Creating Dynamic PDF Downloads with React: A Guide Using jsPDF and jspdf-autotable

Introduction:
Briefly introduce the concept of exporting tables to PDF from a React application.
Highlight the importance of providing users with the ability to download tabular data for offline use.

Section 1: Setting up the Project
1.1 Install Dependencies:
Guide readers on installing the necessary packages using npm.

npm install jspdf jspdf-autotable

1.2 Importing Libraries:
Demonstrate how to import jsPDF and jspdf-autotable in your React component.

Section 2: Creating a Sample Table
2.1 Define Table Structure:
Create a sample table with headers and dummy data.
Explain the importance of having a well-structured table for PDF generation.

Section 3: Generating PDF with jspdf-autotable
3.1 Writing the generatePDF Function:
Define the generatePDF function that utilizes jsPDF and jspdf-autotable.
Explain the purpose of each step in the function.

3.2 Customizing Table Styles:
Explore different styling options available in jspdf-autotable for customizing the appearance of the PDF table.

Section 4: Adding Page Numbers and Titles
4.1 Enhancing User Experience:
Show how to add page numbers and titles to each page of the generated PDF for better readability.

Section 5: Integrating with React
5.1 Button Component:
Create a React button component to trigger the PDF generation.
Utilize the onClick event to call the generatePDF function.

Section 6: Conclusion
Summarize the benefits of using jsPDF and jspdf-autotable for PDF generation in a React application.
Encourage readers to explore further customization options and integrate it into their projects.

Conclusion:
Express the importance of providing users with downloadable content.
Invite readers to share their experiences and feedback.
Feel free to customize the content and add more details based on your preferences and the level of depth you want to achieve in each section.

Section 7: Handling Large Tables
7.1 Pagination for Large Datasets:
Explain the limitations of handling a large number of rows in a single table.
Introduce the concept of paginating the data for more manageable PDF generation.

7.2 Implementing Pagination:
Demonstrate how to implement pagination for large tables using libraries like react-table or custom pagination logic.
Showcase how to generate PDFs for each page of the table separately.

7.3 Dynamic Loading of Data:
Explore the option of dynamically loading data as the user navigates through pages to optimize performance.
Discuss how lazy loading or infinite scrolling techniques can be beneficial.

Section 8: Performance Optimization
8.1 Virtualization Techniques:
Discuss the importance of virtualization to handle a large number of DOM elements efficiently.
Introduce libraries like react-virtualized that can be integrated to enhance performance.

8.2 Asynchronous PDF Generation:
Explain the benefits of asynchronous PDF generation to prevent blocking the UI during the process.
Utilize async/await to handle the generation process in the background.

Section 9: User Experience Considerations
9.1 Loading Indicators:
Implement loading indicators to inform users about the ongoing PDF generation process, especially for large datasets.

9.2 Providing Download Progress:
If feasible, demonstrate how to provide users with a download progress indicator to keep them informed about the PDF generation status.

Section 10: Conclusion and Future Considerations
10.1 Recap and Summary:
Summarize the key points discussed in handling large tables and optimizing PDF generation.

10.2 Future Considerations:
Encourage readers to explore other optimization techniques and libraries that may emerge in the future.
Discuss any potential updates or improvements in the jsPDF or jspdf-autotable libraries related to performance.
By addressing the challenges of handling large datasets in the blog post, you provide valuable insights to readers who may encounter similar issues in their projects. It also showcases your awareness of practical considerations when working with extensive data sets.

import React from 'react';

import jsPDF from "jspdf";
import "jspdf-autotable";

export function App(props) {
    const generatePDF = () => {
    const doc = new jsPDF("l", "mm", "legal");

    doc.text("left heading", 10, 10);
    doc.text("right header", doc.internal.pageSize.width - 10, 10, {
      align: "right",
    });
    doc.setFontSize(12);

    const jsonBody = [];
    const headerData = convertToFormDataArray(["EmployeeID","FirstName","LastName","DateOfBirth","Department","Salary"]);

  const dummyData = [
  [1, 'John', 'Doe', '1985-03-15', 'IT', 80000],
  [2, 'Jane', 'Smith', '1990-07-22', 'HR', 75000],
  [3, 'Bob', 'Johnson', '1988-11-10', 'Marketing', 85000],
  [4, 'Alice', 'Williams', '1995-05-03', 'Finance', 90000],
  [5, 'Charlie', 'Brown', '1980-09-28', 'Operations', 78000]
];

    jsonBody.push(...dummyData);

    function convertToFormDataArray(array) {
      return array.map((header) => ({ header }));
    }

    // doc.text(pdfHeader, centerX, 20);

    const addPageNumbersAndTitles = () => {
      const pageCount = doc.internal.getNumberOfPages();
      for (let i = 1; i <= pageCount; i++) {
        doc.autoTable({
          // head: [[pdfHeader], pdfField], // Use the first header for all pages
          head: [
            [
              {
                content: " table Heading 1",
                colSpan: headerData.length,
                styles: { halign: "center", fillColor: [22, 160, 133] },
              },
            ],
            [
              {
                content: " table heading 2",
                colSpan: headerData.length,
                styles: { halign: "center", fillColor: [22, 160, 133] },
              },
            ],

          ["EmployeeID","FirstName","LastName","DateOfBirth","Department","Salary"],
          ],
          body: jsonBody,
          startY: 20,
          columnStyles: { email: { cellWidth: "wrap" } },
          theme: "striped",
          didDrawPage: () => {
            const pageWidth = doc.internal.pageSize.width;
            const pageHeight = doc.internal.pageSize.height;
            doc.setFontSize(10);
            const pages = doc.internal.getNumberOfPages();
            doc.setFontSize(10);
            for (let j = 1; j < pages + 1; j++) {
              const horizontalPos = pageWidth / 2;
              const verticalPos = pageHeight - 10;
              doc.setPage(j);
              doc.text(`Page ${j}`, horizontalPos, verticalPos, {
                align: "center",
              });
            }
          },
          columns: headerData,
        });
      }
    };

    addPageNumbersAndTitles();

    doc.save(`${"pdfName"}.pdf`);
  };
   return (
    <>
      <button
        onClick={generatePDF}
        className={
          "btn-primary ml-auto flex justify-center items-center gap-2"
        }
      >

        <p>Download PDF</p>
      </button>
    </>
  );
}