USING IRONPDF
How to Generate a PDF in ASP.NET Using C#
Generating PDFs programmatically is a critical requirement for modern web applications, whether you're creating invoices, reports, certificates, or tickets. If you're an ASP.NET Core .NET developer looking to implement robust PDF generation with pixel-perfect rendering and enterprise features, you're in the right place.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through professional PDF file generation using IronPDF, a powerful .NET library that enables the creation of PDF documents with ease. We'll explore everything from basic setup to advanced batch processing, showcasing how efficient and easily integrated it can be. By the end, you’ll have a powerful PDF converter for generating PDF documents in your ASP.NET app using IronPDF like a pro.
Why Generate PDFs in ASP.NET Core?
Server-side PDF generation offers significant advantages over client-side alternatives. When you generate PDFs on the server, you ensure consistent output across all browsers and devices, eliminate dependency on client-side resources, and maintain better control over sensitive data. Common business scenarios for HTML to PDF conversion include:
- Financial documents: Invoices, statements, and transaction receipts
- Compliance reports: Regulatory filings and audit documentation
- User certificates: Training completions and professional certifications
- Event tickets: QR-coded entry passes and boarding passes
- Data exports: Analytics reports and dashboard snapshots
Furthermore, the server-side approach ensures that the PDFs are consistent across all browsers and operating systems, making it highly regarded in terms of legal and financial documents.
How Does IronPDF Transform Your PDF Generation?
IronPDF is a PDF library that stands out in the .NET ecosystem thanks to its HTML converter, which uses a complete Chrome rendering engine under the hood. This means your PDF documents render exactly as they would in Google Chrome, with full support for modern CSS3, JavaScript execution, and web fonts. Unlike other libraries, IronPDF enables you to directly convert your existing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript knowledge into PDF generation capabilities within your ASP.NET Core applications.
Key advantages that transform your development:
- Chrome-based rendering for pixel-perfect accuracy, matching what you see in the browser when carrying out HTML to PDF conversion tasks (often in just a few lines of code)
- Full HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript support, including modern frameworks like Bootstrap
- Native .NET integration without external dependencies or command-line tools
- Cross-platform compatibility supporting .NET 6/7/8, .NET Core, and even .NET Framework 4.6.2+ for legacy applications
- Comprehensive API for post-generation manipulation, including merging, watermarking, and digital signatures of your PDF pages.
Install with NuGet
Check out IronPDF on NuGet for quick installation. With over 10 million downloads, it’s transforming PDF development with C#. You can also download the DLL or Windows installer.
Setting Up Your ASP.NET Core Project
Let's create a new ASP.NET Core MVC application configured for PDF generation. We'll build a production-ready setup with proper dependency injection and error handling. This will be a new .NET project in Visual Studio; however, you are also welcome to use an existing project.
Creating the Project
We will create this project and give it a fitting project name by running the following command:
dotnet new mvc -n PdfGeneratorApp
cd PdfGeneratorAppInstalling IronPDF
Before we begin generating PDF documents in ASP.NET, add IronPDF to your project by running the following lines in the NuGet Package Manager Console:
Install-Package IronPdf
Install-Package IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core
For detailed installation options, including NuGet packages configuration and Windows installer, refer to the official documentation.
Configuring Services in Program.cs
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
// Configure IronPDF license (use your license key)
License.LicenseKey = "your-license-key";
// Add MVC services
builder.Services.AddControllersWithViews();
// Register IronPDF services
builder.Services.AddSingleton<IHttpContextAccessor, HttpContextAccessor>();
builder.Services.AddSingleton<ITempDataProvider, CookieTempDataProvider>();
builder.Services.AddSingleton<IRazorViewRenderer, RazorViewRenderer>();
// Configure ChromePdfRenderer as a service
builder.Services.AddSingleton<ChromePdfRenderer>(provider =>
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
// Configure rendering options
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 25;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 25;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20;
renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript = true;
renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay = 500; // Wait for JS execution
return renderer;
});
var app = builder.Build();
// Configure middleware pipeline
if (!app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
app.UseExceptionHandler("/Home/Error");
app.UseHsts();
}
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseStaticFiles();
app.UseRouting();
app.UseAuthorization();
app.MapControllerRoute(
name: "default",
pattern: "{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}");
app.Run();using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures;
var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
// Configure IronPDF license (use your license key)
License.LicenseKey = "your-license-key";
// Add MVC services
builder.Services.AddControllersWithViews();
// Register IronPDF services
builder.Services.AddSingleton<IHttpContextAccessor, HttpContextAccessor>();
builder.Services.AddSingleton<ITempDataProvider, CookieTempDataProvider>();
builder.Services.AddSingleton<IRazorViewRenderer, RazorViewRenderer>();
// Configure ChromePdfRenderer as a service
builder.Services.AddSingleton<ChromePdfRenderer>(provider =>
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
// Configure rendering options
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 25;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 25;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20;
renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript = true;
renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay = 500; // Wait for JS execution
return renderer;
});
var app = builder.Build();
// Configure middleware pipeline
if (!app.Environment.IsDevelopment())
{
app.UseExceptionHandler("/Home/Error");
app.UseHsts();
}
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseStaticFiles();
app.UseRouting();
app.UseAuthorization();
app.MapControllerRoute(
name: "default",
pattern: "{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}");
app.Run();Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures
Imports Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting
Module Program
Sub Main(args As String())
Dim builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args)
' Configure IronPDF license (use your license key)
License.LicenseKey = "your-license-key"
' Add MVC services
builder.Services.AddControllersWithViews()
' Register IronPDF services
builder.Services.AddSingleton(Of IHttpContextAccessor, HttpContextAccessor)()
builder.Services.AddSingleton(Of ITempDataProvider, CookieTempDataProvider)()
builder.Services.AddSingleton(Of IRazorViewRenderer, RazorViewRenderer)()
' Configure ChromePdfRenderer as a service
builder.Services.AddSingleton(Of ChromePdfRenderer)(Function(provider)
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
' Configure rendering options
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 25
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 25
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 20
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 20
renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript = True
renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay = 500 ' Wait for JS execution
Return renderer
End Function)
Dim app = builder.Build()
' Configure middleware pipeline
If Not app.Environment.IsDevelopment() Then
app.UseExceptionHandler("/Home/Error")
app.UseHsts()
End If
app.UseHttpsRedirection()
app.UseStaticFiles()
app.UseRouting()
app.UseAuthorization()
app.MapControllerRoute(
name:="default",
pattern:="{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}")
app.Run()
End Sub
End Module
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This configuration establishes IronPDF as a singleton service, ensuring efficient resource usage across your application. You can further modify the `RenderingOptions` to suit your specific requirements. At this point, your folder structure in the Solution Explorer in Visual Studio should look like:
Generating PDFs from Razor Views
The most powerful approach to generating new PDF documents in ASP.NET Core involves leveraging Razor views for PDF conversion. This allows you to utilize familiar MVC patterns, strongly typed models, and Razor syntax to create dynamic PDFs from custom HTML files, web pages, and other sources. According to Microsoft's documentation on Razor Pages, this approach provides the cleanest separation of concerns for page-focused scenarios.
Creating the Data Model
First, let's create a comprehensive model that represents a typical business document:
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Models
{
public class InvoiceModel
{
public string InvoiceNumber { get; set; }
public DateTime InvoiceDate { get; set; }
public DateTime DueDate { get; set; }
public CompanyInfo Vendor { get; set; }
public CompanyInfo Customer { get; set; }
public List<InvoiceItem> Items { get; set; }
public decimal Subtotal => Items?.Sum(x => x.Total) ?? 0;
public decimal TaxRate { get; set; }
public decimal TaxAmount => Subtotal * (TaxRate / 100);
public decimal Total => Subtotal + TaxAmount;
public string Notes { get; set; }
public string PaymentTerms { get; set; }
}
public class CompanyInfo
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Address { get; set; }
public string City { get; set; }
public string State { get; set; }
public string ZipCode { get; set; }
public string Email { get; set; }
public string Phone { get; set; }
}
public class InvoiceItem
{
public string Description { get; set; }
public int Quantity { get; set; }
public decimal UnitPrice { get; set; }
public decimal Total => Quantity * UnitPrice;
}
}namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Models
{
public class InvoiceModel
{
public string InvoiceNumber { get; set; }
public DateTime InvoiceDate { get; set; }
public DateTime DueDate { get; set; }
public CompanyInfo Vendor { get; set; }
public CompanyInfo Customer { get; set; }
public List<InvoiceItem> Items { get; set; }
public decimal Subtotal => Items?.Sum(x => x.Total) ?? 0;
public decimal TaxRate { get; set; }
public decimal TaxAmount => Subtotal * (TaxRate / 100);
public decimal Total => Subtotal + TaxAmount;
public string Notes { get; set; }
public string PaymentTerms { get; set; }
}
public class CompanyInfo
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Address { get; set; }
public string City { get; set; }
public string State { get; set; }
public string ZipCode { get; set; }
public string Email { get; set; }
public string Phone { get; set; }
}
public class InvoiceItem
{
public string Description { get; set; }
public int Quantity { get; set; }
public decimal UnitPrice { get; set; }
public decimal Total => Quantity * UnitPrice;
}
}Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Models
Public Class InvoiceModel
Public Property InvoiceNumber As String
Public Property InvoiceDate As DateTime
Public Property DueDate As DateTime
Public Property Vendor As CompanyInfo
Public Property Customer As CompanyInfo
Public Property Items As List(Of InvoiceItem)
Public ReadOnly Property Subtotal As Decimal
Get
Return If(Items?.Sum(Function(x) x.Total), 0)
End Get
End Property
Public Property TaxRate As Decimal
Public ReadOnly Property TaxAmount As Decimal
Get
Return Subtotal * (TaxRate / 100)
End Get
End Property
Public ReadOnly Property Total As Decimal
Get
Return Subtotal + TaxAmount
End Get
End Property
Public Property Notes As String
Public Property PaymentTerms As String
End Class
Public Class CompanyInfo
Public Property Name As String
Public Property Address As String
Public Property City As String
Public Property State As String
Public Property ZipCode As String
Public Property Email As String
Public Property Phone As String
End Class
Public Class InvoiceItem
Public Property Description As String
Public Property Quantity As Integer
Public Property UnitPrice As Decimal
Public ReadOnly Property Total As Decimal
Get
Return Quantity * UnitPrice
End Get
End Property
End Class
End Namespace
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Building the Razor View
Create a view at Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml that renders your PDF content:
@model PdfGeneratorApp.Models.InvoiceModel
@{
Layout = null; // PDFs should not use the site layout
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<title>Invoice @Model.InvoiceNumber</title>
<style>
* {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.6;
color: #333;
}
.invoice-container {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 30px;
}
.invoice-header {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
margin-bottom: 40px;
padding-bottom: 20px;
border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50;
}
.company-details {
flex: 1;
}
.company-details h1 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.invoice-details {
text-align: right;
}
.invoice-details h2 {
color: #2c3e50;
font-size: 28px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.invoice-details p {
margin: 5px 0;
font-size: 14px;
}
.billing-details {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.billing-section {
flex: 1;
}
.billing-section h3 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
font-size: 16px;
text-transform: uppercase;
}
.items-table {
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.items-table thead {
background-color: #2c3e50;
color: white;
}
.items-table th,
.items-table td {
padding: 12px;
text-align: left;
border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.items-table tbody tr:hover {
background-color: #f5f5f5;
}
.text-right {
text-align: right;
}
.invoice-summary {
display: flex;
justify-content: flex-end;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.summary-table {
width: 300px;
}
.summary-table tr {
border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.summary-table td {
padding: 8px;
}
.summary-table .total-row {
font-weight: bold;
font-size: 18px;
color: #2c3e50;
border-top: 2px solid #2c3e50;
}
.invoice-footer {
margin-top: 60px;
padding-top: 20px;
border-top: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.footer-notes {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.footer-notes h4 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
@@media print {
.invoice-container {
padding: 0;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="invoice-container">
<div class="invoice-header">
<div class="company-details">
<h1>@Model.Vendor.Name</h1>
<p>@Model.Vendor.Address</p>
<p>@Model.Vendor.City, @Model.Vendor.State @Model.Vendor.ZipCode</p>
<p>Email: @Model.Vendor.Email</p>
<p>Phone: @Model.Vendor.Phone</p>
</div>
<div class="invoice-details">
<h2>INVOICE</h2>
<p><strong>Invoice #:</strong> @Model.InvoiceNumber</p>
<p><strong>Date:</strong> @Model.InvoiceDate.ToString("MMM dd, yyyy")</p>
<p><strong>Due Date:</strong> @Model.DueDate.ToString("MMM dd, yyyy")</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="billing-details">
<div class="billing-section">
<h3>Bill To:</h3>
<p><strong>@Model.Customer.Name</strong></p>
<p>@Model.Customer.Address</p>
<p>@Model.Customer.City, @Model.Customer.State @Model.Customer.ZipCode</p>
<p>@Model.Customer.Email</p>
</div>
</div>
<table class="items-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Description</th>
<th class="text-right">Quantity</th>
<th class="text-right">Unit Price</th>
<th class="text-right">Total</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
@foreach (var item in Model.Items)
{
<tr>
<td>@item.Description</td>
<td class="text-right">@item.Quantity</td>
<td class="text-right">@item.UnitPrice.ToString("C")</td>
<td class="text-right">@item.Total.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
}
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="invoice-summary">
<table class="summary-table">
<tr>
<td>Subtotal:</td>
<td class="text-right">@Model.Subtotal.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tax (@Model.TaxRate%):</td>
<td class="text-right">@Model.TaxAmount.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
<tr class="total-row">
<td>Total:</td>
<td class="text-right">@Model.Total.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
@if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(Model.Notes))
{
<div class="invoice-footer">
<div class="footer-notes">
<h4>Notes</h4>
<p>@Model.Notes</p>
</div>
</div>
}
@if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(Model.PaymentTerms))
{
<div class="footer-notes">
<h4>Payment Terms</h4>
<p>@Model.PaymentTerms</p>
</div>
}
</div>
</body>
</html>@model PdfGeneratorApp.Models.InvoiceModel
@{
Layout = null; // PDFs should not use the site layout
}
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<title>Invoice @Model.InvoiceNumber</title>
<style>
* {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
body {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.6;
color: #333;
}
.invoice-container {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 30px;
}
.invoice-header {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
margin-bottom: 40px;
padding-bottom: 20px;
border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50;
}
.company-details {
flex: 1;
}
.company-details h1 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.invoice-details {
text-align: right;
}
.invoice-details h2 {
color: #2c3e50;
font-size: 28px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.invoice-details p {
margin: 5px 0;
font-size: 14px;
}
.billing-details {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.billing-section {
flex: 1;
}
.billing-section h3 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
font-size: 16px;
text-transform: uppercase;
}
.items-table {
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.items-table thead {
background-color: #2c3e50;
color: white;
