Using dynamic data to populate existing PDF

If Dave’s solution works, great!

If it does not work for you, please come back here and I will give you my idea of how it can work without the insecurities of an email, all based on browser conversion and Wappler.

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Hi Ben, I am looking into Dave’s suggestion and it looks good for this particular issue.

Please share your idea with us as I am always looking for alternative ways of doing things. I have several projects on the go and some, much simpler than this, that may well benefit from a different approach.

I did not want to confuse the issue by coming with an alternative, but here goes.

  • user enters data into a form
  • the data is saved to to DB
  • an email is sent with a link to the document
  • the user is taken to the dynamically populated and secured document
  • A PDF of the document is securely downloaded using HTTPS

In case the user does not download the PDF in the above procedure, there are two ways that the document can be retrieved

  • using the email link
  • going to the archive in the website

To my severely saturated mind, I see no difference between clicking a PDF attachment to view the document and clicking a link to view the document. The big difference is the method of delivery, unsecured SMTP or secured HTTPS.

As a sidenote, I have some business in the Netherlands and this is the way that the Notaries over there send their legal documents, an email with a link and a download from the website.

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Hi Ben, always good to get another view on things. This makes a lot of sense: “The big difference is the method of delivery, unsecured SMTP or secured HTTPS”. I will put your suggestion to my client and see what he says.

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Dave any chance of attaching your example video on this page?

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I shall need to add a PDF feature at some point and would be interested in any information on the matter.

@pixlapps mentioned an API he was setting up to create PDFs externally. This looked like an interesting option too. It wasn’t free, but the costs seem to be pretty minimal.

@psweb Hi from the Middle Earth of Load shedding. I successfully used https://www.api2pdf.com

Using the url to pdf option. I you like send me a private message with your mail address and I will send you example files of my project.

Costs are nominal - You can add credit and it subtracks a couple of cents with each call.

Cost vs ease of use convinced me.

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Thanks @pixlapps, i actually found a working solution that did everything i wanted for the particular project i was working on, but it was a while back, and was a pain in the @$$ to setup just right. I think it was called FPDF, but i seem to recall i had to try get everything to PHP first by posting all values inside a hidden form to my php script, anyway it was a pain.
So further information for stuff like this is always welcomed.

Lol, Middle Earth of Load Shedding, I wonder how many countries worth of Wappler users have to endure 2 to 4 hours power cuts sometimes twice a day, I eventually bit the bullet and got a petrol 7.5kva generator to go with my inverters. Silly country, honestly.

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Hi Dave… do you perhaps still have this video link please… :slight_smile:

Have messaged you Mozzi.

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Hi Dave, please can you send me a copy too of the video link? I m very interested in your solution.

Thanks
Roberto

Hi @Dave ,
I‘m very interested too :grinning:.
Thanks,
Marcel

THanks Dave … awesome solution …

Dave, can you share?

Yep can o throw my hand up for this share as well please @Dave

Will do an updated video later as the old one doesn’t really do the library justice. Couple of hours or so and will attach it to this thread.

:wink:

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I will take this video down in a few hours.

Please could you message it over to me @Dave it’s nighttime over here, so I won’t get chance till tomorrow buddy.

We have a fair few friends around the Melbourne area (graffiti artists) who are really struggling right now. So many disasters in the world its a tough time for so many. Stay safe mate. Not sure can do anything for you but if there is anything you need give us a shout and will always do what I can.

Cheers for that @Dave. Yes its not too good over in VIC. Fortunately we are in another state which is at the moment not too bad. But I can see a second wave hitting here soon.
I agree its a crap time around with work with things that are going on. Its not good.
Hope you guys are all good where you are. Same applies anything we can do let us know. :slight_smile: