PDF Report Generation: Automate Data as PDF
Generate data-driven PDF reports programmatically from databases, APIs, or spreadsheets. Compare Puppeteer, ReportLab, and pdfmake for report automation.
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Tags: pdf, developer-tools, business
Automated PDF Report Generation: Python and JavaScript Generating PDF reports automatically from data is one of the highest-value PDF programming tasks. Instead of manually creating the same monthly report in Word, a script queries the database, renders charts, formats a professional PDF, and emails it — every time, on schedule. Two Approaches to PDF Report Generation Approach 1: HTML → PDF (via Puppeteer or WeasyPrint) Write the report as HTML with CSS styling, then render to PDF using a headless browser or CSS-for-print renderer. Pros: Use familiar HTML/CSS skills, easy to maintain, excellent chart libraries (D3.js, Chart.js, ApexCharts) Cons: Requires a rendering engine (Chrome or WeasyPrint), slightly slower Approach 2: Direct PDF Generation (ReportLab, fpdf2, pdf-lib) Write the…
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