}
.items-table th,
.items-table td {
padding: 12px;
text-align: left;
border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.items-table tbody tr:hover {
background-color: #f5f5f5;
}
.text-right {
text-align: right;
}
.invoice-summary {
display: flex;
justify-content: flex-end;
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.summary-table {
width: 300px;
}
.summary-table tr {
border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.summary-table td {
padding: 8px;
}
.summary-table .total-row {
font-weight: bold;
font-size: 18px;
color: #2c3e50;
border-top: 2px solid #2c3e50;
}
.invoice-footer {
margin-top: 60px;
padding-top: 20px;
border-top: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.footer-notes {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.footer-notes h4 {
color: #2c3e50;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
@@media print {
.invoice-container {
padding: 0;
}
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="invoice-container">
<div class="invoice-header">
<div class="company-details">
<h1>@Model.Vendor.Name</h1>
<p>@Model.Vendor.Address</p>
<p>@Model.Vendor.City, @Model.Vendor.State @Model.Vendor.ZipCode</p>
<p>Email: @Model.Vendor.Email</p>
<p>Phone: @Model.Vendor.Phone</p>
</div>
<div class="invoice-details">
<h2>INVOICE</h2>
<p><strong>Invoice #:</strong> @Model.InvoiceNumber</p>
<p><strong>Date:</strong> @Model.InvoiceDate.ToString("MMM dd, yyyy")</p>
<p><strong>Due Date:</strong> @Model.DueDate.ToString("MMM dd, yyyy")</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="billing-details">
<div class="billing-section">
<h3>Bill To:</h3>
<p><strong>@Model.Customer.Name</strong></p>
<p>@Model.Customer.Address</p>
<p>@Model.Customer.City, @Model.Customer.State @Model.Customer.ZipCode</p>
<p>@Model.Customer.Email</p>
</div>
</div>
<table class="items-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Description</th>
<th class="text-right">Quantity</th>
<th class="text-right">Unit Price</th>
<th class="text-right">Total</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
@foreach (var item in Model.Items)
{
<tr>
<td>@item.Description</td>
<td class="text-right">@item.Quantity</td>
<td class="text-right">@item.UnitPrice.ToString("C")</td>
<td class="text-right">@item.Total.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
}
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="invoice-summary">
<table class="summary-table">
<tr>
<td>Subtotal:</td>
<td class="text-right">@Model.Subtotal.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tax (@Model.TaxRate%):</td>
<td class="text-right">@Model.TaxAmount.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
<tr class="total-row">
<td>Total:</td>
<td class="text-right">@Model.Total.ToString("C")</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
@if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(Model.Notes))
{
<div class="invoice-footer">
<div class="footer-notes">
<h4>Notes</h4>
<p>@Model.Notes</p>
</div>
</div>
}
@if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(Model.PaymentTerms))
{
<div class="footer-notes">
<h4>Payment Terms</h4>
<p>@Model.PaymentTerms</p>
</div>
}
</div>
</body>
</html>
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Implementing the Controller with Error Handling
Now let's create a robust controller that generates PDFs with comprehensive error handling:
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using PdfGeneratorApp.Models;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers
{
public class InvoiceController : Controller
{
private readonly ILogger<InvoiceController> _logger;
private readonly IRazorViewRenderer _viewRenderer;
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _pdfRenderer;
private readonly IWebHostEnvironment _environment;
public InvoiceController(
ILogger<InvoiceController> logger,
IRazorViewRenderer viewRenderer,
ChromePdfRenderer pdfRenderer,
IWebHostEnvironment environment)
{
_logger = logger;
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer;
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer;
_environment = environment;
}
[HttpGet]
public IActionResult Index()
{
// Display a form or list of invoices
return View();
}
[HttpGet]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
try
{
// Validate input
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(invoiceNumber))
{
_logger.LogWarning("Invoice generation attempted without invoice number");
return BadRequest("Invoice number is required");
}
// Generate sample data (in production, fetch from database)
var invoice = CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber);
// Log the generation attempt
_logger.LogInformation($"Generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// Configure PDF rendering options
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = false;
// Add custom header with page numbers
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter
{
CenterText = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}",
DrawDividerLine = true,
Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Helvetica,
FontSize = 10
};
// Add footer with page numbers
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter
{
LeftText = "{date} {time}",
RightText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
DrawDividerLine = true,
Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Helvetica,
FontSize = 8
};
// Render the view to PDF
PdfDocument pdf;
try
{
pdf = _pdfRenderer.RenderRazorViewToPdf(
_viewRenderer,
"Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml",
invoice);
}
catch (Exception renderEx)
{
_logger.LogError(renderEx, "Failed to render Razor view to PDF");
throw new InvalidOperationException("PDF rendering failed. Please check the template.", renderEx);
}
// Apply metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "PdfGeneratorApp";
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}";
pdf.MetaData.Subject = $"Invoice for {invoice.Customer.Name}";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "invoice, billing, payment";
pdf.MetaData.CreationDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
// Optional: Add password protection
// pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
// Log performance metrics
stopwatch.Stop();
_logger.LogInformation($"PDF generated successfully for invoice {invoiceNumber} in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
// Return the PDF file
Response.Headers.Add("Content-Disposition", $"inline; filename=Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", $"Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Error generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// In development, return detailed error
if (_environment.IsDevelopment())
{
return StatusCode(500, new
{
error = "PDF generation failed",
message = ex.Message,
stackTrace = ex.StackTrace
});
}
// In production, return generic error
return StatusCode(500, "An error occurred while generating the PDF");
}
}
private InvoiceModel CreateSampleInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
return new InvoiceModel
{
InvoiceNumber = invoiceNumber,
InvoiceDate = DateTime.Now,
DueDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(30),
Vendor = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Tech Solutions Inc.",
Address = "123 Business Ave",
City = "New York",
State = "NY",
ZipCode = "10001",
Email = "billing@techsolutions.com",
Phone = "(555) 123-4567"
},
Customer = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Acme Corporation",
Address = "456 Commerce St",
City = "Los Angeles",
State = "CA",
ZipCode = "90001",
Email = "accounts@acmecorp.com",
Phone = "(555) 987-6543"
},
Items = new List<InvoiceItem>
{
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Software Development Services - 40 hours",
Quantity = 40,
UnitPrice = 150.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Project Management - 10 hours",
Quantity = 10,
UnitPrice = 120.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Quality Assurance Testing",
Quantity = 1,
UnitPrice = 2500.00m
}
},
TaxRate = 8.875m,
Notes = "Payment is due within 30 days. Late payments subject to 1.5% monthly interest.",
PaymentTerms = "Net 30"
};
}
}
}using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using PdfGeneratorApp.Models;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers
{
public class InvoiceController : Controller
{
private readonly ILogger<InvoiceController> _logger;
private readonly IRazorViewRenderer _viewRenderer;
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _pdfRenderer;
private readonly IWebHostEnvironment _environment;
public InvoiceController(
ILogger<InvoiceController> logger,
IRazorViewRenderer viewRenderer,
ChromePdfRenderer pdfRenderer,
IWebHostEnvironment environment)
{
_logger = logger;
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer;
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer;
_environment = environment;
}
[HttpGet]
public IActionResult Index()
{
// Display a form or list of invoices
return View();
}
[HttpGet]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
try
{
// Validate input
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(invoiceNumber))
{
_logger.LogWarning("Invoice generation attempted without invoice number");
return BadRequest("Invoice number is required");
}
// Generate sample data (in production, fetch from database)
var invoice = CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber);
// Log the generation attempt
_logger.LogInformation($"Generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// Configure PDF rendering options
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = false;
// Add custom header with page numbers
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter
{
CenterText = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}",
DrawDividerLine = true,
Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Helvetica,
FontSize = 10
};
// Add footer with page numbers
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = new TextHeaderFooter
{
LeftText = "{date} {time}",
RightText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
DrawDividerLine = true,
Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Helvetica,
FontSize = 8
};
// Render the view to PDF
PdfDocument pdf;
try
{
pdf = _pdfRenderer.RenderRazorViewToPdf(
_viewRenderer,
"Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml",
invoice);
}
catch (Exception renderEx)
{
_logger.LogError(renderEx, "Failed to render Razor view to PDF");
throw new InvalidOperationException("PDF rendering failed. Please check the template.", renderEx);
}
// Apply metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "PdfGeneratorApp";
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}";
pdf.MetaData.Subject = $"Invoice for {invoice.Customer.Name}";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "invoice, billing, payment";
pdf.MetaData.CreationDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
// Optional: Add password protection
// pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
// Log performance metrics
stopwatch.Stop();
_logger.LogInformation($"PDF generated successfully for invoice {invoiceNumber} in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
// Return the PDF file
Response.Headers.Add("Content-Disposition", $"inline; filename=Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", $"Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Error generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// In development, return detailed error
if (_environment.IsDevelopment())
{
return StatusCode(500, new
{
error = "PDF generation failed",
message = ex.Message,
stackTrace = ex.StackTrace
});
}
// In production, return generic error
return StatusCode(500, "An error occurred while generating the PDF");
}
}
private InvoiceModel CreateSampleInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
return new InvoiceModel
{
InvoiceNumber = invoiceNumber,
InvoiceDate = DateTime.Now,
DueDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(30),
Vendor = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Tech Solutions Inc.",
Address = "123 Business Ave",
City = "New York",
State = "NY",
ZipCode = "10001",
Email = "billing@techsolutions.com",
Phone = "(555) 123-4567"
},
Customer = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Acme Corporation",
Address = "456 Commerce St",
City = "Los Angeles",
State = "CA",
ZipCode = "90001",
Email = "accounts@acmecorp.com",
Phone = "(555) 987-6543"
},
Items = new List<InvoiceItem>
{
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Software Development Services - 40 hours",
Quantity = 40,
UnitPrice = 150.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Project Management - 10 hours",
Quantity = 10,
UnitPrice = 120.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Quality Assurance Testing",
Quantity = 1,
UnitPrice = 2500.00m
}
},
TaxRate = 8.875m,
Notes = "Payment is due within 30 days. Late payments subject to 1.5% monthly interest.",
PaymentTerms = "Net 30"
};
}
}
}Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc
Imports PdfGeneratorApp.Models
Imports System.Diagnostics
Namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers
Public Class InvoiceController
Inherits Controller
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of InvoiceController)
Private ReadOnly _viewRenderer As IRazorViewRenderer
Private ReadOnly _pdfRenderer As ChromePdfRenderer
Private ReadOnly _environment As IWebHostEnvironment
Public Sub New(logger As ILogger(Of InvoiceController), viewRenderer As IRazorViewRenderer, pdfRenderer As ChromePdfRenderer, environment As IWebHostEnvironment)
_logger = logger
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer
_environment = environment
End Sub
<HttpGet>
Public Function Index() As IActionResult
' Display a form or list of invoices
Return View()
End Function
<HttpGet>
Public Async Function GenerateInvoice(invoiceNumber As String) As Task(Of IActionResult)
Dim stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew()
Try
' Validate input
If String.IsNullOrEmpty(invoiceNumber) Then
_logger.LogWarning("Invoice generation attempted without invoice number")
Return BadRequest("Invoice number is required")
End If
' Generate sample data (in production, fetch from database)
Dim invoice = CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber)
' Log the generation attempt
_logger.LogInformation($"Generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}")
' Configure PDF rendering options
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = True
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = False
' Add custom header with page numbers
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = New TextHeaderFooter With {
.CenterText = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}",
.DrawDividerLine = True,
.Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Helvetica,
.FontSize = 10
}
' Add footer with page numbers
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.TextFooter = New TextHeaderFooter With {
.LeftText = "{date} {time}",
.RightText = "Page {page} of {total-pages}",
.DrawDividerLine = True,
.Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Helvetica,
.FontSize = 8
}
' Render the view to PDF
Dim pdf As PdfDocument
Try
pdf = _pdfRenderer.RenderRazorViewToPdf(_viewRenderer, "Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml", invoice)
Catch renderEx As Exception
_logger.LogError(renderEx, "Failed to render Razor view to PDF")
Throw New InvalidOperationException("PDF rendering failed. Please check the template.", renderEx)
End Try
' Apply metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "PdfGeneratorApp"
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}"
pdf.MetaData.Subject = $"Invoice for {invoice.Customer.Name}"
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "invoice, billing, payment"
pdf.MetaData.CreationDate = DateTime.UtcNow
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.UtcNow
' Optional: Add password protection
' pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123"
' pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456"
' pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights
' Log performance metrics
stopwatch.Stop()
_logger.LogInformation($"PDF generated successfully for invoice {invoiceNumber} in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms")
' Return the PDF file
Response.Headers.Add("Content-Disposition", $"inline; filename=Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf")
Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", $"Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf")
Catch ex As Exception
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Error generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}")
' In development, return detailed error
If _environment.IsDevelopment() Then
Return StatusCode(500, New With {
.error = "PDF generation failed",
.message = ex.Message,
.stackTrace = ex.StackTrace
})
End If
' In production, return generic error
Return StatusCode(500, "An error occurred while generating the PDF")
End Try
End Function
Private Function CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber As String) As InvoiceModel
Return New InvoiceModel With {
.InvoiceNumber = invoiceNumber,
.InvoiceDate = DateTime.Now,
.DueDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(30),
.Vendor = New CompanyInfo With {
.Name = "Tech Solutions Inc.",
.Address = "123 Business Ave",
.City = "New York",
.State = "NY",
.ZipCode = "10001",
.Email = "billing@techsolutions.com",
.Phone = "(555) 123-4567"
},
.Customer = New CompanyInfo With {
.Name = "Acme Corporation",
.Address = "456 Commerce St",
.City = "Los Angeles",
.State = "CA",
.ZipCode = "90001",
.Email = "accounts@acmecorp.com",
.Phone = "(555) 987-6543"
},
.Items = New List(Of InvoiceItem) From {
New InvoiceItem With {
.Description = "Software Development Services - 40 hours",
.Quantity = 40,
.UnitPrice = 150.0D
},
New InvoiceItem With {
.Description = "Project Management - 10 hours",
.Quantity = 10,
.UnitPrice = 120.0D
},
New InvoiceItem With {
.Description = "Quality Assurance Testing",
.Quantity = 1,
.UnitPrice = 2500.0D
}
},
.TaxRate = 8.875D,
.Notes = "Payment is due within 30 days. Late payments subject to 1.5% monthly interest.",
.PaymentTerms = "Net 30"
}
End Function
End Class
End Namespace
$vbLabelText
$csharpLabel
Code Explanation
To test and run the PDF generator above, launch the project and enter the following URL: https://localhost:[port]/Invoice/GenerateInvoice?invoiceNumber=055 to generate the invoice. Please remember to replace the port with the actual port number on which you hosted the application.
