Question 1

How to install CakePdf with WeasyPrint on Ubuntu?

Accepted Answer

First, install WeasyPrint using system packages (e.g., sudo apt-get install weasyprint), then configure CakePdf in your CakePHP app by setting the engine to 'CakePdf.WeasyPrint' and optionally specifying the binary path in the configuration array, as per the README's installation and setup steps.

Question 2

CakePdf vs using Dompdf directly in CakePHP – which is better?

Accepted Answer

CakePdf abstracts engine differences and provides a unified, framework-native API, making it easier to switch engines or use multiple ones. Direct Dompdf usage might be simpler for single-engine needs but lacks the integrated view rendering and configuration management that CakePdf offers for CakePHP projects.

Question 3

How to add headers and footers to all pages in CakePdf?

Accepted Answer

Implement CSS-based solutions specific to the chosen engine, such as @page rules for WeasyPrint or DOM techniques for Dompdf. The README references external resources with examples for achieving repeating headers and footers in PDFs generated by different engines.

Question 4

Can CakePdf generate PDFs for email attachments?

Accepted Answer

Yes, use the programmatic mode by instantiating the CakePdf class directly, setting the template and view variables, then calling output() to retrieve raw PDF data for attachments, as detailed in the usage section for non-browser generation like email or storage.

Question 5

Which PDF engine is fastest in CakePdf for large documents?

Accepted Answer

Performance varies; Mpdf is often optimized for speed with complex documents, while WeasyPrint handles CSS better but may use more memory. Benchmark based on your document complexity and server resources, considering that engine-specific options can be tuned in the configuration.

Question 6

How to force download a PDF with a custom filename in CakePdf?

Accepted Answer

Set the 'download' and 'filename' options in pdfConfig when using PdfView, either globally via Configure or per-action with the view builder, as shown in the configuration examples. This triggers a browser download with the specified filename instead of inline display.

CakePdf plugin

What is CakePdf plugin?

Overview

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Frequently Asked Questions