CodeIgniter Reporting with DOMPDF

1. Download DOMPDF from http://dompdf.com. I am using version 0.6.0 beta 1 and so far I have experienced no problems despite it's beta status.
2. Extract dompdf to your CodeIgniter application/plugins directory.
3. I found I needed to execute the following command to prevent font errors.

   chmod a+x application/plugins/dompdf/lib/fonts
   

4. Create a new plugin file: application/plugins/dompdf_pi.php with the following contents:

   <?php
   function dompdf_create($html, $filename, $path='', $stream=TRUE) {
     require_once("dompdf/dompdf_config.inc.php");
     spl_autoload_register('DOMPDF_autoload');
   
     $dompdf = new DOMPDF();
     $dompdf->load_html($html);
     $dompdf->render();
     if($stream) {
       $dompdf->stream($filename.".pdf");
     }
     else {
     $CI =& get_instance();
     $CI->load->helper('file');
     write_file($path . $filename."pdf", $dompdf->output());
     }
   }
   ?>
   

5. If you want to default to A4 paper (I do) then edit application/plugins/dompdf/dompdf_config.inc.php changing this:

   define("DOMPDF_DEFAULT_PAPER_SIZE", "letter");
   

   to this:

   define("DOMPDF_DEFAULT_PAPER_SIZE", "a4");
   

That is all you need to do for the plugin.

Create a new reports controller and add this function:

function generate($name) {
  // extract any parameters from the rest of the URI
  $params = $this->uri->uri_to_assoc(4);

  // load report and generate pdf
  $this->load->plugin('dompdf');
  $html = $this->load->view('reports/dompdf/'.$name, array('params'=>$params), true);
  dompdf_create($html, $name);
}

The first parameter to the function is the report name which the function uses to lookup the appropriate view. The rest of the URI string can be used to pass parameters to your report i.e. a person id to look up.

Create a directory to hold your report views. I suggest application/views/reports.

Here is how I structure a simple report:

<!--query for data-->
<?php
  $sql = "
SELECT name, address, email 
FROM people 
WHERE id =".$params['person_id']."
";
  $person = $this->db->query($sql)->row();
  $CI =& get_instance();
  $CI->load->library('MyUtil');
  $extraData = $CI->myutil->getEnrolment($params['person_id']);
?>

<!--report styles-->
<style type='text/css'>
  #report_body {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    margin: 36pt;
  }
  .center {
    text-align: center;
  }
  table th, table td {
    font-size: 10pt;
    font-family: helvetica;
    padding: 0px;
  }
  #name {
    font-weight: bold;
    font-style: italic;
    font-size: 14pt;
  }
  #extraData {
    border-top: 1pt solid #000;
  }
</style>

<!--begin report-->
<table id='report_body' align='center' width='523pt'>
  <tr><td>Name:</td><td id='name'><?= $person->name ?></td></tr>
  <tr><td>Address:</td><td><?= $person->address ?></td></tr>
  <tr><td>Email:</td><td><?= $person->email ?></td></tr>
  <!--extra data-->
  <tr><td class='center' id='extraData'>
    <?= $extraData ?>
  </td></tr>
</table>

Of course you can go much more complex than this but check the dompdf website to see what is supported because currently not all CSS styling is supported.

Now to use the reports from within your application all you have to do is place a link something like this:

<a href='/reports/generate/contact/person_id/1234'>Get PDF</a>

Assuming you have a person in your database with the id of 1234 and a report named contact i.e. the report above.