PHP merge PDFs on click

Question

double_cola 0 Light Poster

12 Years Ago

Hello, I am using a php function to merge 2 pdfs and it works great.

<?php
include 'PDFMerger.php';

$pdf = new PDFMerger;

$pdf->addPDF('testFile5.pdf', 'all')
    ->addPDF('testFile57.pdf', 'all')



    ->merge('download', 'samplepdfs/TEST2.pdf');
    ?>

I get a merged pdf as soon as the page loads.
I need the ability to make this merge happen when the user clicks a button, and I am stumped.

Im a bit of a php nooby so please excuse my ignorance.

Further more I need the user to be able to select or click and drag over pdfs to be merged.

Any help is MORE than appreciated.

client-server pdf php

3 Contributors
19 Replies
2K Views
17 Hours Discussion Span
Latest Post 12 Years Ago Latest Post by adam.adamski.96155

adam.adamski.96155 43 Junior Poster

12 Years Ago

How are you stumped? What did you try?
If you use a select menu for the choosing of the .pdfs to be merged, and a submitted form to carry the choices to a processing function it's relatively simple.
You need to use javascript for the drag and drop, and to update the form variables before posting, it's certainly more complicated.

adam.adamski.96155 43 Junior Poster

12 Years Ago

Ok, I don't know if I can help but posting the code can only help. I can see from the error 'Could not locate PDF on ''', and addPDF('', 'all') that the pdf to add variable is not assigned.

adam.adamski.96155 43 Junior Poster

12 Years Ago

On line 75 the action of the form is malformed.
You have duplicate id's on the list elements.
When the form is submitted, you need to check the variables exist and are in the correct format before you use the merge function.

LastMitch

12 Years Ago

@double_cola

Wow, you are combining 2 different scripts into one? That's alot of work.

adam.adamski.96155 43 Junior Poster

12 Years Ago

Close, the answer is here:
http://php.net/manual/en/reserved.variables.server.php

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double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 1 · 2012-10-11T21:33:05+00:00

Actually Im working on combining the drag and drop Click Here but it is throwing an error that I am stumped on.
Im using this drag and drop Click Here

I could post the source code if you think it would help.

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 2 · 2012-10-11T21:42:54+00:00

Do you know how I would assign that? I am a PHP novice at best.
Here is the source.

<?php
include 'PDFMerger.php';
$files = explode(",", $_POST['postOrder']); //or your name of the field

$pdf = new PDFMerger;

foreach ($files as $file) {
    $pdf->addPDF($file, 'all'); 
}

$pdf->merge('download', 'samplepdfs/TEST2.pdf');
?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<head>
<title>jQuery Examples from SKFox.com</title>

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://skfox.com/jqExamples/jq14_jqui172_find_bug/jq132/css/ui-lightness/jquery-ui-1.7.2.custom.css" />
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.7.2/jquery-ui.min.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">

    $(function() {
        $("ul.droptrue").sortable({
            connectWith: 'ul',
            opacity: 0.6,
            update : updatePostOrder
        });

        $("#sortable1, #sortable2").disableSelection();
        $("#sortable1, #sortable2").css('minHeight',$("#sortable1").height()+"px");
        updatePostOrder();
    });

    function updatePostOrder() { 
        var arr = [];
      $("#sortable2 li").each(function(){
        arr.push($(this).attr('id'));
      });
      $('#postOrder').val(arr.join(','));
  }

</script>
<style type="text/css">
.listBlock {float: left;}
#sortable1, #sortable2 { list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; margin-right: 100px; background: #eee; padding: 5px; width: 300px; border: 1px solid black;}
#sortable1 li, #sortable2 li{ cursor: move; margin: 5px; padding: 5px; font-size: 1.2em; width: 250px;  background: none; background-color: white;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="maincontainer">
  <div id="contentwrapper">
    <div id="maincolumn">
      <div class="text">
                <h2>&nbsp;</h2>
                <hr />
                    <div class="listBlock">
                        <h2>Available to print</h2>
                        <ul id="sortable1" class='droptrue'>
                            <li class="ui-state-default" id="testFile57.pdf">testFile57.pdf</li>
                            <li class="ui-state-default" id="testFile5.pdf">testFile5.pdf</li>
                            <li class="ui-state-default" id="testFile57.pdf">testFile57.pdf</li>
                        </ul>
                    </div>
                    <div class="listBlock">          
                        <h2>Send to print, in order</h2>
                        <li class="ui-state-default" id="testFile57.pdf">testFile57.pdf</li>
                        </ul>
                    </div>
                    <br clear="both" />



                    <form method="post" action="print_r($_POST)"> 
<input type="text" id="postOrder" name="postOrder" value="" size="30">
<p>Which articles, in which order?: <br /> 
<br /> *Normally this field would be hidden</p>
<input type="submit" value="submit" name="submit">
</form>


      </div>
    </div>
  </div>

</div>
</body>
</html>

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 3 · 2012-10-11T22:07:47+00:00

Do you know how line 75 should read? Should it be <?php echo $PHP_SELF;?>?

LastMitch · Answer 4 · 2012-10-11T22:35:16+00:00

@double_cola

<form method="post" action="print_r($_POST)">

When you post anything it should be in a file that show the result. When you post the same results in the same file it will read. But if you used print_r($_POST) into the same file it will not read it. So you can't used print_r($_POST) in the action" "
You need to post it in a different file.

It's much easier just to keep php rather than using jquery combination.

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 5 · 2012-10-12T01:13:02+00:00

Hey LastMitch can you show me an example of what your talking about?