Output
How to Return PDFs from Web API Endpoints for Maximum Efficiency?
For applications that require serving PDFs through RESTful APIs, here's how to implement efficient PDF delivery with proper memory management. This approach is particularly useful when building microservices or when you need to generate PDFs in ASP.NET Core Web API controllers:
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using IronPdf;
using System.IO;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers.Api
{
[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class PdfApiController : ControllerBase
{
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _pdfRenderer;
private readonly ILogger<PdfApiController> _logger;
public PdfApiController(
ChromePdfRenderer pdfRenderer,
ILogger<PdfApiController> logger)
{
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer;
_logger = logger;
}
[HttpPost("generate-report")]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateReport([FromBody] ReportRequest request)
{
try
{
// Validate request
if (!ModelState.IsValid)
{
return BadRequest(ModelState);
}
// Build HTML content dynamically
var htmlContent = BuildReportHtml(request);
// Generate PDF with memory-efficient streaming
using var pdfDocument = _pdfRenderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
// Apply compression for smaller file size
pdfDocument.CompressImages(60); // 60% quality
// Stream the PDF directly to response
var stream = new MemoryStream();
pdfDocument.SaveAs(stream);
stream.Position = 0;
_logger.LogInformation($"Report generated for {request.ReportType}");
return new FileStreamResult(stream, "application/pdf")
{
FileDownloadName = $"Report_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.pdf"
};
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, "Failed to generate report");
return StatusCode(500, new { error = "Report generation failed" });
}
}
[HttpGet("download/{documentId}")]
public async Task<IActionResult> DownloadDocument(string documentId)
{
try
{
// In production, retrieve document from database or storage
var documentPath = Path.Combine("wwwroot", "documents", $"{documentId}.pdf");
if (!System.IO.File.Exists(documentPath))
{
return NotFound(new { error = "Document not found" });
}
var memory = new MemoryStream();
using (var stream = new FileStream(documentPath, FileMode.Open))
{
await stream.CopyToAsync(memory);
}
memory.Position = 0;
return File(memory, "application/pdf", $"Document_{documentId}.pdf");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Failed to download document {documentId}");
return StatusCode(500, new { error = "Download failed" });
}
}
private string BuildReportHtml(ReportRequest request)
{
return $@"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {{
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
margin: 40px;
}}
h1 {{
color: #2c3e50;
border-bottom: 2px solid #3498db;
padding-bottom: 10px;
}}
.report-date {{
color: #7f8c8d;
font-size: 14px;
}}
.data-table {{
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-top: 20px;
}}
.data-table th, .data-table td {{
border: 1px solid #ddd;
padding: 12px;
text-align: left;
}}
.data-table th {{
background-color: #3498db;
color: white;
}}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>{request.ReportType} Report</h1>
<p class='report-date'>Generated: {DateTime.Now:MMMM dd, yyyy HH:mm}</p>
<p>{request.Description}</p>
{GenerateDataTable(request.Data)}
</body>
</html>";
}
private string GenerateDataTable(List<ReportDataItem> data)
{
if (data == null || !data.Any())
return "<p>No data available</p>";
var table = "<table class='data-table'><thead><tr>";
// Add headers
foreach (var prop in typeof(ReportDataItem).GetProperties())
{
table += $"<th>{prop.Name}</th>";
}
table += "</tr></thead><tbody>";
// Add data rows
foreach (var item in data)
{
table += "<tr>";
foreach (var prop in typeof(ReportDataItem).GetProperties())
{
var value = prop.GetValue(item) ?? "";
table += $"<td>{value}</td>";
}
table += "</tr>";
}
table += "</tbody></table>";
return table;
}
}
public class ReportRequest
{
public string ReportType { get; set; }
public string Description { get; set; }
public List<ReportDataItem> Data { get; set; }
}
public class ReportDataItem
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Category { get; set; }
public decimal Value { get; set; }
public DateTime Date { get; set; }
}
}using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using IronPdf;
using System.IO;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers.Api
{
[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class PdfApiController : ControllerBase
{
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _pdfRenderer;
private readonly ILogger<PdfApiController> _logger;
public PdfApiController(
ChromePdfRenderer pdfRenderer,
ILogger<PdfApiController> logger)
{
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer;
_logger = logger;
}
[HttpPost("generate-report")]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateReport([FromBody] ReportRequest request)
{
try
{
// Validate request
if (!ModelState.IsValid)
{
return BadRequest(ModelState);
}
// Build HTML content dynamically
var htmlContent = BuildReportHtml(request);
// Generate PDF with memory-efficient streaming
using var pdfDocument = _pdfRenderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent);
// Apply compression for smaller file size
pdfDocument.CompressImages(60); // 60% quality
// Stream the PDF directly to response
var stream = new MemoryStream();
pdfDocument.SaveAs(stream);
stream.Position = 0;
_logger.LogInformation($"Report generated for {request.ReportType}");
return new FileStreamResult(stream, "application/pdf")
{
FileDownloadName = $"Report_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.pdf"
};
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, "Failed to generate report");
return StatusCode(500, new { error = "Report generation failed" });
}
}
[HttpGet("download/{documentId}")]
public async Task<IActionResult> DownloadDocument(string documentId)
{
try
{
// In production, retrieve document from database or storage
var documentPath = Path.Combine("wwwroot", "documents", $"{documentId}.pdf");
if (!System.IO.File.Exists(documentPath))
{
return NotFound(new { error = "Document not found" });
}
var memory = new MemoryStream();
using (var stream = new FileStream(documentPath, FileMode.Open))
{
await stream.CopyToAsync(memory);
}
memory.Position = 0;
return File(memory, "application/pdf", $"Document_{documentId}.pdf");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Failed to download document {documentId}");
return StatusCode(500, new { error = "Download failed" });
}
}
private string BuildReportHtml(ReportRequest request)
{
return $@"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {{
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
margin: 40px;
}}
h1 {{
color: #2c3e50;
border-bottom: 2px solid #3498db;
padding-bottom: 10px;
}}
.report-date {{
color: #7f8c8d;
font-size: 14px;
}}
.data-table {{
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-top: 20px;
}}
.data-table th, .data-table td {{
border: 1px solid #ddd;
padding: 12px;
text-align: left;
}}
.data-table th {{
background-color: #3498db;
color: white;
}}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>{request.ReportType} Report</h1>
<p class='report-date'>Generated: {DateTime.Now:MMMM dd, yyyy HH:mm}</p>
<p>{request.Description}</p>
{GenerateDataTable(request.Data)}
</body>
</html>";
}
private string GenerateDataTable(List<ReportDataItem> data)
{
if (data == null || !data.Any())
return "<p>No data available</p>";
var table = "<table class='data-table'><thead><tr>";
// Add headers
foreach (var prop in typeof(ReportDataItem).GetProperties())
{
table += $"<th>{prop.Name}</th>";
}
table += "</tr></thead><tbody>";
// Add data rows
foreach (var item in data)
{
table += "<tr>";
foreach (var prop in typeof(ReportDataItem).GetProperties())
{
var value = prop.GetValue(item) ?? "";
table += $"<td>{value}</td>";
}
table += "</tr>";
}
table += "</tbody></table>";
return table;
}
}
public class ReportRequest
{
public string ReportType { get; set; }
public string Description { get; set; }
public List<ReportDataItem> Data { get; set; }
}
public class ReportDataItem
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Category { get; set; }
public decimal Value { get; set; }
public DateTime Date { get; set; }
}
}Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc
Imports IronPdf
Imports System.IO
Namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers.Api
<ApiController>
<Route("api/[controller]")>
Public Class PdfApiController
Inherits ControllerBase
Private ReadOnly _pdfRenderer As ChromePdfRenderer
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of PdfApiController)
Public Sub New(pdfRenderer As ChromePdfRenderer, logger As ILogger(Of PdfApiController))
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer
_logger = logger
End Sub
<HttpPost("generate-report")>
Public Async Function GenerateReport(<FromBody> request As ReportRequest) As Task(Of IActionResult)
Try
' Validate request
If Not ModelState.IsValid Then
Return BadRequest(ModelState)
End If
' Build HTML content dynamically
Dim htmlContent = BuildReportHtml(request)
' Generate PDF with memory-efficient streaming
Using pdfDocument = _pdfRenderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(htmlContent)
' Apply compression for smaller file size
pdfDocument.CompressImages(60) ' 60% quality
' Stream the PDF directly to response
Dim stream = New MemoryStream()
pdfDocument.SaveAs(stream)
stream.Position = 0
_logger.LogInformation($"Report generated for {request.ReportType}")
Return New FileStreamResult(stream, "application/pdf") With {
.FileDownloadName = $"Report_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.pdf"
}
End Using
Catch ex As Exception
_logger.LogError(ex, "Failed to generate report")
Return StatusCode(500, New With {.error = "Report generation failed"})
End Try
End Function
<HttpGet("download/{documentId}")>
Public Async Function DownloadDocument(documentId As String) As Task(Of IActionResult)
Try
' In production, retrieve document from database or storage
Dim documentPath = Path.Combine("wwwroot", "documents", $"{documentId}.pdf")
If Not System.IO.File.Exists(documentPath) Then
Return NotFound(New With {.error = "Document not found"})
End If
Dim memory = New MemoryStream()
Using stream = New FileStream(documentPath, FileMode.Open)
Await stream.CopyToAsync(memory)
End Using
memory.Position = 0
Return File(memory, "application/pdf", $"Document_{documentId}.pdf")
Catch ex As Exception
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Failed to download document {documentId}")
Return StatusCode(500, New With {.error = "Download failed"})
End Try
End Function
Private Function BuildReportHtml(request As ReportRequest) As String
Return $"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {{
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
margin: 40px;
}}
h1 {{
color: #2c3e50;
border-bottom: 2px solid #3498db;
padding-bottom: 10px;
}}
.report-date {{
color: #7f8c8d;
font-size: 14px;
}}
.data-table {{
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin-top: 20px;
}}
.data-table th, .data-table td {{
border: 1px solid #ddd;
padding: 12px;
text-align: left;
}}
.data-table th {{
background-color: #3498db;
color: white;
}}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>{request.ReportType} Report</h1>
<p class='report-date'>Generated: {DateTime.Now:MMMM dd, yyyy HH:mm}</p>
<p>{request.Description}</p>
{GenerateDataTable(request.Data)}
</body>
</html>"
End Function
Private Function GenerateDataTable(data As List(Of ReportDataItem)) As String
If data Is Nothing OrElse Not data.Any() Then
Return "<p>No data available</p>"
End If
Dim table = "<table class='data-table'><thead><tr>"
' Add headers
For Each prop In GetType(ReportDataItem).GetProperties()
table += $"<th>{prop.Name}</th>"
Next
table += "</tr></thead><tbody>"
' Add data rows
For Each item In data
table += "<tr>"
For Each prop In GetType(ReportDataItem).GetProperties()
Dim value = If(prop.GetValue(item), "")
table += $"<td>{value}</td>"
Next
table += "</tr>"
Next
table += "</tbody></table>"
Return table
End Function
End Class
Public Class ReportRequest
Public Property ReportType As String
Public Property Description As String
Public Property Data As List(Of ReportDataItem)
End Class
Public Class ReportDataItem
Public Property Name As String
Public Property Category As String
Public Property Value As Decimal
Public Property Date As DateTime
End Class
End Namespace
$vbLabelText
$csharpLabel
Adding Professional Headers, Footers, and Styling
Professional PDFs require consistent headers, footers, and styling. IronPDF provides both simple text-based and advanced HTML-based options. By using CSS styles to style the HTML markup, we can create custom PDF headers and footers. The following code snippet explores how we could use this in our current project:
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using PdfGeneratorApp.Models;
using PdfGeneratorApp.Services;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers
{
public class InvoiceController : Controller
{
private readonly ILogger<InvoiceController> _logger;
private readonly IRazorViewRenderer _viewRenderer;
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _pdfRenderer;
private readonly PdfFormattingService _pdfFormattingService;
private readonly IWebHostEnvironment _environment;
public InvoiceController(
ILogger<InvoiceController> logger,
IRazorViewRenderer viewRenderer,
ChromePdfRenderer pdfRenderer,
PdfFormattingService pdfFormattingService,
IWebHostEnvironment environment)
{
_logger = logger;
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer;
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer;
_pdfFormattingService = pdfFormattingService;
_environment = environment;
}
[HttpGet]
public IActionResult Index()
{
// Display a form or list of invoices
return View();
}
private void ConfigurePdfRendererOptions(ChromePdfRenderer renderer, InvoiceModel invoice, PdfStylingOptions options)
{
// Margins
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = options.MarginTop;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = options.MarginBottom;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = options.MarginLeft;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = options.MarginRight;
// Header
if (options.UseHtmlHeader)
{
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
MaxHeight = 50,
HtmlFragment = $@"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial;'>
<div style='float: left; width: 50%;'>
<img src='https://ironpdf.com/img/products/ironpdf-logo-text-dotnet.svg' height='40' />
</div>
<div style='float: right; width: 50%; text-align: right;'>
<strong>Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}</strong><br/>
Generated: {DateTime.Now:yyyy-MM-dd}
</div>
</div>",
LoadStylesAndCSSFromMainHtmlDocument = true
};
}
else
{
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter
{
CenterText = options.HeaderText,
Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Arial,
FontSize = 12,
DrawDividerLine = true
};
}
// Footer
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
MaxHeight = 30,
HtmlFragment = @"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 10px; color: #666;'>
<div style='float: left; width: 33%;'>
© 2025 Your Company
</div>
<div style='float: center; width: 33%; text-align: center;'>
yourwebsite.com
</div>
<div style='float: right; width: 33%; text-align: right;'>
Page {page} of {total-pages}
</div>
</div>"
};
// Optional: Add watermark here (IronPDF supports adding after PDF is generated, so keep it as-is)
// Margins, paper size etc., can also be set here if needed
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
renderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
}
[HttpGet]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
try
{
// Validate input
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(invoiceNumber))
{
_logger.LogWarning("Invoice generation attempted without invoice number");
return BadRequest("Invoice number is required");
}
// Generate sample data (in production, fetch from database)
var invoice = CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber);
// Log the generation attempt
_logger.LogInformation($"Generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// Configure PDF rendering options
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = false;
var options = new PdfStylingOptions
{
MarginTop = 25,
MarginBottom = 25,
MarginLeft = 20,
MarginRight = 20,
UseHtmlHeader = true,
HeaderText = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}",
AddWatermark = false,
ForcePageBreaks = false
};
// Apply the styling to the renderer BEFORE rendering PDF
ConfigurePdfRendererOptions(_pdfRenderer, invoice, options);
// Render the view to PDF
PdfDocument pdf;
try
{
pdf = _pdfRenderer.RenderRazorViewToPdf(
_viewRenderer,
"Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml",
