Implementing PDF generation with IceFaces and iText

27 Sep 2023

generation

In this tutorial, we will learn how to generate PDF documents using IceFaces, a Java Server Faces (JSF) framework, and iText, a powerful Java library for creating PDF documents.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following installed:

Java Development Kit (JDK) - version 8 or above.
Maven - a project management and comprehension tool.
IceFaces - a JSF framework for creating web applications.
iText - a Java library for creating PDF documents.

Step 1: Setup IceFaces and iText dependencies

Add the following dependencies to your Maven pom.xml file:

<dependencies>
    <!-- IceFaces dependencies -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.icefaces</groupId>
        <artifactId>icefaces</artifactId>
        <version>4.3.0</version>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.icefaces</groupId>
        <artifactId>ace</artifactId>
        <version>4.3.0</version>
    </dependency>
    
    <!-- iText dependency -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>com.lowagie</groupId>
        <artifactId>itext</artifactId>
        <version>2.1.7</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

Step 2: Create the PDF generation logic

In this step, we will create a Java class to handle the PDF generation logic. Let’s name it PdfGenerator.java. Add the following code to the class:

import com.lowagie.text.Document;
import com.lowagie.text.DocumentException;
import com.lowagie.text.Paragraph;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfWriter;

import javax.faces.bean.ManagedBean;
import javax.faces.bean.RequestScoped;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;

@ManagedBean
@RequestScoped
public class PdfGenerator {

    public void generatePDF() {
        Document document = new Document();
        
        try {
            PdfWriter.getInstance(document, new FileOutputStream("output.pdf"));
            document.open();
            document.add(new Paragraph("Hello, world!"));
            document.close();
        } catch (DocumentException | FileNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Step 3: Create a JSF view to trigger PDF generation

Now, let’s create a JSF view to trigger the PDF generation process. Create a new file named index.xhtml and add the following code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
      xmlns:h="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html">
<head>
    <title>PDF Generation with IceFaces and iText</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h:form>
        <h:commandButton value="Generate PDF" action="#{pdfGenerator.generatePDF}" />
    </h:form>
</body>
</html>

Step 4: Deploy and test the application

Now, you can deploy and run your application on a Java application server. Open the browser and navigate to the URL where your application is deployed.

Click on the “Generate PDF” button, and a PDF file named “output.pdf” will be generated in the project directory.

Congratulations! You have successfully implemented PDF generation with IceFaces and iText.

#pdf #generation