Create PDF with form data

It’s possible to populate a PDF using information provided by a form using the MPDF library, this tutorial will show you how.

Download: https://github.com/daveismynamecom/form-to-pdf

Demo: https://demos.dcblog.dev/formpdf

First here is a simple form with a couple of fields.

<form action='' method='post'>
<p><label>Name</label><br><input type='text' name='name' value=''></p> 
<p><label>Email</label><br><input type='text' name='email' value=''></p> 
<p><input type='submit' name='submit' value='Submit'></p> 
</form>

Now we have a form with a name and email address we can proccess it. Check if the form has been submitted, collect the form data, make sure it passes the validation:

<?php
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){

    //collect form data
    $name = $_POST['name'];
    $email = $_POST['email'];

    //check name is set
    if($name ==''){
        $error[] = 'Name is required';
    }

    //check for a valid email address
    if(!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)){
         $error[] = 'Please enter a valid email address';
    }

If the checks all pass.

//if no errors carry on
if(!isset($error)){

Next make the HTML data for the PDF, I’ve chosen to use ob_start add ob_get_clean which are build in PHP functions that start a buffer and then collect the buffer contents and returns them. This is very handy as it allows for html to be written then stored rather then displayed.

//create html of the data
ob_start();
?>

<h1>Data from form</h1>
<p>Name: <?php echo $name;?></p>
<p>Email: <?php echo $email;?></p>

<?php 
$body = ob_get_clean();

Now create the PDF, set the PDF to ignore any invalid UTF-8 data.
Next include the MDPF library. 
Create a new instance.
Write the html to the PDF
Finally output the PDF, here we have a few options:

Save the PDF on the server by giving a filename and a flag or F:

$mpdf->Output("mydata.pdf",'F');

To download the PDF instead use the flag of D:

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

Lastly to output the PDF to the browser:

$mpdf->Output();

Here we create the PDF and offer the PDF as a download.

$body = iconv("UTF-8","UTF-8//IGNORE",$body);

include("mpdf/mpdf.php");
$mpdf=new \mPDF('c','A4','','' , 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0); 

//write html to PDF
$mpdf->WriteHTML($body);

//output pdf
$mpdf->Output('demo.pdf','D');

If the validation was not passed loop through the error array and show the errors.

//if their are errors display them
if(isset($error)){
    foreach($error as $error){
        echo "<p style='color:#ff0000'>$error</p>";
    }
}

Here is the full script:

<?php
if(isset($_POST['submit'])){

    //collect form data
    $name = $_POST['name'];
    $email = $_POST['email'];

    //check name is set
    if($name ==''){
        $error[] = 'Name is required';
    }

    //check for a valid email address
    if(!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)){
         $error[] = 'Please enter a valid email address';
    }

    //if no errors carry on
    if(!isset($error)){

        //create html of the data
        ob_start();
        ?>

        <h1>Data from form</h1>
        <p>Name: <?php echo $name;?></p>
        <p>Email: <?php echo $email;?></p>

        <?php 
        $body = ob_get_clean();

        $body = iconv("UTF-8","UTF-8//IGNORE",$body);

        include("mpdf/mpdf.php");
        $mpdf=new \mPDF('c','A4','','' , 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0); 

        //write html to PDF
        $mpdf->WriteHTML($body);

        //output pdf
        $mpdf->Output('demo.pdf','D');

        //open in browser
        //$mpdf->Output();

        //save to server
        //$mpdf->Output("mydata.pdf",'F');

    }
}

//if their are errors display them
if(isset($error)){
    foreach($error as $error){
        echo "<p style='color:#ff0000'>$error</p>";
    }
}
?> 

<form action='' method='post'>
<p><label>Name</label><br><input type='text' name='name' value=''></p> 
<p><label>Email</label><br><input type='text' name='email' value=''></p> 
<p><input type='submit' name='submit' value='Submit'></p> 
</form>