Convert PHP to PDF

Understanding PHP and PDF file formats

PHP is a widely-used open-source scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. It is a server-side language, meaning it runs on the server and generates HTML that is sent to the client. PHP files typically have a .php extension.

PDF stands for Portable Document Format, a file format developed by Adobe that presents documents independently of software, hardware, or operating systems. PDF files are widely used for sharing documents because they preserve the formatting of the original document.

Converting PHP to PDF

Converting a PHP file to a PDF involves executing the PHP script to generate the desired output and then converting that output into a PDF document. This is commonly done when you want to create a PDF version of a web page or report generated by a PHP script.

Best software for PHP to PDF conversion

One of the best tools for converting PHP output to PDF is TCPDF. TCPDF is a PHP class for generating PDF documents without requiring external extensions. It supports all standard page formats and custom page formats, and it can handle complex HTML and CSS.

To use TCPDF, you would typically follow these steps:

• Download and include the TCPDF library in your PHP project.
• Use PHP to generate the HTML content you want to convert to PDF.
• Initialize a new TCPDF object and use its methods to add the HTML content.
• Output the PDF to a file or directly to the browser.

Alternative tools for PHP to PDF conversion

Another popular tool is FPDF, which is similar to TCPDF but may be easier to use for simpler documents. Additionally, dompdf is a great option for converting HTML and CSS to PDF, especially if you are already familiar with web development.

Using online converters

If you prefer not to handle the conversion programmatically, there are online services that can convert web pages to PDF. These services typically require you to provide the URL of the page you want to convert.