy allows you to define the content.

Sample of a JSON configuration object with configured Content:

{
   "lists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "startlists": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "pagesetups": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "styles": [
      {
         ...
      }
   ],
   "content": [
      {
         "type": "Section",
         "pagesetup": "Normal",
         "items": [
            {
               "template": "Table",
               "items": [
                  {
                     "template": "Row",
                     "items": [
                        {
                          "template": "Column",
                           "items": [
                              {
                                "type": "Paragraph",
                                 "items": [
                                    {
                                       "type": "Object",
                                       "width": 90
                                    }
                                 ]
                              }
                           ]
                        }
                     ]
                  }
               ]
            }
         ]
      }
   ]
}

Configuration Objects

Description of the configuration objects.

[Root]

RootList

ConnectedList

PageSetup

Style

Normal
   Text
      Text-0
      Text-1
      Text-2
      Text-3
      Text-4
      Text-5
   Title1
   Title2
      Title2-0
      Title2-1
      Title2-2
      Title2-3
      Title2-4
      Title2-5

Font

name	Name of the Font. All Fonts installed on the server can be used by using their internal name.
size	Size of the Font in millimeter. Optional.
color	The Color in hexadecimal form with transparency as a string. For example "FF000000" represents full black. Optional.
bold	Bold, true or false. Optional.
italic	Italic, true or false. Optional.

Paragraph

Border

TabStop

Content

This is a multi-purpose object in a object hierarchy. Click a configuration option to get more information.

Column