invoice);
}
catch (Exception renderEx)
{
_logger.LogError(renderEx, "Failed to render Razor view to PDF");
throw new InvalidOperationException("PDF rendering failed. Please check the template.", renderEx);
}
// Apply metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "PdfGeneratorApp";
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}";
pdf.MetaData.Subject = $"Invoice for {invoice.Customer.Name}";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "invoice, billing, payment";
pdf.MetaData.CreationDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
// Optional: Add password protection
// pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
// Log performance metrics
stopwatch.Stop();
_logger.LogInformation($"PDF generated successfully for invoice {invoiceNumber} in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
// Return the PDF file
Response.Headers.Add("Content-Disposition", $"inline; filename=Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", $"Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Error generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// In development, return detailed error
if (_environment.IsDevelopment())
{
return StatusCode(500, new
{
error = "PDF generation failed",
message = ex.Message,
stackTrace = ex.StackTrace
});
}
// In production, return generic error
return StatusCode(500, "An error occurred while generating the PDF");
}
}
private InvoiceModel CreateSampleInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
return new InvoiceModel
{
InvoiceNumber = invoiceNumber,
InvoiceDate = DateTime.Now,
DueDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(30),
Vendor = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Tech Solutions Inc.",
Address = "123 Business Ave",
City = "New York",
State = "NY",
ZipCode = "10001",
Email = "billing@techsolutions.com",
Phone = "(555) 123-4567"
},
Customer = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Acme Corporation",
Address = "456 Commerce St",
City = "Los Angeles",
State = "CA",
ZipCode = "90001",
Email = "accounts@acmecorp.com",
Phone = "(555) 987-6543"
},
Items = new List<InvoiceItem>
{
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Software Development Services - 40 hours",
Quantity = 40,
UnitPrice = 150.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Project Management - 10 hours",
Quantity = 10,
UnitPrice = 120.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Quality Assurance Testing",
Quantity = 1,
UnitPrice = 2500.00m
}
},
TaxRate = 8.875m,
Notes = "Payment is due within 30 days. Late payments subject to 1.5% monthly interest.",
PaymentTerms = "Net 30"
};
}
}
}using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using PdfGeneratorApp.Models;
using PdfGeneratorApp.Services;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers
{
public class InvoiceController : Controller
{
private readonly ILogger<InvoiceController> _logger;
private readonly IRazorViewRenderer _viewRenderer;
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _pdfRenderer;
private readonly PdfFormattingService _pdfFormattingService;
private readonly IWebHostEnvironment _environment;
public InvoiceController(
ILogger<InvoiceController> logger,
IRazorViewRenderer viewRenderer,
ChromePdfRenderer pdfRenderer,
PdfFormattingService pdfFormattingService,
IWebHostEnvironment environment)
{
_logger = logger;
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer;
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer;
_pdfFormattingService = pdfFormattingService;
_environment = environment;
}
[HttpGet]
public IActionResult Index()
{
// Display a form or list of invoices
return View();
}
private void ConfigurePdfRendererOptions(ChromePdfRenderer renderer, InvoiceModel invoice, PdfStylingOptions options)
{
// Margins
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = options.MarginTop;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = options.MarginBottom;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = options.MarginLeft;
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = options.MarginRight;
// Header
if (options.UseHtmlHeader)
{
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
MaxHeight = 50,
HtmlFragment = $@"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial;'>
<div style='float: left; width: 50%;'>
<img src='https://ironpdf.com/img/products/ironpdf-logo-text-dotnet.svg' height='40' />
</div>
<div style='float: right; width: 50%; text-align: right;'>
<strong>Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}</strong><br/>
Generated: {DateTime.Now:yyyy-MM-dd}
</div>
</div>",
LoadStylesAndCSSFromMainHtmlDocument = true
};
}
else
{
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = new TextHeaderFooter
{
CenterText = options.HeaderText,
Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Arial,
FontSize = 12,
DrawDividerLine = true
};
}
// Footer
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
MaxHeight = 30,
HtmlFragment = @"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 10px; color: #666;'>
<div style='float: left; width: 33%;'>
© 2025 Your Company
</div>
<div style='float: center; width: 33%; text-align: center;'>
yourwebsite.com
</div>
<div style='float: right; width: 33%; text-align: right;'>
Page {page} of {total-pages}
</div>
</div>"
};
// Optional: Add watermark here (IronPDF supports adding after PDF is generated, so keep it as-is)
// Margins, paper size etc., can also be set here if needed
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
renderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
}
[HttpGet]
public async Task<IActionResult> GenerateInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
try
{
// Validate input
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(invoiceNumber))
{
_logger.LogWarning("Invoice generation attempted without invoice number");
return BadRequest("Invoice number is required");
}
// Generate sample data (in production, fetch from database)
var invoice = CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber);
// Log the generation attempt
_logger.LogInformation($"Generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// Configure PDF rendering options
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = false;
var options = new PdfStylingOptions
{
MarginTop = 25,
MarginBottom = 25,
MarginLeft = 20,
MarginRight = 20,
UseHtmlHeader = true,
HeaderText = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}",
AddWatermark = false,
ForcePageBreaks = false
};
// Apply the styling to the renderer BEFORE rendering PDF
ConfigurePdfRendererOptions(_pdfRenderer, invoice, options);
// Render the view to PDF
PdfDocument pdf;
try
{
pdf = _pdfRenderer.RenderRazorViewToPdf(
_viewRenderer,
"Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml",
invoice);
}
catch (Exception renderEx)
{
_logger.LogError(renderEx, "Failed to render Razor view to PDF");
throw new InvalidOperationException("PDF rendering failed. Please check the template.", renderEx);
}
// Apply metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "PdfGeneratorApp";
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}";
pdf.MetaData.Subject = $"Invoice for {invoice.Customer.Name}";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "invoice, billing, payment";
pdf.MetaData.CreationDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.UtcNow;
// Optional: Add password protection
// pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456";
// pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
// Log performance metrics
stopwatch.Stop();
_logger.LogInformation($"PDF generated successfully for invoice {invoiceNumber} in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
// Return the PDF file
Response.Headers.Add("Content-Disposition", $"inline; filename=Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", $"Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Error generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}");
// In development, return detailed error
if (_environment.IsDevelopment())
{
return StatusCode(500, new
{
error = "PDF generation failed",
message = ex.Message,
stackTrace = ex.StackTrace
});
}
// In production, return generic error
return StatusCode(500, "An error occurred while generating the PDF");
}
}
private InvoiceModel CreateSampleInvoice(string invoiceNumber)
{
return new InvoiceModel
{
InvoiceNumber = invoiceNumber,
InvoiceDate = DateTime.Now,
DueDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(30),
Vendor = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Tech Solutions Inc.",
Address = "123 Business Ave",
City = "New York",
State = "NY",
ZipCode = "10001",
Email = "billing@techsolutions.com",
Phone = "(555) 123-4567"
},
Customer = new CompanyInfo
{
Name = "Acme Corporation",
Address = "456 Commerce St",
City = "Los Angeles",
State = "CA",
ZipCode = "90001",
Email = "accounts@acmecorp.com",
Phone = "(555) 987-6543"
},
Items = new List<InvoiceItem>
{
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Software Development Services - 40 hours",
Quantity = 40,
UnitPrice = 150.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Project Management - 10 hours",
Quantity = 10,
UnitPrice = 120.00m
},
new InvoiceItem
{
Description = "Quality Assurance Testing",
Quantity = 1,
UnitPrice = 2500.00m
}
},
TaxRate = 8.875m,
Notes = "Payment is due within 30 days. Late payments subject to 1.5% monthly interest.",
PaymentTerms = "Net 30"
};
}
}
}Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Extensions.Mvc.Core
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc
Imports PdfGeneratorApp.Models
Imports PdfGeneratorApp.Services
Imports System.Diagnostics
Namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Controllers
Public Class InvoiceController
Inherits Controller
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of InvoiceController)
Private ReadOnly _viewRenderer As IRazorViewRenderer
Private ReadOnly _pdfRenderer As ChromePdfRenderer
Private ReadOnly _pdfFormattingService As PdfFormattingService
Private ReadOnly _environment As IWebHostEnvironment
Public Sub New(logger As ILogger(Of InvoiceController),
viewRenderer As IRazorViewRenderer,
pdfRenderer As ChromePdfRenderer,
pdfFormattingService As PdfFormattingService,
environment As IWebHostEnvironment)
_logger = logger
_viewRenderer = viewRenderer
_pdfRenderer = pdfRenderer
_pdfFormattingService = pdfFormattingService
_environment = environment
End Sub
<HttpGet>
Public Function Index() As IActionResult
' Display a form or list of invoices
Return View()
End Function
Private Sub ConfigurePdfRendererOptions(renderer As ChromePdfRenderer, invoice As InvoiceModel, options As PdfStylingOptions)
' Margins
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = options.MarginTop
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = options.MarginBottom
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = options.MarginLeft
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = options.MarginRight
' Header
If options.UseHtmlHeader Then
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
.MaxHeight = 50,
.HtmlFragment = $"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial;'>
<div style='float: left; width: 50%;'>
<img src='https://ironpdf.com/img/products/ironpdf-logo-text-dotnet.svg' height='40' />
</div>
<div style='float: right; width: 50%; text-align: right;'>
<strong>Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}</strong><br/>
Generated: {DateTime.Now:yyyy-MM-dd}
</div>
</div>",
.LoadStylesAndCSSFromMainHtmlDocument = True
}
Else
renderer.RenderingOptions.TextHeader = New TextHeaderFooter With {
.CenterText = options.HeaderText,
.Font = IronSoftware.Drawing.FontTypes.Arial,
.FontSize = 12,
.DrawDividerLine = True
}
End If
' Footer
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
.MaxHeight = 30,
.HtmlFragment = "
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 10px; color: #666;'>
<div style='float: left; width: 33%;'>
© 2025 Your Company
</div>
<div style='float: center; width: 33%; text-align: center;'>
yourwebsite.com
</div>
<div style='float: right; width: 33%; text-align: right;'>
Page {page} of {total-pages}
</div>
</div>"
}
' Optional: Add watermark here (IronPDF supports adding after PDF is generated, so keep it as-is)
' Margins, paper size etc., can also be set here if needed
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait
renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4
renderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = True
End Sub
<HttpGet>
Public Async Function GenerateInvoice(invoiceNumber As String) As Task(Of IActionResult)
Dim stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew()
Try
' Validate input
If String.IsNullOrEmpty(invoiceNumber) Then
_logger.LogWarning("Invoice generation attempted without invoice number")
Return BadRequest("Invoice number is required")
End If
' Generate sample data (in production, fetch from database)
Dim invoice = CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber)
' Log the generation attempt
_logger.LogInformation($"Generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}")
' Configure PDF rendering options
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperOrientation.Portrait
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = True
_pdfRenderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = False
Dim options = New PdfStylingOptions With {
.MarginTop = 25,
.MarginBottom = 25,
.MarginLeft = 20,
.MarginRight = 20,
.UseHtmlHeader = True,
.HeaderText = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}",
.AddWatermark = False,
.ForcePageBreaks = False
}
' Apply the styling to the renderer BEFORE rendering PDF
ConfigurePdfRendererOptions(_pdfRenderer, invoice, options)
' Render the view to PDF
Dim pdf As PdfDocument
Try
pdf = _pdfRenderer.RenderRazorViewToPdf(
_viewRenderer,
"Views/Invoice/InvoiceTemplate.cshtml",
invoice)
Catch renderEx As Exception
_logger.LogError(renderEx, "Failed to render Razor view to PDF")
Throw New InvalidOperationException("PDF rendering failed. Please check the template.", renderEx)
End Try
' Apply metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = "PdfGeneratorApp"
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Invoice {invoice.InvoiceNumber}"
pdf.MetaData.Subject = $"Invoice for {invoice.Customer.Name}"
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "invoice, billing, payment"
pdf.MetaData.CreationDate = DateTime.UtcNow
pdf.MetaData.ModifiedDate = DateTime.UtcNow
' Optional: Add password protection
' pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123"
' pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456"
' pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights
' Log performance metrics
stopwatch.Stop()
_logger.LogInformation($"PDF generated successfully for invoice {invoiceNumber} in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms")
' Return the PDF file
Response.Headers.Add("Content-Disposition", $"inline; filename=Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf")
Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", $"Invoice_{invoiceNumber}.pdf")
Catch ex As Exception
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Error generating PDF for invoice {invoiceNumber}")
' In development, return detailed error
If _environment.IsDevelopment() Then
Return StatusCode(500, New With {
.error = "PDF generation failed",
.message = ex.Message,
.stackTrace = ex.StackTrace
})
End If
' In production, return generic error
Return StatusCode(500, "An error occurred while generating the PDF")
End Try
End Function
Private Function CreateSampleInvoice(invoiceNumber As String) As InvoiceModel
Return New InvoiceModel With {
.InvoiceNumber = invoiceNumber,
.InvoiceDate = DateTime.Now,
.DueDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(30),
.Vendor = New CompanyInfo With {
.Name = "Tech Solutions Inc.",
.Address = "123 Business Ave",
.City = "New York",
.State = "NY",
.ZipCode = "10001",
.Email = "billing@techsolutions.com",
.Phone = "(555) 123-4567"
},
.Customer = New CompanyInfo With {
.Name = "Acme Corporation",
.Address = "456 Commerce St",
.City = "Los Angeles",
.State = "CA",
.ZipCode = "90001",
.Email = "accounts@acmecorp.com",
.Phone = "(555) 987-6543"
},
.Items = New List(Of InvoiceItem) From {
New InvoiceItem With {
.Description = "Software Development Services - 40 hours",
.Quantity = 40,
.UnitPrice = 150.0D
},
New InvoiceItem With {
.Description = "Project Management - 10 hours",
.Quantity = 10,
.UnitPrice = 120.0D
},
New InvoiceItem With {
.Description = "Quality Assurance Testing",
.Quantity = 1,
.UnitPrice = 2500.0D
}
},
.TaxRate = 8.875D,
.Notes = "Payment is due within 30 days. Late payments subject to 1.5% monthly interest.",
.PaymentTerms = "Net 30"
}
End Function
End Class
End Namespace
$vbLabelText
$csharpLabel
Code Explanation
You can see the brief differences between basic and styled headers. With IronPDF, you could even add customized HTML headers and footers to your invoice to further stylize it and truly make it your own.
