@react-pdf/renderer vs react-pdf
PDF Generation in React Applications
@react-pdf/rendererreact-pdfSimilar Packages:

PDF Generation in React Applications

PDF generation libraries for React provide developers with the tools to create and manipulate PDF documents directly within their applications. These libraries facilitate the rendering of complex layouts, text, and images into PDF format, allowing for dynamic content generation based on user interactions or data inputs. They are essential for applications that require downloadable reports, invoices, or any document that needs to be printed or saved in PDF format. The choice between these libraries often depends on specific project requirements, such as ease of use, customization options, and performance considerations.

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@react-pdf/renderer016,409266 kB4442 months agoMIT
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Feature Comparison: @react-pdf/renderer vs react-pdf

PDF Creation

  • @react-pdf/renderer:

    @react-pdf/renderer allows you to create PDFs from scratch using React components. You can define the layout and style of your PDF documents using familiar React syntax, making it easy to integrate with your existing React application. This library supports complex layouts, text formatting, and image embedding, providing a high level of customization for the generated PDFs.

  • react-pdf:

    react-pdf is primarily designed for displaying existing PDF documents rather than creating new ones. It provides a set of components that enable you to render PDF files in a React application, allowing users to view and navigate through documents seamlessly.

Customization and Styling

  • @react-pdf/renderer:

    @react-pdf/renderer offers extensive customization options, allowing you to style your PDF documents using CSS-like properties. You can create reusable components and apply styles dynamically, ensuring that the generated PDFs match your application's design. This flexibility is particularly useful for creating branded documents such as invoices or reports.

  • react-pdf:

    react-pdf has limited customization capabilities compared to @react-pdf/renderer. While you can control the display of the PDF viewer, the styling options for the actual PDF content are constrained, as it relies on the original formatting of the PDF file.

Performance

  • @react-pdf/renderer:

    @react-pdf/renderer is optimized for performance when generating PDFs, as it only renders the components necessary for the document. This can lead to faster PDF generation times, especially for complex documents. However, performance may vary based on the complexity of the layout and the amount of data being processed.

  • react-pdf:

    react-pdf is efficient for rendering existing PDFs, but performance can be impacted by the size and complexity of the PDF files being displayed. Large or complex PDFs may take longer to load and render, especially on lower-powered devices.

Use Cases

  • @react-pdf/renderer:

    @react-pdf/renderer is ideal for applications that require dynamic PDF generation, such as generating invoices, reports, or certificates based on user input or data from APIs. It is particularly useful for applications that need to maintain a consistent look and feel between the web interface and the generated documents.

  • react-pdf:

    react-pdf is best suited for applications that need to display existing PDF documents, such as user manuals, e-books, or forms that users can fill out. It is useful for applications that require PDF viewing capabilities without the need for document creation.

Learning Curve

  • @react-pdf/renderer:

    @react-pdf/renderer has a moderate learning curve, especially for developers familiar with React. Understanding how to structure components for PDF generation may take some time, but the use of familiar React patterns can ease the transition.

  • react-pdf:

    react-pdf is relatively easy to learn, especially for developers who are already comfortable with React. The API is straightforward, focusing on rendering existing PDFs, which simplifies the integration process.

How to Choose: @react-pdf/renderer vs react-pdf

  • @react-pdf/renderer:

    Choose @react-pdf/renderer if you need a powerful and flexible solution for generating PDFs directly from React components. This library allows you to use React's component model to define your PDF layout, making it easier to maintain consistency between your web application and the generated PDF.

  • react-pdf:

    Choose react-pdf if you are looking for a library that focuses on rendering existing PDF documents within your React application. It is ideal for applications that need to display PDF files to users without generating them from scratch.

README for @react-pdf/renderer

React renderer for creating PDF files on the browser and server

How to install

yarn add @react-pdf/renderer

How it works

import { Document, Page, Text, View, StyleSheet } from '@react-pdf/renderer';

// Create styles
const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  page: {
    flexDirection: 'row',
    backgroundColor: '#E4E4E4',
  },
  section: {
    margin: 10,
    padding: 10,
    flexGrow: 1,
  },
});

// Create Document Component
const MyDocument = () => (
  <Document>
    <Page size="A4" style={styles.page}>
      <View style={styles.section}>
        <Text>Section #1</Text>
      </View>
      <View style={styles.section}>
        <Text>Section #2</Text>
      </View>
    </Page>
  </Document>
);

Web. Render in DOM

import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import { PDFViewer } from '@react-pdf/renderer';

const App = () => (
  <PDFViewer>
    <MyDocument />
  </PDFViewer>
);

ReactDOM.render(<App />, document.getElementById('root'));

Node. Save in a file

import ReactPDF from '@react-pdf/renderer';

ReactPDF.render(<MyDocument />, `${__dirname}/example.pdf`);

Examples

For each example, try opening output.pdf to see the result.


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Contributors

This project exists thanks to all the people who contribute. [Contribute].

Sponsors

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Backers

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License

MIT © Diego Muracciole

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