LastMitch · Answer 6 · 2012-10-12T02:20:18+00:00

@double_cola

For example (this is a simple form):

<html>
<body>
<form action="demo.php" method="post">
<input type="text" name="stuff" /><br /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>

This is "demo.php"

<?php echo
$stuff = $_POST['stuff'];
?>

I hope you get the idea now! This is how you post a data and results to another file!

I'm not sure why you are using this:

<form method="post" action="print_r($_POST)">

it's not going to work.

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 7 · 2012-10-12T03:31:46+00:00

Well that did it! We are almost there.
It is working correctly and it will save the pdf if you only drag 1 into the box and hit submit Click Here BUt if you try and put both in the box it doesnt work correctly.
Any ideas??

LastMitch · Answer 8 · 2012-10-12T03:40:44+00:00

@double_cola

You mean you change the

<form method="post" action="print_r($_POST)">

to a file?

That's good to hear! Try to create another <input> to store the second file.

Another words another <input>.

So there will be 2 <input>. I think that will do the trick.

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 9 · 2012-10-12T04:03:15+00:00

First of all you guys are geniuses. LastMitch and Adam, all my internet points go to you :) !!
One last question. Can you think of any way to get this to work with only 1 drop box or 1 input? Potentially I could have 25 pdfs to choose from.

LastMitch · Answer 10 · 2012-10-12T04:09:26+00:00

@double_cola

Can you think of any way to get this to work with only 1 drop box or 1 input? Potentially I could have 25 pdfs to choose from.

I think that more JQuery than PHP because the drag and drop is from JQuery and I'm not familiar with JQuery. I don't think I can help you anymore with that one.

It's getting late, it's midnight!

If you have any other questions beside that one that you ask above post it here other wise Mark Solve for this Thread so people who has similar question like yours can always come here and see the correct answer! I hope you learn a lot today. I think you done a lot too.
That's a lot pdf files!

adam.adamski.96155 43 Junior Poster · Answer 11 · 2012-10-12T06:53:13+00:00

If there is only one input or drop box how will their be more than one file to merge?
You could use a multi-select element:
http://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_select_multiple.asp
The drag and drop looked good, was lightweight to code and I don't see a problem with 25 pdfs :)

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 12 · 2012-10-12T12:51:19+00:00

Adam, you are the man. And LastMitch you are also the man.
You both get all my internet points and you have acquired massive karma!
Im going to post all the final source incase anyone else has the same issue.

double_cola 0 Light Poster · Answer 13 · 2012-10-12T12:58:07+00:00

Here is the final outcome for a PDF merger user interface using PDFMerger Click Here and a jquery drag and drop by skfox.com Click Here

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<head>
<title>let the minds be blown</title>


<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.7.2/jquery-ui.min.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">

    $(function() {
        $("ul.droptrue").sortable({
            connectWith: 'ul',
            opacity: 0.6,
            update : updatePostOrder
        });

        $("#sortable1, #sortable2, #sortable3").disableSelection();

        updatePostOrder();
    });

    function updatePostOrder() { 
        var arr = [];
      $("#sortable2 li").each(function(){
        arr.push($(this).attr('id'));
      });
      $('#postOrder').val(arr.join(','));

        var arr = [];
      $("#sortable3 li").each(function(){
        arr.push($(this).attr('id'));
      });
      $('#postOrder2').val(arr.join(','));
  }

</script>
<style type="text/css">
.listBlock {float: left;}
#sortable1  { list-style-type: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; margin-right: 100px; background: #eee; padding: 5px; width: 300px; border: 1px solid black;}
#sortable2 , #sortable3 {
    list-style-type: none;
    padding: 0;
    margin-right: 100px;
    background: #eee;
    padding: 5px;
    width: 300px;
    border: 1px solid black;
    height: 45px;
    margin-top: 0;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
}
#sortable1 li, #sortable2 li, #sortable3 li{ cursor: move; margin: 5px; padding: 5px; font-size: 1.2em; width: 250px;  background: none; background-color: white;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="maincontainer">
  <div id="contentwrapper">
    <div id="maincolumn">
      <div class="text">
<h2>Meet the amazing PDF generator. This is still a little abstract so picture the final result in your brain box.<br />
  Drag out the pdfs and place one in each of the send to print boxes, they will render out into 1 master file but in the order you place them.<br />
  <br />
  Let your minds...be blown!
</h2>
                <hr />
                    <div class="listBlock">
                        <h2>Available to print</h2>
                      <ul id="sortable1" class='droptrue'>
                            <li class="ui-state-default" id="testFile5.pdf">testFile57.pdf</li>
                            <li class="ui-state-default" id="testFile57.pdf">testFile5.pdf</li>

                        </ul>
                    </div>
                    <div class="listBlock">          
                        <h2>Send to print 1, ONLY 1</h2>
                      <ul id="sortable2" class='droptrue'>

                        </ul>
                    </div>
                    <div class="listBlock">          
                        <h2>Send to print 2, ONLY 1</h2>
                      <ul id="sortable3" class='droptrue'>

                        </ul>
                    </div>
                    <br clear="both" />





<form action="testit.php" method="post">
<input type="text" id="postOrder" name="postOrder" value="" size="30">
<input type="text" id="postOrder2" name="postOrder2" value="" size="30"><br /><br />
<input type="submit" value="Submit">


      </div>
    </div>
  </div>

</div>
</body>
</html>

And this is the page it is posting to.

<?php
include 'PDFMerger.php';
$goods = $_POST['postOrder'];
$goods2 = $_POST['postOrder2'];
$pdf = new PDFMerger;
$pdf->addPDF($goods, 'all')
->addPDF($goods2, 'all');



    $pdf->merge('download', 'samplepdfs/TEST2.pdf');
    ?>

adam.adamski.96155 43 Junior Poster · Answer 14 · 2012-10-12T13:05:22+00:00

Hey, great job!
It's good to be part of a success story :D