How to convert yii view page into pdf and download it? - php

Question

This is my view page that i want to download as pdf. My view link: http://localhost/myproject/Applicant/1
I want to put a download PDF button at the right top of that page, When i click on it, The user profile should be downloaded in PDF. Im new to yii so not sure how to do it, But by searching on google, i found some extensions.
yii-pdf
mpdf1
by following these above extensions, I put those extensions in my protected/extension folder. Then Here is my main/config file..
'components'=>array(
'user'=>array(
// enable cookie-based authentication
'class' => 'WebUser',
'allowAutoLogin'=>true,
'returnUrl'=>'/site/index#login',
'loginUrl'=>array('/Applicant/login'),
),
'ePdf' => array(
'class' => 'ext.yii-pdf.EYiiPdf',
'params' => array(
'mpdf' => array(
'librarySourcePath' => 'application.extensions.mpdf.*',
'constants' => array(
'_MPDF_TEMP_PATH' => Yii::getPathOfAlias('application.runtime'),
),
'class'=>'mpdf', // the literal class filename to be loaded from the vendors folder
/*'defaultParams' => array( // More info: http://mpdf1.com/manual/index.php?tid=184
'mode' => '', // This parameter specifies the mode of the new document.
'format' => 'A4', // format A4, A5, ...
'default_font_size' => 0, // Sets the default document font size in points (pt)
'default_font' => '', // Sets the default font-family for the new document.
'mgl' => 15, // margin_left. Sets the page margins for the new document.
'mgr' => 15, // margin_right
'mgt' => 16, // margin_top
'mgb' => 16, // margin_bottom
'mgh' => 9, // margin_header
'mgf' => 9, // margin_footer
'orientation' => 'P', // landscape or portrait orientation
)*/
),
),
),
I have created this action in ApplicantController
public function actionPDF()
{
$mPDF1 = Yii::app()->ePdf->mpdf();
$mPDF1->WriteHTML($this->render('UserProfileView',true));
$mPDF1->Output();
}
What should i do next? how to get the button on that view file which is link to controller action to download file.

Answer 1

You need to submit your form to an action.
for example, in your view:
<?php echo CHtml::button('Button Text', array('submit' => array('controller/action'))); ?>
In here the button will call the action in controller and execute what need to be done in that action.
EDITED
If I'm right, you are rendering protected/views/applicant/view.php so you can add in the sidebar the link to you action:
<?php
/* #var $this ApplicantController */
/* #var $model Applicant*/
$this->breadcrumbs=array(
'Applicant'=>array('index'),
$model->id,
);
$this->menu=array(
array('label'=>'List Applicant', 'url'=>array('index')),
array('label'=>'Create Applicant', 'url'=>array('create')),
array('label'=>'Create PDF', 'url'=>array('PDF')),
Don't forget adding to rules in your ApplicantController.php:
public function accessRules()
{
return array(
array('allow', // allow all users to perform 'index' and 'view' actions
'actions'=>array('index','view','PDF'),
'users'=>array('*'),