For more in-depth information on adding headers and footers, please refer to this how-to guide.
Output
How to Implement High-Performance Batch PDF Processing?
Need to generate hundreds or thousands of PDFs? Here's how to achieve optimal performance with parallel processing while efficiently managing memory. Download our complete working example to see this in action.
For applications that need to generate multiple PDFs efficiently, here's an optimized batch processing implementation using async and multithreading techniques. This approach follows Microsoft's parallel programming best practices for optimal performance when generating PDFs in ASP.NET Core using C#:
using System.Collections.Concurrent;
using System.Diagnostics;
public class BatchPdfProcessor
{
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _renderer;
private readonly ILogger<BatchPdfProcessor> _logger;
private readonly SemaphoreSlim _semaphore;
public BatchPdfProcessor(
ChromePdfRenderer renderer,
ILogger<BatchPdfProcessor> logger)
{
_renderer = renderer;
_logger = logger;
// Limit concurrent PDF generation to prevent memory exhaustion
_semaphore = new SemaphoreSlim(Environment.ProcessorCount);
}
public async Task<BatchProcessingResult> ProcessBatchAsync(
List<BatchPdfRequest> requests,
IProgress<BatchProgressReport> progress = null)
{
var result = new BatchProcessingResult
{
StartTime = DateTime.UtcNow,
TotalRequests = requests.Count
};
var successfulPdfs = new ConcurrentBag<GeneratedPdf>();
var errors = new ConcurrentBag<ProcessingError>();
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
// Process PDFs in parallel with controlled concurrency
var tasks = requests.Select(async (request, index) =>
{
await _semaphore.WaitAsync();
try
{
var taskStopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
// Generate PDF
var pdf = await GeneratePdfAsync(request);
taskStopwatch.Stop();
successfulPdfs.Add(new GeneratedPdf
{
Id = request.Id,
FileName = request.FileName,
Data = pdf.BinaryData,
GenerationTime = taskStopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds,
PageCount = pdf.PageCount
});
// Report progress
progress?.Report(new BatchProgressReport
{
ProcessedCount = successfulPdfs.Count + errors.Count,
TotalCount = requests.Count,
CurrentFile = request.FileName
});
_logger.LogDebug($"Generated PDF {request.Id} in {taskStopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
errors.Add(new ProcessingError
{
RequestId = request.Id,
FileName = request.FileName,
Error = ex.Message,
StackTrace = ex.StackTrace
});
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Failed to generate PDF for request {request.Id}");
}
finally
{
_semaphore.Release();
}
});
await Task.WhenAll(tasks);
stopwatch.Stop();
// Compile results
result.EndTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
result.TotalProcessingTime = stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds;
result.SuccessfulPdfs = successfulPdfs.ToList();
result.Errors = errors.ToList();
result.SuccessCount = successfulPdfs.Count;
result.ErrorCount = errors.Count;
result.AverageGenerationTime = successfulPdfs.Any()
? successfulPdfs.Average(p => p.GenerationTime)
: 0;
result.TotalPages = successfulPdfs.Sum(p => p.PageCount);
result.TotalSizeBytes = successfulPdfs.Sum(p => p.Data.Length);
// Log summary
_logger.LogInformation($"Batch processing completed: {result.SuccessCount} successful, " +
$"{result.ErrorCount} errors, {result.TotalProcessingTime}ms total time");
// Clean up memory after large batch
if (requests.Count > 100)
{
GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
GC.Collect();
}
return result;
}
private async Task<PdfDocument> GeneratePdfAsync(BatchPdfRequest request)
{
return await Task.Run(() =>
{
// Configure renderer for this specific request
var localRenderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = request.PaperSize;
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = request.MarginTop;
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = request.MarginBottom;
// Generate PDF
var pdf = localRenderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(request.HtmlContent);
// Apply compression if requested
if (request.CompressImages)
{
pdf.CompressImages(request.CompressionQuality);
}
return pdf;
});
}
}
public class BatchPdfRequest
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
public string HtmlContent { get; set; }
public IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize PaperSize { get; set; } = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
public int MarginTop { get; set; } = 25;
public int MarginBottom { get; set; } = 25;
public bool CompressImages { get; set; } = true;
public int CompressionQuality { get; set; } = 80;
}
public class BatchProcessingResult
{
public DateTime StartTime { get; set; }
public DateTime EndTime { get; set; }
public long TotalProcessingTime { get; set; }
public int TotalRequests { get; set; }
public int SuccessCount { get; set; }
public int ErrorCount { get; set; }
public double AverageGenerationTime { get; set; }
public int TotalPages { get; set; }
public long TotalSizeBytes { get; set; }
public List<GeneratedPdf> SuccessfulPdfs { get; set; }
public List<ProcessingError> Errors { get; set; }
}
public class GeneratedPdf
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
public byte[] Data { get; set; }
public long GenerationTime { get; set; }
public int PageCount { get; set; }
}
public class ProcessingError
{
public string RequestId { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
public string Error { get; set; }
public string StackTrace { get; set; }
}
public class BatchProgressReport
{
public int ProcessedCount { get; set; }
public int TotalCount { get; set; }
public string CurrentFile { get; set; }
public double PercentComplete => (double)ProcessedCount / TotalCount * 100;
}using System.Collections.Concurrent;
using System.Diagnostics;
public class BatchPdfProcessor
{
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _renderer;
private readonly ILogger<BatchPdfProcessor> _logger;
private readonly SemaphoreSlim _semaphore;
public BatchPdfProcessor(
ChromePdfRenderer renderer,
ILogger<BatchPdfProcessor> logger)
{
_renderer = renderer;
_logger = logger;
// Limit concurrent PDF generation to prevent memory exhaustion
_semaphore = new SemaphoreSlim(Environment.ProcessorCount);
}
public async Task<BatchProcessingResult> ProcessBatchAsync(
List<BatchPdfRequest> requests,
IProgress<BatchProgressReport> progress = null)
{
var result = new BatchProcessingResult
{
StartTime = DateTime.UtcNow,
TotalRequests = requests.Count
};
var successfulPdfs = new ConcurrentBag<GeneratedPdf>();
var errors = new ConcurrentBag<ProcessingError>();
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
// Process PDFs in parallel with controlled concurrency
var tasks = requests.Select(async (request, index) =>
{
await _semaphore.WaitAsync();
try
{
var taskStopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
// Generate PDF
var pdf = await GeneratePdfAsync(request);
taskStopwatch.Stop();
successfulPdfs.Add(new GeneratedPdf
{
Id = request.Id,
FileName = request.FileName,
Data = pdf.BinaryData,
GenerationTime = taskStopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds,
PageCount = pdf.PageCount
});
// Report progress
progress?.Report(new BatchProgressReport
{
ProcessedCount = successfulPdfs.Count + errors.Count,
TotalCount = requests.Count,
CurrentFile = request.FileName
});
_logger.LogDebug($"Generated PDF {request.Id} in {taskStopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
errors.Add(new ProcessingError
{
RequestId = request.Id,
FileName = request.FileName,
Error = ex.Message,
StackTrace = ex.StackTrace
});
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Failed to generate PDF for request {request.Id}");
}
finally
{
_semaphore.Release();
}
});
await Task.WhenAll(tasks);
stopwatch.Stop();
// Compile results
result.EndTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
result.TotalProcessingTime = stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds;
result.SuccessfulPdfs = successfulPdfs.ToList();
result.Errors = errors.ToList();
result.SuccessCount = successfulPdfs.Count;
result.ErrorCount = errors.Count;
result.AverageGenerationTime = successfulPdfs.Any()
? successfulPdfs.Average(p => p.GenerationTime)
: 0;
result.TotalPages = successfulPdfs.Sum(p => p.PageCount);
result.TotalSizeBytes = successfulPdfs.Sum(p => p.Data.Length);
// Log summary
_logger.LogInformation($"Batch processing completed: {result.SuccessCount} successful, " +
$"{result.ErrorCount} errors, {result.TotalProcessingTime}ms total time");
// Clean up memory after large batch
if (requests.Count > 100)
{
GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
GC.Collect();
}
return result;
}
private async Task<PdfDocument> GeneratePdfAsync(BatchPdfRequest request)
{
return await Task.Run(() =>
{
// Configure renderer for this specific request
var localRenderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = request.PaperSize;
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = request.MarginTop;
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = request.MarginBottom;
// Generate PDF
var pdf = localRenderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(request.HtmlContent);
// Apply compression if requested
if (request.CompressImages)
{
pdf.CompressImages(request.CompressionQuality);
}
return pdf;
});
}
}
public class BatchPdfRequest
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
public string HtmlContent { get; set; }
public IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize PaperSize { get; set; } = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4;
public int MarginTop { get; set; } = 25;
public int MarginBottom { get; set; } = 25;
public bool CompressImages { get; set; } = true;
public int CompressionQuality { get; set; } = 80;
}
public class BatchProcessingResult
{
public DateTime StartTime { get; set; }
public DateTime EndTime { get; set; }
public long TotalProcessingTime { get; set; }
public int TotalRequests { get; set; }
public int SuccessCount { get; set; }
public int ErrorCount { get; set; }
public double AverageGenerationTime { get; set; }
public int TotalPages { get; set; }
public long TotalSizeBytes { get; set; }
public List<GeneratedPdf> SuccessfulPdfs { get; set; }
public List<ProcessingError> Errors { get; set; }
}
public class GeneratedPdf
{
public string Id { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
public byte[] Data { get; set; }
public long GenerationTime { get; set; }
public int PageCount { get; set; }
}
public class ProcessingError
{
public string RequestId { get; set; }
public string FileName { get; set; }
public string Error { get; set; }
public string StackTrace { get; set; }
}
public class BatchProgressReport
{
public int ProcessedCount { get; set; }
public int TotalCount { get; set; }
public string CurrentFile { get; set; }
public double PercentComplete => (double)ProcessedCount / TotalCount * 100;
}Imports System.Collections.Concurrent
Imports System.Diagnostics
Public Class BatchPdfProcessor
Private ReadOnly _renderer As ChromePdfRenderer
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of BatchPdfProcessor)
Private ReadOnly _semaphore As SemaphoreSlim
Public Sub New(renderer As ChromePdfRenderer, logger As ILogger(Of BatchPdfProcessor))
_renderer = renderer
_logger = logger
' Limit concurrent PDF generation to prevent memory exhaustion
_semaphore = New SemaphoreSlim(Environment.ProcessorCount)
End Sub
Public Async Function ProcessBatchAsync(requests As List(Of BatchPdfRequest), Optional progress As IProgress(Of BatchProgressReport) = Nothing) As Task(Of BatchProcessingResult)
Dim result As New BatchProcessingResult With {
.StartTime = DateTime.UtcNow,
.TotalRequests = requests.Count
}
Dim successfulPdfs As New ConcurrentBag(Of GeneratedPdf)()
Dim errors As New ConcurrentBag(Of ProcessingError)()
Dim stopwatch As Stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew()
' Process PDFs in parallel with controlled concurrency
Dim tasks = requests.Select(Async Function(request, index)
Await _semaphore.WaitAsync()
Try
Dim taskStopwatch As Stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew()
' Generate PDF
Dim pdf = Await GeneratePdfAsync(request)
taskStopwatch.Stop()
successfulPdfs.Add(New GeneratedPdf With {
.Id = request.Id,
.FileName = request.FileName,
.Data = pdf.BinaryData,
.GenerationTime = taskStopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds,
.PageCount = pdf.PageCount
})
' Report progress
If progress IsNot Nothing Then
progress.Report(New BatchProgressReport With {
.ProcessedCount = successfulPdfs.Count + errors.Count,
.TotalCount = requests.Count,
.CurrentFile = request.FileName
})
End If
_logger.LogDebug($"Generated PDF {request.Id} in {taskStopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms")
Catch ex As Exception
errors.Add(New ProcessingError With {
.RequestId = request.Id,
.FileName = request.FileName,
.Error = ex.Message,
.StackTrace = ex.StackTrace
})
_logger.LogError(ex, $"Failed to generate PDF for request {request.Id}")
Finally
_semaphore.Release()
End Try
End Function)
Await Task.WhenAll(tasks)
stopwatch.Stop()
' Compile results
result.EndTime = DateTime.UtcNow
result.TotalProcessingTime = stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds
result.SuccessfulPdfs = successfulPdfs.ToList()
result.Errors = errors.ToList()
result.SuccessCount = successfulPdfs.Count
result.ErrorCount = errors.Count
result.AverageGenerationTime = If(successfulPdfs.Any(), successfulPdfs.Average(Function(p) p.GenerationTime), 0)
result.TotalPages = successfulPdfs.Sum(Function(p) p.PageCount)
result.TotalSizeBytes = successfulPdfs.Sum(Function(p) p.Data.Length)
' Log summary
_logger.LogInformation($"Batch processing completed: {result.SuccessCount} successful, {result.ErrorCount} errors, {result.TotalProcessingTime}ms total time")
' Clean up memory after large batch
If requests.Count > 100 Then
GC.Collect()
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
GC.Collect()
End If
Return result
End Function
Private Async Function GeneratePdfAsync(request As BatchPdfRequest) As Task(Of PdfDocument)
Return Await Task.Run(Function()
' Configure renderer for this specific request
Dim localRenderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = request.PaperSize
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = request.MarginTop
localRenderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = request.MarginBottom
' Generate PDF
Dim pdf = localRenderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(request.HtmlContent)
' Apply compression if requested
If request.CompressImages Then
pdf.CompressImages(request.CompressionQuality)
End If
Return pdf
End Function)
End Function
End Class
Public Class BatchPdfRequest
Public Property Id As String
Public Property FileName As String
Public Property HtmlContent As String
Public Property PaperSize As IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.A4
Public Property MarginTop As Integer = 25
Public Property MarginBottom As Integer = 25
Public Property CompressImages As Boolean = True
Public Property CompressionQuality As Integer = 80
End Class
Public Class BatchProcessingResult
Public Property StartTime As DateTime
Public Property EndTime As DateTime
Public Property TotalProcessingTime As Long
Public Property TotalRequests As Integer
Public Property SuccessCount As Integer
Public Property ErrorCount As Integer
Public Property AverageGenerationTime As Double
Public Property TotalPages As Integer
Public Property TotalSizeBytes As Long
Public Property SuccessfulPdfs As List(Of GeneratedPdf)
Public Property Errors As List(Of ProcessingError)
End Class
Public Class GeneratedPdf
Public Property Id As String
Public Property FileName As String
Public Property Data As Byte()
Public Property GenerationTime As Long
Public Property PageCount As Integer
End Class
Public Class ProcessingError
Public Property RequestId As String
Public Property FileName As String
Public Property Error As String
Public Property StackTrace As String
End Class
Public Class BatchProgressReport
Public Property ProcessedCount As Integer
