How to generate PDF invoice from HTML template for HTML to PDF API in VB.NET and PDF.co Web API

How to generate PDF invoice from HTML template for HTML to PDF API in VB.NET: Step By Step Tutorial

Writing of the code to generate PDF invoice from HTML template in VB.NET 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 VB.NET. PDF.co Web API is the flexible Web API that includes full set of functions from e-signature requests to data extraction, OCR, images recognition, pdf splitting and pdf splitting. Can also generate barcodes and read barcodes from images, scans and pdf.

Fast application programming interfaces of PDF.co Web API for VB.NET plus the instruction and the code below will help to learn how to generate PDF invoice from HTML template. Sample code in VB.NET is all you need. Copy-paste it to your the code editor, then add a reference to PDF.co Web API and you are ready to try it! Enjoy writing a code with ready-to-use sample VB.NET codes to add HTML to PDF API functions using PDF.co Web API in VB.NET.

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ByteScoutWebApiExample.sln

      

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 15
VisualStudioVersion = 15.0.26730.10
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{F184B08F-C81C-45F6-A57F-5ABD9991F28F}") = "ByteScoutWebApiExample", "ByteScoutWebApiExample.vbproj", "{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}"
EndProject
Global
	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
		Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ExtensibilityGlobals) = postSolution
		SolutionGuid = {4576C9BB-A42D-46A8-9198-7E2982E122FA}
	EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

ByteScoutWebApiExample.vbproj

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" 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>{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <StartupObject>ByteScoutWebApiExample.Module1</StartupObject>
    <RootNamespace>ByteScoutWebApiExample</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>ByteScoutWebApiExample</AssemblyName>
    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
    <MyType>Console</MyType>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <DefineDebug>true</DefineDebug>
    <DefineTrace>true</DefineTrace>
    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
    <DocumentationFile>ByteScoutWebApiExample.xml</DocumentationFile>
    <NoWarn>42016,41999,42017,42018,42019,42032,42036,42020,42021,42022</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <DefineDebug>false</DefineDebug>
    <DefineTrace>true</DefineTrace>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
    <DocumentationFile>ByteScoutWebApiExample.xml</DocumentationFile>
    <NoWarn>42016,41999,42017,42018,42019,42032,42036,42020,42021,42022</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionExplicit>On</OptionExplicit>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionCompare>Binary</OptionCompare>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionStrict>Off</OptionStrict>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionInfer>On</OptionInfer>
  </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>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data" />
    <Reference Include="System.Deployment" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Import Include="Microsoft.VisualBasic" />
    <Import Include="System" />
    <Import Include="System.Collections" />
    <Import Include="System.Collections.Generic" />
    <Import Include="System.Data" />
    <Import Include="System.Diagnostics" />
    <Import Include="System.Linq" />
    <Import Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Module1.vb" />
    <Compile Include="My Project\AssemblyInfo.vb" />
    <Compile Include="My Project\Application.Designer.vb">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DependentUpon>Application.myapp</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
    <Compile Include="My Project\Resources.Designer.vb">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <DependentUpon>Resources.resx</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
    <Compile Include="My Project\Settings.Designer.vb">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DependentUpon>Settings.settings</DependentUpon>
      <DesignTimeSharedInput>True</DesignTimeSharedInput>
    </Compile>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <EmbeddedResource Include="My Project\Resources.resx">
      <Generator>VbMyResourcesResXFileCodeGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>Resources.Designer.vb</LastGenOutput>
      <CustomToolNamespace>My.Resources</CustomToolNamespace>
      <SubType>Designer</SubType>
    </EmbeddedResource>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="invoice_data.json">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </Content>
    <None Include="My Project\Application.myapp">
      <Generator>MyApplicationCodeGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>Application.Designer.vb</LastGenOutput>
    </None>
    <None Include="My Project\Settings.settings">
      <Generator>SettingsSingleFileGenerator</Generator>
      <CustomToolNamespace>My</CustomToolNamespace>
      <LastGenOutput>Settings.Designer.vb</LastGenOutput>
    </None>
    <None Include="packages.config" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="invoice_template.html">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </Content>
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.VisualBasic.targets" />
</Project>

Module1.vb

      
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Net
Imports Newtonsoft.Json
Imports Newtonsoft.Json.Linq

Module Module1

	' The authentication key (API Key).
	' Get your own by registering at https://app.pdf.co/documentation/api
	Const API_KEY As String = "***********************************"

	' HTML template
	Dim template As String = File.ReadAllText(".\invoice_template.html")
	' Data to fill the template
	Dim templateData As String = File.ReadAllText(".\invoice_data.json")
	' Destination PDF file name
	Const DestinationFile As String = ".\result.pdf"

	Sub Main()

		' Create standard .NET web client instance
		Dim webClient As WebClient = New WebClient()

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

		Try
			' Prepare URL for HTML to PDF API call
			Dim request As String = Uri.EscapeUriString(String.Format(
				"https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/convert/from/html?name={0}",
				Path.GetFileName(DestinationFile)))

			' Prepare request body in JSON format
			Dim jsonObject As JObject = New JObject(
				New JProperty("html", template),
				New JProperty("templateData", templateData))

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

			' Execute request
			Dim response As String = webClient.UploadString(request, jsonObject.ToString())

			' Parse JSON response
			Dim json As JObject = JObject.Parse(response)

			If json("error").ToObject(Of Boolean) = False Then

				' Get URL of generated PDF file
				Dim resultFileUrl As String = 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)

			End If

		Catch ex As WebException
			Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString())
		End Try

		webClient.Dispose()


		Console.WriteLine()
		Console.WriteLine("Press any key...")
		Console.ReadKey()

	End Sub

End Module

invoice_data.json

      
{
    "number": "1234567",
    "date": "April 30, 2016",
    "from": "Acme Inc., City, Street 3rd , +1 888 123-456, support@example.com",
    "to": "Food Delivery Inc., New York, Some Street, 42",
    "lines": [{
        "title": "Setting up new web-site",
        "quantity": 3,
        "price": 50
    }, {
        "title": "Configuring mail server and mailboxes",
        "quantity": 5,
        "price": 50
    }]
}

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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