Create Simple PDF File Using iTextSharp Library

iTextSharp

iTextSharp is a library that allows you to create and manipulate PDF documents.

It enables developers looking to enhance web applications and other applications with dynamic PDF document generation and/or manipulation.

Before proceeding you should have the iTextSharp library file.

You can download the iTextSharp.dll from here.

1. Open VisualStudio and then create a new ASP.NET web application.
2. Add a reference to the iTextSharp.dll file to your project.
3. Add the following namespaces before proceeding:
   

   using System;
   using iTextSharp.text.pdf;
   using System.IO;
   using iTextSharp.text;
   using System.Diagnostics;
4. In the designer, drag and drop two buttons as follows,
   
   
   
   
   
5. For the Generate PDF File button, write the following code to generate the PDF file:
   

   protected void btnGeneratePDFFile_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
       //Create document
       Document doc = new Document();
       //Create PDF Table
       PdfPTable tableLayout = new PdfPTable(4);
       //Create a PDF file in specific path
       PdfWriter.GetInstance(doc, new FileStream(Server.MapPath("Sample-PDF-File.pdf"), FileMode.Create));
       //Open the PDF document
       doc.Open();
       //Add Content to PDF
       doc.Add(Add_Content_To_PDF(tableLayout));
       // Closing the document
       doc.Close();
       btnOpenPDFFile.Enabled = true;
       btnGeneratePDFFile.Enabled = false;
   }
   private PdfPTable Add_Content_To_PDF(PdfPTable tableLayout) {
       float[] headers = {
           20,
           20,
           30,
           30
       }; //Header Widths
       tableLayout.SetWidths(headers); //Set the pdf headers
       tableLayout.WidthPercentage = 80; //Set the PDF File witdh percentage
       //Add Title to the PDF file at the top
       tableLayout.AddCell(new PdfPCell(new Phrase("Creating PDF file using iTextsharp", new Font(Font.HELVETICA, 13, 1, new iTextSharp.text.Color(153, 51, 0)))) {
           Colspan = 4, Border = 0, PaddingBottom = 20, HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_CENTER
       });
       //Add header
       AddCellToHeader(tableLayout, "Cricketer Name");
       AddCellToHeader(tableLayout, "Height");
       AddCellToHeader(tableLayout, "Born On");
       AddCellToHeader(tableLayout, "Parents");
       //Add body
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Sachin Tendulkar");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "1.65 m");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "April 24, 1973");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Ramesh Tendulkar, Rajni Tendulkar");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Mahendra Singh Dhoni");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "1.75 m");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "July 7, 1981");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Devki Devi, Pan Singh");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Virender Sehwag");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "1.70 m");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "October 20, 1978");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Aryavir Sehwag, Vedant Sehwag");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Virat Kohli");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "1.75 m");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "November 5, 1988");
       AddCellToBody(tableLayout, "Saroj Kohli, Prem Kohli");
       return tableLayout;
   }
   // Method to add single cell to the header
   private static void AddCellToHeader(PdfPTable tableLayout, string cellText) {
       tableLayout.AddCell(new PdfPCell(new Phrase(cellText, new Font(Font.HELVETICA, 8, 1, iTextSharp.text.Color.WHITE))) {
           HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_CENTER, Padding = 5, BackgroundColor = new iTextSharp.text.Color(0, 51, 102)
       });
   }
   // Method to add single cell to the body
   private static void AddCellToBody(PdfPTable tableLayout, string cellText) {
       tableLayout.AddCell(new PdfPCell(new Phrase(cellText, new Font(Font.HELVETICA, 8, 1, iTextSharp.text.Color.BLACK))) {
           HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_CENTER, Padding = 5, BackgroundColor = iTextSharp.text.Color.WHITE
       });
   }

   Don't be confused by the code above, I am extracting the methods for reusability purposes.
   
   I will explain whats happening in the preceding methods.
   
   btnGeneratePDFFile_Click
   In this method I am creating the PDF file in a specific location. Then I am calling the Add_Content_To_PDF method.
   
   Add_Content_To_PDF
   In this method I am giving the sizes of the cells as well as PDF file width and then I am adding content to the PDF file usigng the two methods AddCellToHeader and AddCellToBody.
   
   AddCellToHeader
   In this mehtod I am adding a single cell to the PDF header with some style.
   
   AddCellToBody
   In this mehtod I am adding a single cell to the PDF body with some style. 
   
   
6. Now in the Open PDF button click write the following code to open the PDF that has been created:
   

   protected void btnOpenPDFFile_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
       //Open the PDF file
       Process.Start(Server.MapPath("Sample-PDF-File.pdf"));
       btnGeneratePDFFile.Enabled = true;
       btnOpenPDFFile.Enabled = false;
   }

7. Save the files and run the project. Click on Generate PDF; your PDF file will be generated. Then click on the Open PDF file, you will get the created PDF.
   
   
8. If your code is not working then I have added a project to this article you can download and test. 

So in this way we can create a PDF simply by using the iTextSharp library.