How to Integrate Spire.PDF for JavaScript in a React Project

In the modern web development landscape, React has become the go-to framework for building dynamic and interactive user interfaces. When it comes to handling PDF documents within a React application, Spire.PDF for JavaScript stands out as a powerful tool.

This guide will walk you through how to integrate Spire.PDF for JavaScript into your React project, explore its benefits, and provide actionable insights to optimize your implementation.

• Benefits of Using Spire.PDF for JavaScript in React
• Set Up Your Environment
• Integrate Spire.PDF for JavaScript in Your Project
• Create and Save PDF Files Using JavaScript

Benefits of Using Spire.PDF for JavaScript in React

React, a widely used JavaScript library for crafting dynamic user interfaces, has become essential in modern web development. In tandem, Spire.PDF for JavaScript is a robust library tailored to enhance PDF document processing in web applications.

By incorporating Spire.PDF for JavaScript into your React project, you can introduce advanced PDF manipulation capabilities to your application. Here are some of the key advantages:

• Effortless PDF Generation: Spire.PDF for JavaScript facilitates the creation and editing of PDF documents directly within React, allowing for efficient management without the need for external applications.
• Cross-Platform Functionality: With Spire.PDF for JavaScript, you can generate PDFs that are accessible across various platforms, enabling users to view and edit documents from any location.
• Comprehensive Features: Spire.PDF for JavaScript provides a wide array of features, including text formatting, image embedding, and annotation capabilities, making it perfect for applications that require detailed PDF manipulation.
• Smooth Integration: Designed to work seamlessly with various JavaScript frameworks, including React, Spire.PDF for JavaScript integrates effortlessly into existing projects, ensuring a smooth development process.

Set Up Your Environment

Step 1. Install React and npm

Download and install Node.js from the official website. Make sure to choose the version that matches your operating system.

After the installation is complete, you can verify that Node.js and npm are working correctly by running the following commands in your terminal:

Step 2. Create a New React Project

Create a new React project named my-app using Create React App from terminal:

npx create-react-app my-app

If your React project is compiled successfully, the app will be served at http://localhost:3000, allowing you to view and test your application in a browser.

To visually browse and manage the files in your project, you can open the project using VS Code.

Integrate Spire.PDF for JavaScript in Your Project

Download Spire.PDF for JavaScript from our website and unzip it to a location on your disk. Inside the lib folder, you will find the Spire.Pdf.Base.js and Spire.Pdf.Base.wasm files.

Alternatively, you can download Spire.PDF for JavaScript using npm. In the terminal within VS Code, run the following command:

npm i spire.pdf

This command will download and install the Spire.PDF package, including all its dependencies. Once the installation is complete, the Spire.Pdf.Base.js and Spire.Pdf.Base.wasm files will be saved in the node_modules/spire.pdf path of your project.

Copy these two files into the "public" folder in your React project.

Add font files you plan to use to the "public" folder in your project. (Not always necessary)

Create and Save PDF Files Using JavaScript

Modify the code in the "App.js" file to generate a PDF file using the WebAssembly (WASM) module. Specifically, utilize the Spire.PDF for JavaScript library for PDF file manipulation.

Here is the entire code:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

function App() {

  // State to hold the loaded WASM module
  const [wasmModule, setWasmModule] = useState(null);

  // useEffect hook to load the WASM module when the component mounts
  useEffect(() => {
    const loadWasm = async () => {
      try {

        // Access the Module and spirepdf from the global window object
        const { Module, spirepdf } = window;

        // Set the wasmModule state when the runtime is initialized
        Module.onRuntimeInitialized = () => {
          setWasmModule(spirepdf);
        };
      } catch (err) {

        // Log any errors that occur during loading
        console.error('Failed to load WASM module:', err);
      }
    };

    // Create a script element to load the WASM JavaScript file
    const script = document.createElement('script');
    script.src = `${process.env.PUBLIC_URL}/Spire.Pdf.Base.js`;
    script.onload = loadWasm;

    // Append the script to the document body
    document.body.appendChild(script);

    // Cleanup function to remove the script when the component unmounts
    return () => {
      document.body.removeChild(script);
    };
  }, []); 

  // Function to create PDF file
  const CreatePdfDocument = async () => {
    if (wasmModule) {

      // Create a new document
      const doc= wasmModule.PdfDocument.Create();

      // Add a page
      let page = doc.Pages.Add();

      // Create font and brush
      let font = wasmModule.PdfFont.Create(wasmModule.PdfFontFamily.Helvetica, 30);
      let brush = wasmModule.PdfSolidBrush.Create({color:wasmModule.Color.get_Blue()});

      // Draw text on the page at the specified coordinate
      page.Canvas.DrawString({s: 'Hello, World', font: font, brush: brush, x: 10, y: 10});

      // Define the output file name
      const outputFileName = "output.pdf";

      // Save the document to the specified path
      doc.SaveToFile({fileName: outputFileName});
 
      // Read the generated PDF file
      const modifiedFileArray = wasmModule.FS.readFile(outputFileName);

      // Create a Blob object from the PDF file
      const modifiedFile = new Blob([modifiedFileArray], { type: 'application/pdf' });

      // Create a URL for the Blob
      const url = URL.createObjectURL(modifiedFile);

      // Create an anchor element to trigger the download
      const a = document.createElement('a');
      a.href = url;
      a.download = outputFileName;
      document.body.appendChild(a);
      a.click(); 
      document.body.removeChild(a); 
      URL.revokeObjectURL(url); 

      // Clean up resources
      doc.Dispose();
    }
  };

  return (
    <div style={{ textAlign: 'center', height: '300px' }}>
      <h1>Create a PDF Document in React</h1>
      <button onClick={CreatePdfDocument} disabled={!wasmModule}>
        Generate
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

Save the changes by clicking "File" - "Save".

Start the development server by entering the following command in the terminal within VS Code:

npm start

Once the React app is successfully compiled, it will open in your default web browser, typically at http://localhost:3000.

Click "Generate," and a "Save As" window will prompt you to save the output file in the designated folder.

Apply for a Temporary License

If you'd like to remove the evaluation message from the generated documents, or to get rid of the function limitations, please request a 30-day trial license for yourself.