Public Property TotalCount As Integer
Public Property CurrentFile As String
Public ReadOnly Property PercentComplete As Double
Get
Return CDbl(ProcessedCount) / TotalCount * 100
End Get
End Property
End Class
$vbLabelText
$csharpLabel
Real-World Healthcare Report Example
Here's a specific implementation for generating HIPAA-compliant medical reports:
public class MedicalReportGenerator
{
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _renderer;
private readonly ILogger<MedicalReportGenerator> _logger;
public MedicalReportGenerator(
ChromePdfRenderer renderer,
ILogger<MedicalReportGenerator> logger)
{
_renderer = renderer;
_logger = logger;
}
public async Task<PdfDocument> GeneratePatientReport(PatientReportModel model)
{
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
// Configure for medical document standards
_renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.Letter;
_renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 50;
_renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 40;
// HIPAA-compliant header
_renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
Height = 45,
HtmlFragment = $@"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 10px;'>
<div style='float: left;'>
<strong>CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL RECORD</strong><br/>
Patient: {model.PatientName} | MRN: {model.MedicalRecordNumber}
</div>
<div style='float: right; text-align: right;'>
Generated: {{date}} {{time}}<br/>
Provider: {model.ProviderName}
</div>
</div>"
};
// Generate report HTML
var html = GenerateMedicalReportHtml(model);
// Create PDF with encryption for HIPAA compliance
var pdf = _renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// Apply 256-bit AES encryption
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GenerateSecurePassword();
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = GenerateOwnerPassword();
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = false;
// Add audit metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = model.ProviderName;
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Medical Report - {model.PatientName}";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "medical,confidential,hipaa";
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("ReportType", model.ReportType);
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("GeneratedBy", model.UserId);
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("Timestamp", DateTime.UtcNow.ToString("O"));
stopwatch.Stop();
_logger.LogInformation($"Medical report generated in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms for patient {model.MedicalRecordNumber}");
return pdf;
}
private string GenerateMedicalReportHtml(PatientReportModel model)
{
// Generate comprehensive medical report HTML
// This would typically use a Razor view in production
return $@"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {{ font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0; padding: 20px; }}
.header {{ background: #f0f4f8; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.patient-info {{ display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.section {{ margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.section h2 {{ color: #2c3e50; border-bottom: 2px solid #3498db; padding-bottom: 10px; }}
.vital-signs {{ display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 15px; }}
.vital-box {{ background: #ecf0f1; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px; }}
.medication-table {{ width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; }}
.medication-table th, .medication-table td {{ border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left; }}
.medication-table th {{ background: #3498db; color: white; }}
.alert {{ background: #e74c3c; color: white; padding: 10px; border-radius: 5px; margin-bottom: 20px; }}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class='header'>
<h1>Patient Medical Report</h1>
<p>Report Date: {DateTime.Now:MMMM dd, yyyy}</p>
</div>
{(model.HasAllergies ? "<div class='alert'>⚠ PATIENT HAS KNOWN ALLERGIES - SEE ALLERGY SECTION</div>" : "")}
<div class='patient-info'>
<div>
<strong>Patient Name:</strong> {model.PatientName}<br/>
<strong>Date of Birth:</strong> {model.DateOfBirth:MM/dd/yyyy}<br/>
<strong>Age:</strong> {model.Age} years<br/>
<strong>Gender:</strong> {model.Gender}
</div>
<div>
<strong>MRN:</strong> {model.MedicalRecordNumber}<br/>
<strong>Admission Date:</strong> {model.AdmissionDate:MM/dd/yyyy}<br/>
<strong>Provider:</strong> {model.ProviderName}<br/>
<strong>Department:</strong> {model.Department}
</div>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Vital Signs</h2>
<div class='vital-signs'>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Blood Pressure</strong><br/>
{model.BloodPressure}
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Heart Rate</strong><br/>
{model.HeartRate} bpm
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Temperature</strong><br/>
{model.Temperature}°F
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Respiratory Rate</strong><br/>
{model.RespiratoryRate} /min
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>O2 Saturation</strong><br/>
{model.OxygenSaturation}%
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Weight</strong><br/>
{model.Weight} lbs
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Current Medications</h2>
<table class='medication-table'>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Medication</th>
<th>Dosage</th>
<th>Frequency</th>
<th>Route</th>
<th>Start Date</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
{string.Join("", model.Medications.Select(m => $@"
<tr>
<td>{m.Name}</td>
<td>{m.Dosage}</td>
<td>{m.Frequency}</td>
<td>{m.Route}</td>
<td>{m.StartDate:MM/dd/yyyy}</td>
</tr>
"))}
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Clinical Notes</h2>
<p>{model.ClinicalNotes}</p>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Treatment Plan</h2>
<p>{model.TreatmentPlan}</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>";
}
private string GenerateSecurePassword()
{
// Generate cryptographically secure password
using var rng = System.Security.Cryptography.RandomNumberGenerator.Create();
var bytes = new byte[32];
rng.GetBytes(bytes);
return Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
}
private string GenerateOwnerPassword()
{
// In production, retrieve from secure configuration
return "SecureOwnerPassword123!";
}
}
public class PatientReportModel
{
public string PatientName { get; set; }
public string MedicalRecordNumber { get; set; }
public DateTime DateOfBirth { get; set; }
public int Age { get; set; }
public string Gender { get; set; }
public DateTime AdmissionDate { get; set; }
public string ProviderName { get; set; }
public string Department { get; set; }
public string ReportType { get; set; }
public string UserId { get; set; }
// Vital Signs
public string BloodPressure { get; set; }
public int HeartRate { get; set; }
public decimal Temperature { get; set; }
public int RespiratoryRate { get; set; }
public int OxygenSaturation { get; set; }
public decimal Weight { get; set; }
// Medical Information
public bool HasAllergies { get; set; }
public List<Medication> Medications { get; set; }
public string ClinicalNotes { get; set; }
public string TreatmentPlan { get; set; }
}
public class Medication
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Dosage { get; set; }
public string Frequency { get; set; }
public string Route { get; set; }
public DateTime StartDate { get; set; }
}public class MedicalReportGenerator
{
private readonly ChromePdfRenderer _renderer;
private readonly ILogger<MedicalReportGenerator> _logger;
public MedicalReportGenerator(
ChromePdfRenderer renderer,
ILogger<MedicalReportGenerator> logger)
{
_renderer = renderer;
_logger = logger;
}
public async Task<PdfDocument> GeneratePatientReport(PatientReportModel model)
{
var stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
// Configure for medical document standards
_renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfPaperSize.Letter;
_renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 50;
_renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 40;
// HIPAA-compliant header
_renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
Height = 45,
HtmlFragment = $@"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 10px;'>
<div style='float: left;'>
<strong>CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL RECORD</strong><br/>
Patient: {model.PatientName} | MRN: {model.MedicalRecordNumber}
</div>
<div style='float: right; text-align: right;'>
Generated: {{date}} {{time}}<br/>
Provider: {model.ProviderName}
</div>
</div>"
};
// Generate report HTML
var html = GenerateMedicalReportHtml(model);
// Create PDF with encryption for HIPAA compliance
var pdf = _renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// Apply 256-bit AES encryption
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GenerateSecurePassword();
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = GenerateOwnerPassword();
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = false;
// Add audit metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = model.ProviderName;
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Medical Report - {model.PatientName}";
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "medical,confidential,hipaa";
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("ReportType", model.ReportType);
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("GeneratedBy", model.UserId);
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("Timestamp", DateTime.UtcNow.ToString("O"));
stopwatch.Stop();
_logger.LogInformation($"Medical report generated in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms for patient {model.MedicalRecordNumber}");
return pdf;
}
private string GenerateMedicalReportHtml(PatientReportModel model)
{
// Generate comprehensive medical report HTML
// This would typically use a Razor view in production
return $@"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {{ font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0; padding: 20px; }}
.header {{ background: #f0f4f8; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.patient-info {{ display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.section {{ margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.section h2 {{ color: #2c3e50; border-bottom: 2px solid #3498db; padding-bottom: 10px; }}
.vital-signs {{ display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 15px; }}
.vital-box {{ background: #ecf0f1; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px; }}
.medication-table {{ width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; }}
.medication-table th, .medication-table td {{ border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left; }}
.medication-table th {{ background: #3498db; color: white; }}
.alert {{ background: #e74c3c; color: white; padding: 10px; border-radius: 5px; margin-bottom: 20px; }}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class='header'>
<h1>Patient Medical Report</h1>
<p>Report Date: {DateTime.Now:MMMM dd, yyyy}</p>
</div>
{(model.HasAllergies ? "<div class='alert'>⚠ PATIENT HAS KNOWN ALLERGIES - SEE ALLERGY SECTION</div>" : "")}
<div class='patient-info'>
<div>
<strong>Patient Name:</strong> {model.PatientName}<br/>
<strong>Date of Birth:</strong> {model.DateOfBirth:MM/dd/yyyy}<br/>
<strong>Age:</strong> {model.Age} years<br/>
<strong>Gender:</strong> {model.Gender}
</div>
<div>
<strong>MRN:</strong> {model.MedicalRecordNumber}<br/>
<strong>Admission Date:</strong> {model.AdmissionDate:MM/dd/yyyy}<br/>
<strong>Provider:</strong> {model.ProviderName}<br/>
<strong>Department:</strong> {model.Department}
</div>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Vital Signs</h2>
<div class='vital-signs'>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Blood Pressure</strong><br/>
{model.BloodPressure}
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Heart Rate</strong><br/>
{model.HeartRate} bpm
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Temperature</strong><br/>
{model.Temperature}°F
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Respiratory Rate</strong><br/>
{model.RespiratoryRate} /min
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>O2 Saturation</strong><br/>
{model.OxygenSaturation}%
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Weight</strong><br/>
{model.Weight} lbs
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Current Medications</h2>
<table class='medication-table'>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Medication</th>
<th>Dosage</th>
<th>Frequency</th>
<th>Route</th>
<th>Start Date</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
{string.Join("", model.Medications.Select(m => $@"
<tr>
<td>{m.Name}</td>
<td>{m.Dosage}</td>
<td>{m.Frequency}</td>
<td>{m.Route}</td>
<td>{m.StartDate:MM/dd/yyyy}</td>
</tr>
"))}
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Clinical Notes</h2>
<p>{model.ClinicalNotes}</p>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Treatment Plan</h2>
<p>{model.TreatmentPlan}</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>";
}
private string GenerateSecurePassword()
{
// Generate cryptographically secure password
using var rng = System.Security.Cryptography.RandomNumberGenerator.Create();
var bytes = new byte[32];
rng.GetBytes(bytes);
return Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
}
private string GenerateOwnerPassword()
{
// In production, retrieve from secure configuration
return "SecureOwnerPassword123!";
}
}
public class PatientReportModel
{
public string PatientName { get; set; }
public string MedicalRecordNumber { get; set; }
public DateTime DateOfBirth { get; set; }
public int Age { get; set; }
public string Gender { get; set; }
public DateTime AdmissionDate { get; set; }
public string ProviderName { get; set; }
public string Department { get; set; }
public string ReportType { get; set; }
public string UserId { get; set; }
// Vital Signs
public string BloodPressure { get; set; }
public int HeartRate { get; set; }
public decimal Temperature { get; set; }
public int RespiratoryRate { get; set; }
public int OxygenSaturation { get; set; }
public decimal Weight { get; set; }
// Medical Information
public bool HasAllergies { get; set; }
public List<Medication> Medications { get; set; }
public string ClinicalNotes { get; set; }
public string TreatmentPlan { get; set; }
}
public class Medication
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public string Dosage { get; set; }
public string Frequency { get; set; }
public string Route { get; set; }
public DateTime StartDate { get; set; }
}Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Diagnostics
Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
Imports Microsoft.Extensions.Logging
Public Class MedicalReportGenerator
Private ReadOnly _renderer As ChromePdfRenderer
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of MedicalReportGenerator)
Public Sub New(renderer As ChromePdfRenderer, logger As ILogger(Of MedicalReportGenerator))
_renderer = renderer
_logger = logger
End Sub
Public Async Function GeneratePatientReport(model As PatientReportModel) As Task(Of PdfDocument)
Dim stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew()
' Configure for medical document standards
_renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter
_renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 50
_renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 40
' HIPAA-compliant header
_renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
.Height = 45,
.HtmlFragment = $"
<div style='width: 100%; font-size: 10px;'>
<div style='float: left;'>
<strong>CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL RECORD</strong><br/>
Patient: {model.PatientName} | MRN: {model.MedicalRecordNumber}
</div>
<div style='float: right; text-align: right;'>
Generated: {{date}} {{time}}<br/>
Provider: {model.ProviderName}
</div>
</div>"
}
' Generate report HTML
Dim html = GenerateMedicalReportHtml(model)
' Create PDF with encryption for HIPAA compliance
