Generate PDF from templates
Sitecore Content Hub lets you generate a PDF file from print templates based on entity properties and relations, such as the PDF report of annotations to an asset.
To generate PDFs, you must have at least Read permissions for both the Print.EntityGenerationTemplate and M.Action definitions.
To configure the PDF generation functionality, you need to:
You can download the generated PDF files on the Downloads page. Content Hub limits the processing of PDF renditions to files of 2GB or less.
Print template ZIP package example
This section provides an example of a print template ZIP package used with an entity named Module, which contains a list of related entities called Feature.
The ZIP package contains the following files:
-
Module.json - main file specifying the Module properties to use, and any related entities (in this case, Feature entities).
-
Module.cshtml - specifies the structure of the defined Module properties in the PDF file using HTML format. This file can reference other .cshtml files to embed them within the structure.
-
Feature.cshtml - specifies the structure of the defined Feature properties in the PDF file using HTML format. This file can be embedded within other .cshtml files.
-
CSS file: Contains the CSS related to the .cshtml files.
Module json
Here is an example of the module.json file:
json
{
"template": {
"type": "Template",
"file": "module.cshtml",
"source": {
"type": "entity",
"variables": [
{
"name": "TopTitleLabel",
"type": "snippet",
"value": {
"en-US": "Module Specifications"
}
},
{
"name": "Preview",
"type": "rendition",
"lowRes": {
"property": "Renditions",
"rendition": "preview"
},
"highRes": {
"property": "MainFile"
},
"relation": {
"name": "ModuleToMasterAsset",
"role": "Parent",
"relation": {
"name": "MasterFile",
"role": "Parent"
}
}
},
{
"name": "FeaturesLabel",
"type": "snippet",
"value": {
"en-US": "Features"
}
},
{
"name": "ModuleName",
"type": "property",
"property": "ModuleName"
},
{
"name": "ModuleDescription",
"type": "property",
"property": "ModuleDescription"
},
{
"name": "Features",
"type": "Template",
"template": {
"type": "Template",
"file": "features.cshtml",
"source": {
"type": "relation",
"relation": {
"name": "ModuleToFeature",
"role": "Parent"
},
"variables": [
{
"name": "FeatureName",
"type": "property",
"property": "FeatureName"
},
{
"name": "FeatureDescription",
"type": "property",
"property": "FeatureDescription"
},
{
"name": "FeatureType",
"type": "property",
"property": "FeatureType"
}
]
}
}
}
]
}
}
}To correctly print the option list variables, use "type": "datasource".
Your module.json file can also include relation types and access properties of related entities. For example, you can retrieve articles linked to a campaign, fetch their names and lifecycle statuses via relations, and render them using the articles.cshtml file.
{
"name": "Articles",
"type": "Template",
"template": {
"type": "Template",
"file": "articles.cshtml",
"source": {
"type": "relation",
"relation": {
"name": "CampaignToContent",
"role": "Child"
},
"variables": [
{
"name": "ArticleStatus",
"type": "relation",
"relation": {
"name": "ContentLifeCycleToContent",
"role": "parent",
"property": "ContentLifeCycle.Label"
}
},
{
"name": "ArticleName",
"type": "property",
"property": "Content.Name"
},
]
}
}
}Module cshtml
Here is an example of the module.cshtml file:
html
@model Stylelabs.M.Print.EntityGeneration.Models.Model
<html>
<head>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="bootstrap.min.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css" />
<title>Module specification</title>
</head>
<body>
<div class="top-header">
<img src="/logo.png" class="logo" />
<h5 class="top-title">
@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$TopTitleLabel$$"].FirstOrDefault())
</h5>
</div>
<div class="container-wrapper">
<div class="container">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-8">
<h1>@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$ModuleName$$"].FirstOrDefault())</h1>
<div class="lead">
@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$ModuleDescription$$"].FirstOrDefault())
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-4">
<img src="@(@Model.Properties["$$Preview$$"].FirstOrDefault())" d>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="container">
<h5>@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeaturesLabel$$"].FirstOrDefault())</h5>
<div class="features-wrapper">
@foreach (var feature in @Model.Properties["$$Features$$"]) {
@Raw(feature) }
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>If you include relation types and access properties of related entities in the module.json file, your module.cshtml file renders an article, displaying its name and status by retrieving values from the Model.Properties dictionary.
@model Stylelabs.M.Print.EntityGeneration.Models.Model
@using System.Linq
<div class="article">
<h1 class="diser-title">
@if (Model.Properties.ContainsKey("$$ArticleName$$"))
{
@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$ArticleName$$"].FirstOrDefault())
}
</h1>
<p>
<h5>Salesforce Article Status:
@if (Model.Properties.ContainsKey("$$ArticleStatus$$"))
{
@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$ArticleStatus$$"].FirstOrDefault())
}
</h5>
</p>
</div>Feature cshtml
Here is an example of the feature.cshtml file:
html
@model Stylelabs.M.Print.EntityGeneration.Models.Model
<h4>
@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeatureName$$"].FirstOrDefault()) @*<span
class="type"
>@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeatureType$$"].FirstOrDefault())</span
>*@
</h4>
<div class="feature-description">
@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeatureDescription$$"].FirstOrDefault())
</div>