PDF generation using data

Question

In my iPhone application, I have several data items. I want to generate a PDF file using these data items and attach the PDF file in email. What I know, I need to use Quartz 2D to draw the PDF file. Is there any sample code or suggestion about drawing PDF?

Answer 1

The following is what I've used to generate an NSData object containing a PDF representation of some Quartz graphics:

NSMutableData *pdfData = [[NSMutableData alloc] init];
CGDataConsumerRef dataConsumer = CGDataConsumerCreateWithCFData((CFMutableDataRef)pdfData);

const CGRect mediaBox = CGRectMake(0.0f, 0.0f, self.bounds.size.width, self.bounds.size.height);
CGContextRef pdfContext = CGPDFContextCreate(dataConsumer, &mediaBox, NULL);

UIGraphicsPushContext(pdfContext);

CGContextBeginPage(pdfContext, &mediaBox);

// Your Quartz drawing code goes here   

CGContextEndPage(pdfContext);   
CGPDFContextClose(pdfContext);

UIGraphicsPopContext();

CGContextRelease(pdfContext);
CGDataConsumerRelease(dataConsumer);

You can then save this PDF data to disk or add it as an attachment to your email message, remembering to release it when done.

Answer 2

Here is a good (working) example of the CGPDF functions: http://www.olivetoast.com/blog/hamish/simple_uiscrollview_catiledlayer_example.ot

It uses a CATiledLayer + UIScrollView, this may not be appropriate for a reader of sorts, but it still shows you how to load and draw a PDF doc without UIWebView (which severely restricts your abilities).

Change the layer type back to a layer, add in page handling using CGPDFDocumentGetNumberOfPages and then CGPDFDocumentGetPage and you have a pretty good reader.

I don't know how to perform annotations, I suspect you would need your own data structure on top of the document.