Question

I would like to learn how to create an online PDF WEB Form using Visual Studios 2010 that can store the data into my SQL Database just not sure where to start.

I found a book called “iText In Action” but seems like it is more for Java developers. Are there any books that will be more geared towards C# and creating the web pdf forms? Any help on where I should start would be appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 1

You can try iTextSharp, the .NET port from Java iText.
I have found this resource
https://web.archive.org/web/20211020001758/https://www.4guysfromrolla.com/articles/030911-1.aspx

I have used this library for making PDF Forms and it is very straightforward.
The process it will be something like Create a PDF form with an external tool like Adobe Acrobat and then, your program have to read it and set the fields with the data you need. Something like this:

using (var existingFileStream = File.OpenRead(_pdfTemplatePath))
using (var memoryStream = new MemoryStream())
{
    // Open existing PDF  
    var pdfReader = new PdfReader(existingFileStream);

    // PdfStamper, which will create  
    var stamper = new PdfStamper(pdfReader, memoryStream);

    var form = stamper.AcroFields;

    form.SetField("Field_A", yourDataForA);
    form.SetField("Field_B", yourDataForB);
    form.SetField("Field_C", yourDataForC);

    stamper.FormFlattening = true;
    stamper.Close();
    pdfReader.Close();

    string cd = "inline";

    // And then send to the browser
    HttpContext.Current.Response.Clear();
    HttpContext.Current.Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
    HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("content-disposition", 
        string.Format("{0};filename={1}.pdf", cd, string.IsNullOrEmpty(_theFilename)
                                                                     ? "documento"
                                                                     : _theFilename));
    HttpContext.Current.Response.BinaryWrite(memoryStream.ToArray());

}