PDF +

Premium PDF generation and manipulation module for BoxLang+ applications: build, merge, stamp, secure, and extract content programmatically.

The bx-plus-pdf module equips your BoxLang+ applications with robust PDF creation and processing capabilities—ideal for invoices, reports, forms, certificates, and archival workflows.

This module is only available to +/++ subscribers only but can be installed in conjunction with the bx-plus Module with a limited tria.

🚀 Features

• Generate PDFs from dynamic data (tables, paragraphs, headings)

• Merge, split, and reorder pages

• Apply watermarks and stamps

• Embed fonts & manage text styling

• Add images, shapes, and vector elements

• Secure documents (passwords, permissions)

• Extract text and metadata

• Form field population (conceptual placeholder)

📦 Installation

Via CommandBox

box install bx-plus-pdf

Via BoxLang

install-bx-module bx-plus-pdf

⚙ Basic PDF Creation

pdf = pdfNew( title = "Monthly Report" );

pdfAddHeading( pdf, text = "Revenue Summary", level = 1 );
pdfAddParagraph( pdf, text = "This report provides an overview of monthly revenue performance." );

pdfAddTable( pdf, data = [
    ["Region","Total"],
    ["NA","$123,000"],
    ["EU","$98,500"],
    ["APAC","$67,250"]
] );

binary = pdfWriteBinary( pdf );
fileWrite( expandPath( "monthly-report.pdf" ), binary );

🖼 Adding Images

pdfAddImage( pdf, path = expandPath( "assets/logo.png" ), x = 50, y = 750, width = 120 );

🧩 Merging PDFs

merged = pdfMerge( [ fileReadBinary( expandPath( "intro.pdf" ) ), fileReadBinary( expandPath( "monthly-report.pdf" ) ) ] );
fileWrite( expandPath( "bundle.pdf" ), merged );

🔐 Securing a PDF

pdfSecure( pdf,
  userPassword = "viewer123",
  ownerPassword = "control456",
  allowPrinting = true,
  allowCopy = false
);

🧪 Extracting Text

binaryInput = fileReadBinary( expandPath( "monthly-report.pdf" ) );
textOut     = pdfExtractText( binaryInput );
writeOutput( left( textOut, 200 ) );

🛡 Error Handling

try {
    pdfAddTable( pdf, data = hugeDataSet );
} catch ( e ) {
    writeLog( text = "PDF generation failed: " & e.message, type = "error" );
}

🔐 Entitlement

Requires active BoxLang+ subscription. Attempts to use premium PDF features without entitlement produce clear exceptions.

📏 Performance Tips

• Stream large tables incrementally

• Reuse fonts where possible to reduce file size

• Avoid excessive raster image scaling at runtime

📎 Related Modules

Spreadsheet +Plus Core

---

Return to the Modules Overview.