How to Generate PDF Invoice from HTML Template for HTML to PDF API in C# with PDF.co Web API

How to Create PDF Invoice from HTML Template for HTML to PDF API in C#: How-To Tutorial

Writing the code to generate a PDF invoice from an HTML template in C# can be done by developers of any level using PDF.co Web API. PDF.co Web API was made to help with HTML to PDF API in C#. PDF.co Web API is a flexible Web API that includes a full set of functions from e-signature requests to data extraction, OCR, image recognition, PDF splitting, and PDF merging. Can also generate barcodes and read barcodes from images, scans, and PDFs.

C# code snippet like this for PDF.co Web API works best when you need to quickly implement HTML to PDF API in your C# application. Follow the instruction and copy-paste the code for C# into your project’s code editor. Test C# sample code examples whether they respond to your needs and requirements for the project.

PDF.co Web API – free trial version is on available our website. Also, there are other code samples to help you with your C# application included in the trial version.

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ByteScoutWebApiExample.csproj

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" />
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
    <ProjectGuid>{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
    <RootNamespace>ByteScoutWebApiExample</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>ByteScoutWebApiExample</AssemblyName>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <Optimize>false</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="Newtonsoft.Json, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>packages\Newtonsoft.Json.10.0.3\lib\net40\Newtonsoft.Json.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Program.cs" />
    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="invoice_data.json">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </Content>
    <None Include="packages.config" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="invoice_template.html">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </Content>
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
  </Target>
  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
  </Target>
  -->
</Project>

ByteScoutWebApiExample.sln

      

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 2013
VisualStudioVersion = 12.0.40629.0
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "ByteScoutWebApiExample", "ByteScoutWebApiExample.csproj", "{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}"
EndProject
Global
	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
		Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
	EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

Program.cs

      
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Net;
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;

namespace ByteScoutWebApiExample
{
	class Program
	{
		// The authentication key (API Key).
		// Get your own by registering at https://app.pdf.co
		const String API_KEY = "***********************************";

		static void Main(string[] args)
		{
			// --TemplateID--
			/* 
				Please follow below steps to create your own HTML Template and get "templateId". 
				1. Add new html template in app.pdf.co/templates/html
				2. Copy paste your html template code into this new template. Sample HTML templates can be found at "https://github.com/bytescout/pdf-co-api-samples/tree/master/PDF%20from%20HTML%20template/TEMPLATES-SAMPLES"
				3. Save this new template
				4. Copy it’s ID to clipboard
				5. Now set ID of the template into “templateId” parameter
			*/

			// HTML template using built-in template
			// see https://app.pdf.co/templates/html/2/edit
			var templateId = 2;

			// Data to fill the template
			string templateData = File.ReadAllText(@".\invoice_data.json");
			// Destination PDF file name
			string destinationFile = @".\result.pdf";

			// Create standard .NET web client instance
			WebClient webClient = new WebClient();

			// Set API Key
			webClient.Headers.Add("x-api-key", API_KEY);

			webClient.Headers.Add("Content-Type", "application/json");

			try
			{
                // URL for `HTML to PDF` API call
				string url = Uri.EscapeUriString(string.Format(
					"https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/convert/from/html?name={0}", 
					Path.GetFileName(destinationFile)));

				// Prepare requests params as JSON
				Dictionary parameters = new Dictionary();
				parameters.Add("name", Path.GetFileName(destinationFile));
				parameters.Add("templateId", templateId);
				parameters.Add("templateData", templateData);

				// Convert dictionary of params to JSON
				string jsonPayload = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(parameters);

                // Execute request
				string response = webClient.UploadString(url, jsonPayload);

	            // Parse JSON response
	            JObject json = JObject.Parse(response);

	            if (json["error"].ToObject() == false)
	            {
		            // Get URL of generated PDF file
		            string resultFileUrl = json["url"].ToString();

		            webClient.Headers.Remove("Content-Type"); // remove the header required for only the previous request

		            // Download the PDF file
					webClient.DownloadFile(resultFileUrl, destinationFile);

					Console.WriteLine("Generated PDF document saved as \"{0}\" file.", destinationFile);
	            }
	            else
	            {
		            Console.WriteLine(json["message"].ToString());
	            }
            }
            catch (WebException e)
            {
	            Console.WriteLine(e.ToString());
            }

			webClient.Dispose();


            Console.WriteLine();
            Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit...");
            Console.ReadKey();
		}
	}
}

invoice_data.json

      
{
    "invoice_id": "1234567",
    "invoice_date": "April 30, 2016",
    "invoice_dateDue": "May 15, 2016",
    "paid": false,
    "issuer_name": "Acme Inc",
    "issuer_company": "Acme International",
    "issuer_address": "City, Street 3rd",
    "issuer_email": "support@example.com",
    "issuer_website": "http://example.com",
    "client_name": "Food Delivery Inc.",
    "client_company": "Food Delivery International",
    "client_address": "New York, Some Street, 42",
    "client_email": "client@example.com",
    "items": [
        {
            "name": "Setting up new web-site",
            "price": 250
        },
        {
            "name": "Website Content Addition",
            "price": 700
        },
        {
            "name": "Database Setup",
            "price": 200
        },
        {
            "name": "Record Digitalization",
            "price": 1800
        },
        {
            "name": "Cloud Storage",
            "price": 500
        },
        {
            "name": "Short Messages",
            "price": 35
        },
        {
            "name": "Search Engine Optimization",
            "price": 200
        },
        {
            "name": "Priority Support",
            "price": 75
        },
        {
            "name": "Configuring mail server and mailboxes",
            "price": 50
        }
    ],
    "tax": 0.065,
    "discount": 0.01,
    "note": "Thank You For Your Business!"
}

            
}

packages.config

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
  <package id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="10.0.3" targetFramework="net40" />
</packages>

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