Dim pdf = _renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
' Apply 256-bit AES encryption
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GenerateSecurePassword()
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = GenerateOwnerPassword()
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = False
' Add audit metadata
pdf.MetaData.Author = model.ProviderName
pdf.MetaData.Title = $"Medical Report - {model.PatientName}"
pdf.MetaData.Keywords = "medical,confidential,hipaa"
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("ReportType", model.ReportType)
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("GeneratedBy", model.UserId)
pdf.MetaData.CustomProperties.Add("Timestamp", DateTime.UtcNow.ToString("O"))
stopwatch.Stop()
_logger.LogInformation($"Medical report generated in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms for patient {model.MedicalRecordNumber}")
Return pdf
End Function
Private Function GenerateMedicalReportHtml(model As PatientReportModel) As String
' Generate comprehensive medical report HTML
' This would typically use a Razor view in production
Return $"
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {{ font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0; padding: 20px; }}
.header {{ background: #f0f4f8; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.patient-info {{ display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.section {{ margin-bottom: 30px; }}
.section h2 {{ color: #2c3e50; border-bottom: 2px solid #3498db; padding-bottom: 10px; }}
.vital-signs {{ display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: 15px; }}
.vital-box {{ background: #ecf0f1; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px; }}
.medication-table {{ width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; }}
.medication-table th, .medication-table td {{ border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; text-align: left; }}
.medication-table th {{ background: #3498db; color: white; }}
.alert {{ background: #e74c3c; color: white; padding: 10px; border-radius: 5px; margin-bottom: 20px; }}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class='header'>
<h1>Patient Medical Report</h1>
<p>Report Date: {DateTime.Now:MMMM dd, yyyy}</p>
</div>
{(If(model.HasAllergies, "<div class='alert'>⚠ PATIENT HAS KNOWN ALLERGIES - SEE ALLERGY SECTION</div>", ""))}
<div class='patient-info'>
<div>
<strong>Patient Name:</strong> {model.PatientName}<br/>
<strong>Date of Birth:</strong> {model.DateOfBirth:MM/dd/yyyy}<br/>
<strong>Age:</strong> {model.Age} years<br/>
<strong>Gender:</strong> {model.Gender}
</div>
<div>
<strong>MRN:</strong> {model.MedicalRecordNumber}<br/>
<strong>Admission Date:</strong> {model.AdmissionDate:MM/dd/yyyy}<br/>
<strong>Provider:</strong> {model.ProviderName}<br/>
<strong>Department:</strong> {model.Department}
</div>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Vital Signs</h2>
<div class='vital-signs'>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Blood Pressure</strong><br/>
{model.BloodPressure}
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Heart Rate</strong><br/>
{model.HeartRate} bpm
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Temperature</strong><br/>
{model.Temperature}°F
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Respiratory Rate</strong><br/>
{model.RespiratoryRate} /min
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>O2 Saturation</strong><br/>
{model.OxygenSaturation}%
</div>
<div class='vital-box'>
<strong>Weight</strong><br/>
{model.Weight} lbs
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Current Medications</h2>
<table class='medication-table'>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Medication</th>
<th>Dosage</th>
<th>Frequency</th>
<th>Route</th>
<th>Start Date</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
{String.Join("", model.Medications.Select(Function(m) $"
<tr>
<td>{m.Name}</td>
<td>{m.Dosage}</td>
<td>{m.Frequency}</td>
<td>{m.Route}</td>
<td>{m.StartDate:MM/dd/yyyy}</td>
</tr>
"))}
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Clinical Notes</h2>
<p>{model.ClinicalNotes}</p>
</div>
<div class='section'>
<h2>Treatment Plan</h2>
<p>{model.TreatmentPlan}</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>"
End Function
Private Function GenerateSecurePassword() As String
' Generate cryptographically secure password
Using rng = System.Security.Cryptography.RandomNumberGenerator.Create()
Dim bytes = New Byte(31) {}
rng.GetBytes(bytes)
Return Convert.ToBase64String(bytes)
End Using
End Function
Private Function GenerateOwnerPassword() As String
' In production, retrieve from secure configuration
Return "SecureOwnerPassword123!"
End Function
End Class
Public Class PatientReportModel
Public Property PatientName As String
Public Property MedicalRecordNumber As String
Public Property DateOfBirth As DateTime
Public Property Age As Integer
Public Property Gender As String
Public Property AdmissionDate As DateTime
Public Property ProviderName As String
Public Property Department As String
Public Property ReportType As String
Public Property UserId As String
' Vital Signs
Public Property BloodPressure As String
Public Property HeartRate As Integer
Public Property Temperature As Decimal
Public Property RespiratoryRate As Integer
Public Property OxygenSaturation As Integer
Public Property Weight As Decimal
' Medical Information
Public Property HasAllergies As Boolean
Public Property Medications As List(Of Medication)
Public Property ClinicalNotes As String
Public Property TreatmentPlan As String
End Class
Public Class Medication
Public Property Name As String
Public Property Dosage As String
Public Property Frequency As String
Public Property Route As String
Public Property StartDate As DateTime
End Class
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Security Considerations
When generating PDFs in production environments or when working with sensitive information, security is paramount. IronPDF provides several security features:
Applying Security Settings
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Utilities
{
public static class PdfSecurityHelper
{
public static void ApplySecuritySettings(PdfDocument pdf, SecurityLevel level)
{
switch (level)
{
case SecurityLevel.Low:
// Basic protection
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = true;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
break;
case SecurityLevel.Medium:
// Restricted copying
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GeneratePassword(8);
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.PrintLowQuality;
break;
case SecurityLevel.High:
// Maximum security
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GeneratePassword(16);
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = GeneratePassword(16);
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = false;
break;
}
}
public enum SecurityLevel
{
Low,
Medium,
High
}
}using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Utilities
{
public static class PdfSecurityHelper
{
public static void ApplySecuritySettings(PdfDocument pdf, SecurityLevel level)
{
switch (level)
{
case SecurityLevel.Low:
// Basic protection
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = true;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights;
break;
case SecurityLevel.Medium:
// Restricted copying
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GeneratePassword(8);
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.PrintLowQuality;
break;
case SecurityLevel.High:
// Maximum security
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GeneratePassword(16);
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = GeneratePassword(16);
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = false;
break;
}
}
public enum SecurityLevel
{
Low,
Medium,
High
}
}Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions
Namespace PdfGeneratorApp.Utilities
Public Module PdfSecurityHelper
Public Sub ApplySecuritySettings(pdf As PdfDocument, level As SecurityLevel)
Select Case level
Case SecurityLevel.Low
' Basic protection
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = True
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.FullPrintRights
Case SecurityLevel.Medium
' Restricted copying
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GeneratePassword(8)
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.PrintLowQuality
Case SecurityLevel.High
' Maximum security
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = GeneratePassword(16)
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = GeneratePassword(16)
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = IronPdf.Security.PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserAnnotations = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserFormData = False
End Select
End Sub
Public Enum SecurityLevel
Low
Medium
High
End Enum
End Module
End Namespace
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In the helper class above, we use the SecurityLevel enum to set different security options for the PDF. For example, the low SecurityLevel applies basic protection but still allows FullPrintRights and copying and pasting from the PDF by setting the property AllowUserCopyPasteContent to true. These settings are enabled by adjusting the PDF class properties with IronPDF. For a complete list of properties and options for security, please consult the how-to guide.
Error Handling and Troubleshooting
Common issues and their solutions for generating PDFs in ASP.NET Core have been extensively discussed in the developer community. Here are proven solutions for the most frequent challenges:
Memory Management
For detailed guidance on handling memory leaks in IronPDF, implement the following pattern:
public class PdfMemoryManager : IDisposable
{
private readonly List<PdfDocument> _openDocuments = new();
private readonly ILogger<PdfMemoryManager> _logger;
private bool _disposed;
public PdfMemoryManager(ILogger<PdfMemoryManager> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public PdfDocument CreateDocument(ChromePdfRenderer renderer, string html)
{
try
{
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
_openDocuments.Add(pdf);
return pdf;
}
catch (OutOfMemoryException ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, "Out of memory while generating PDF");
// Force garbage collection
CleanupMemory();
// Retry with reduced quality
renderer.RenderingOptions.JpegQuality = 50;
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
_openDocuments.Add(pdf);
return pdf;
}
}
private void CleanupMemory()
{
// Dispose all open documents
foreach (var doc in _openDocuments)
{
doc?.Dispose();
}
_openDocuments.Clear();
// Force garbage collection
GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
GC.Collect();
_logger.LogInformation("Memory cleanup performed");
}
public void Dispose()
{
if (!_disposed)
{
CleanupMemory();
_disposed = true;
}
}
}public class PdfMemoryManager : IDisposable
{
private readonly List<PdfDocument> _openDocuments = new();
private readonly ILogger<PdfMemoryManager> _logger;
private bool _disposed;
public PdfMemoryManager(ILogger<PdfMemoryManager> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public PdfDocument CreateDocument(ChromePdfRenderer renderer, string html)
{
try
{
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
_openDocuments.Add(pdf);
return pdf;
}
catch (OutOfMemoryException ex)
{
_logger.LogError(ex, "Out of memory while generating PDF");
// Force garbage collection
CleanupMemory();
// Retry with reduced quality
renderer.RenderingOptions.JpegQuality = 50;
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
_openDocuments.Add(pdf);
return pdf;
}
}
private void CleanupMemory()
{
// Dispose all open documents
foreach (var doc in _openDocuments)
{
doc?.Dispose();
}
_openDocuments.Clear();
// Force garbage collection
GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
GC.Collect();
_logger.LogInformation("Memory cleanup performed");
}
public void Dispose()
{
if (!_disposed)
{
CleanupMemory();
_disposed = true;
}
}
}Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Public Class PdfMemoryManager
Implements IDisposable
Private ReadOnly _openDocuments As New List(Of PdfDocument)()
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of PdfMemoryManager)
Private _disposed As Boolean
Public Sub New(logger As ILogger(Of PdfMemoryManager))
_logger = logger
End Sub
Public Function CreateDocument(renderer As ChromePdfRenderer, html As String) As PdfDocument
Try
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
_openDocuments.Add(pdf)
Return pdf
Catch ex As OutOfMemoryException
_logger.LogError(ex, "Out of memory while generating PDF")
' Force garbage collection
CleanupMemory()
' Retry with reduced quality
renderer.RenderingOptions.JpegQuality = 50
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
_openDocuments.Add(pdf)
Return pdf
End Try
End Function
Private Sub CleanupMemory()
' Dispose all open documents
For Each doc In _openDocuments
doc?.Dispose()
Next
_openDocuments.Clear()
' Force garbage collection
GC.Collect()
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
GC.Collect()
_logger.LogInformation("Memory cleanup performed")
End Sub
Public Sub Dispose() Implements IDisposable.Dispose
If Not _disposed Then
CleanupMemory()
_disposed = True
End If
End Sub
End Class
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Font Rendering Issues
public class FontTroubleshooter
{
public static void EnsureFontsAvailable(ChromePdfRenderer renderer)
{
// Embed fonts in the PDF
renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;
// Use web-safe fonts as fallback
var fontFallback = @"
<style>
body {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'CustomFont';
src: url('data:font/woff2;base64,YOUR_BASE64_FONT_HERE') format('woff2');
}
</style>";
// Add to HTML head
renderer.RenderingOptions.CustomCssUrl = "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:wght@300;400;700&display=swap";
}
}public class FontTroubleshooter
{
public static void EnsureFontsAvailable(ChromePdfRenderer renderer)
{
// Embed fonts in the PDF
renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;
// Use web-safe fonts as fallback
var fontFallback = @"
<style>
body {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'CustomFont';
src: url('data:font/woff2;base64,YOUR_BASE64_FONT_HERE') format('woff2');
}
</style>";
// Add to HTML head
renderer.RenderingOptions.CustomCssUrl = "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:wght@300;400;700&display=swap";
}
}Public Class FontTroubleshooter
Public Shared Sub EnsureFontsAvailable(renderer As ChromePdfRenderer)
' Embed fonts in the PDF
renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print
' Use web-safe fonts as fallback
Dim fontFallback As String = "
<style>
body {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'CustomFont';
src: url('data:font/woff2;base64,YOUR_BASE64_FONT_HERE') format('woff2');
}
</style>"
' Add to HTML head
renderer.RenderingOptions.CustomCssUrl = "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:wght@300;400;700&display=swap"
End Sub
End Class
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Common Exceptions and Solutions
Exception | Cause | Solution |
IronPdf.Exceptions.IronPdfNativeException | Chrome engine initialization failed | Ensure Visual C++ Redistributables are installed |
System.UnauthorizedAccessException | Insufficient permissions | Grant write access to the temp folder |
System.TimeoutException | JavaScript is taking too long | Increase RenderDelay or disable JavaScript |
System.OutOfMemoryException | Large PDF or batch processing | Implement pagination or reduce image quality |
IronPdf.Exceptions.IronPdfLicensingException | Invalid or expired license | Verify the license key in the configuration |
Debugging Tips
With IronPDF, you can easily debug and log all processes run by your application to search and verify any inputs and outputs. To enable logging, set `EnableDebugging` to true and specify a file path for the log by assigning a value to the LogFilePath property. Here's a quick code snippet showing how to do that.
public class PdfDebugger
{
private readonly ILogger<PdfDebugger> _logger;
public PdfDebugger(ILogger<PdfDebugger> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public void EnableDebugging(ChromePdfRenderer renderer)
{
// Enable detailed logging
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.EnableDebugging = true;
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LogFilePath = "IronPdf.log";
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LoggingMode = IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LoggingModes.All;
// Log rendering settings
_logger.LogDebug($"Paper Size: {renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize}");
_logger.LogDebug($"Margins: T{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop} " +
$"B{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom} " +
$"L{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft} " +
$"R{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight}");
_logger.LogDebug($"JavaScript Enabled: {renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript}");
_logger.LogDebug($"Render Delay: {renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay}ms");
}
public void SaveDebugHtml(string html, string fileName)
{
// Save HTML for inspection
var debugPath = Path.Combine("debug", $"{fileName}_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.html");
Directory.CreateDirectory("debug");
File.WriteAllText(debugPath, html);
_logger.LogDebug($"Debug HTML saved to: {debugPath}");
}
}public class PdfDebugger
{
private readonly ILogger<PdfDebugger> _logger;
public PdfDebugger(ILogger<PdfDebugger> logger)
{
_logger = logger;
}
public void EnableDebugging(ChromePdfRenderer renderer)
{
// Enable detailed logging
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.EnableDebugging = true;
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LogFilePath = "IronPdf.log";
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LoggingMode = IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LoggingModes.All;
// Log rendering settings
_logger.LogDebug($"Paper Size: {renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize}");
_logger.LogDebug($"Margins: T{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop} " +
$"B{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom} " +
$"L{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft} " +
$"R{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight}");
_logger.LogDebug($"JavaScript Enabled: {renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript}");
_logger.LogDebug($"Render Delay: {renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay}ms");
}
public void SaveDebugHtml(string html, string fileName)
{
// Save HTML for inspection
var debugPath = Path.Combine("debug", $"{fileName}_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.html");
Directory.CreateDirectory("debug");
File.WriteAllText(debugPath, html);
_logger.LogDebug($"Debug HTML saved to: {debugPath}");
}
}Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports Microsoft.Extensions.Logging
Public Class PdfDebugger
Private ReadOnly _logger As ILogger(Of PdfDebugger)
Public Sub New(logger As ILogger(Of PdfDebugger))
_logger = logger
End Sub
Public Sub EnableDebugging(renderer As ChromePdfRenderer)
' Enable detailed logging
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.EnableDebugging = True
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LogFilePath = "IronPdf.log"
IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LoggingMode = IronPdf.Logging.Logger.LoggingModes.All
' Log rendering settings
_logger.LogDebug($"Paper Size: {renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize}")
_logger.LogDebug($"Margins: T{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop} " &
$"B{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom} " &
$"L{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft} " &
$"R{renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight}")
_logger.LogDebug($"JavaScript Enabled: {renderer.RenderingOptions.EnableJavaScript}")
_logger.LogDebug($"Render Delay: {renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay}ms")
End Sub
Public Sub SaveDebugHtml(html As String, fileName As String)
' Save HTML for inspection
Dim debugPath = Path.Combine("debug", $"{fileName}_{DateTime.Now:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.html")
Directory.CreateDirectory("debug")
File.WriteAllText(debugPath, html)
_logger.LogDebug($"Debug HTML saved to: {debugPath}")
End Sub
End Class
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Local Deployment Best Practices
IIS Configuration
For deploying to IIS, ensure proper configuration:
<configuration>
<system.webServer>
<applicationPool>
<processModel enable32BitAppOnWin64="false" />
</applicationPool>
<httpRuntime executionTimeout="300" maxRequestLength="51200" />
<system.web>
<compilation tempDirectory="~/App_Data/Temp/" />
</system.web>
</system.webServer>
</configuration>
<configuration>
<system.webServer>
<applicationPool>
<processModel enable32BitAppOnWin64="false" />
</applicationPool>
<httpRuntime executionTimeout="300" maxRequestLength="51200" />
<system.web>
<compilation tempDirectory="~/App_Data/Temp/" />
</system.web>
</system.webServer>
</configuration>
XML
Required Dependencies
Ensure these components are installed on your deployment server:
- .NET Runtime - Version 6.0 or later
- Visual C++ Redistributables - 2015-2022 (x64)
- Windows Server - 2012 R2 or later recommended
File System Permissions
# Grant IIS_IUSRS write access to temp folder
icacls "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\YourApp\App_Data\Temp" /grant "IIS_IUSRS:(OI)(CI)M" /T
# Grant access to IronPDF cache folder
icacls "C:\Windows\Temp\IronPdf" /grant "IIS_IUSRS:(OI)(CI)M" /T# Grant IIS_IUSRS write access to temp folder
icacls "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\YourApp\App_Data\Temp" /grant "IIS_IUSRS:(OI)(CI)M" /T
# Grant access to IronPDF cache folder
icacls "C:\Windows\Temp\IronPdf" /grant "IIS_IUSRS:(OI)(CI)M" /T
SHELL
Performance Tuning
// Startup.cs or Program.cs
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
// Configure IronPDF for production
services.AddSingleton<ChromePdfRenderer>(provider =>
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
// Production optimizations
renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay = 50; // Minimize delay
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 120; // 2 minutes max
renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;
// Enable caching for static resources
Installation.ChromeGpuMode = IronPdf.Engines.Chrome.ChromeGpuModes.Disabled;
Installation.LinuxAndDockerDependenciesAutoConfig = false;
return renderer;
});
// Configure memory cache for generated PDFs
services.AddMemoryCache(options =>
{
options.SizeLimit = 100_000_000; // 100 MB cache
});
}// Startup.cs or Program.cs
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
// Configure IronPDF for production
services.AddSingleton<ChromePdfRenderer>(provider =>
{
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
// Production optimizations
renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay = 50; // Minimize delay
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 120; // 2 minutes max
renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print;
// Enable caching for static resources
Installation.ChromeGpuMode = IronPdf.Engines.Chrome.ChromeGpuModes.Disabled;
Installation.LinuxAndDockerDependenciesAutoConfig = false;
return renderer;
});
// Configure memory cache for generated PDFs
services.AddMemoryCache(options =>
{
options.SizeLimit = 100_000_000; // 100 MB cache
});
}Imports IronPdf
Imports Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection
Public Sub ConfigureServices(services As IServiceCollection)
' Configure IronPDF for production
services.AddSingleton(Of ChromePdfRenderer)(Function(provider)
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
' Production optimizations
renderer.RenderingOptions.RenderDelay = 50 ' Minimize delay
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 120 ' 2 minutes max
renderer.RenderingOptions.CssMediaType = IronPdf.Rendering.PdfCssMediaType.Print
' Enable caching for static resources
Installation.ChromeGpuMode = IronPdf.Engines.Chrome.ChromeGpuModes.Disabled
Installation.LinuxAndDockerDependenciesAutoConfig = False
Return renderer
End Function)
' Configure memory cache for generated PDFs
services.AddMemoryCache(Sub(options)
options.SizeLimit = 100000000 ' 100 MB cache
End Sub)
End Sub
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Best Practices Summary
- Always dispose of PdfDocument objects to prevent memory leaks
- Reuse ChromePdfRenderer instances for better performance
- Implement proper error handling with detailed logging
- Sanitize all user input before PDF generation
- Use async/await patterns for better scalability
- Configure appropriate timeouts for JavaScript rendering
- Compress images to reduce file size
- Cache generated PDFs when the content is static
- Monitor memory usage during batch processing
- Test with production-like data volumes before deployment
Transform Your ASP.NET Application Today
You now have a comprehensive understanding of generating PDFs in ASP.NET Core using C# with IronPDF. From basic Razor view conversion to advanced batch processing with performance optimization, you're equipped to implement professional PDF generation that matches precisely what you see in Chrome.
Key achievements you've unlocked:
- Pixel-perfect rendering using IronPDF's Chrome engine that eliminates formatting surprises when you create a PDF from HTML pages, web pages, etc.
- Production-ready templates with Razor views providing familiar, maintainable PDF generation
- Enterprise-grade error handling and memory management for reliable operation at scale
- Optimized batch processing with parallel generation, handling thousands of documents
- Professional security features protecting sensitive documents with 256-bit encryption
Start Building Professional PDFs Now
Ready to implement PDF generation in your ASP.NET Core application? Download IronPDF's free trial today and experience the power of professional PDF generation with no watermarks or limitations for 30 days. With comprehensive documentation, responsive engineering support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can confidently build production-ready PDF solutions.
Essential Resources for Your Journey
- 📚 Explore the complete API documentation for detailed method references
- 👥 Join the developer community for real-time assistance
- 🚀 Purchase a commercial license starting at $999 for production deployment
Transform your ASP.NET Core applications with enterprise-grade PDF generation that works as expected and start building with IronPDF today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary use of IronPDF in ASP.NET applications?
IronPDF is primarily used for generating, editing, and extracting content from PDF documents, making it an essential toolfor creating invoices, reports, certificates, or tickets in ASP.NET applications.
How does IronPDF ensure pixel-perfect PDF rendering?
IronPDF ensures pixel-perfect rendering by utilizing advanced rendering engines and enterprise features to accurately convert HTML, images, or other document formats into high-quality PDFs.
Can IronPDF be integrated with ASP.NET Core applications?
Yes, IronPDF can be seamlessly integrated with ASP.NET Core applications, providing developerswith a powerful library to handle various PDF tasks efficiently.
What are the benefits of using IronPDF for PDF generation?
Using IronPDF for PDF generation offers benefits such as ease of use, high-quality rendering, support for complex document features, and the ability to automate PDF tasks within your applications.
Does IronPDF support editing existing PDF documents?
Yes, IronPDF supports editing existing PDF documents, allowing developers to modify content, add annotations, and update PDF metadata programmatically.
Is IronPDF suitable for creating enterprise-level PDF documents?
IronPDF is ideal for creating enterprise-level PDF documents due to its robust features, including support for complex document structures and security features such as encryption and digital signatures.
What file formats can IronPDF convert to PDF?
IronPDF can convert various file formats to PDF, including HTML, images, and other document types, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with different data sources.
How does IronPDF handle PDF content extraction?
IronPDF handles PDF content extraction by providing APIs to extract text, images, and metadata, making it easy to retrieve and manipulate data from PDF documents.
Can IronPDF be used for automating PDF document workflows?
Yes, IronPDF can be used to automate PDF document workflows, streamlining processes such as batch generation, conversion, and distribution of PDF files in web applications.
What kind of support does IronPDF offer for developers?
IronPDF offers extensive support for developers, including detailed documentation, sample code, and responsive customer service to assist with integration and troubleshooting.
Does IronPDF support .NET 10 right away?
IronPDF provides pre-release support for .NET 10 and is already compliant with the .NET 10 release expected in November 2025. Developers can use IronPDF in .NET 10 projects with no special configurations required.
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