Please read this document to learn how to install and use this PHP package to generate PDF documents from HTML or DOCX templates.

DocumentGeneratorX

A Laravel package to generate PDF documents from DOCX or HTML templates with variable replacement, styling support, batch generation, and queue integration for parallel processing.

Features

• PDF Output: All documents are generated as high-quality PDF
• DOCX Templates: Use Microsoft Word documents as templates
• HTML Templates: Use HTML files as templates
• Variable Styling: Apply colors, bold, italic, and more to variables
• Image Support: Insert images with custom dimensions
• Array / Repeating Rows: Fill a table column from a list ? rows are added automatically
• Batch Generation: Generate multiple documents at once
• Queue Support: Process documents in background with Laravel queues
• Event System: Hook into generation lifecycle with Laravel events
• LibreOffice Integration: Best quality PDF output (default)

Installation

composer require ayoratoumvone/documentgeneratorx

Publish the config file:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag="documentgenerator-config"

Quick Start

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Facades\DocumentGenerator;

// Generate PDF from DOCX template
$pdfPath = DocumentGenerator::template('template.docx')
    ->variables([
        'name' => 'John Doe',
        'photo' => 'https://example.com/photo.jpg',
    ])
    ->generate();

Table of Contents

• Variable Syntax
• Styling Variables
• Arrays & Repeating Table Rows
• Single Document Generation
• Batch Generation
• Queue & Events (Parallel Processing)
• PDF Conversion Methods
• Configuration
• Standalone Usage

Variable Syntax

Use double curly braces with type annotations in your template:

{{variable_name:type,option1:value1,option2:value2}}

Supported Types

| Type | Syntax | Example Value | |------|--------|---------------| | Text | {{name:text}} | 'John Doe' | | Number | {{age:number}} | 25 | | Image | {{photo:image,width:200,height:100}} | 'path/to/image.jpg' | | Date | {{date:date}} | '2024-01-15' | | Boolean | {{active:boolean}} | true | | Array | {{items:array}} | ['Hammer', 'Saw', 'Nail'] |

> Array placeholders fill a table column from a list and grow the table automatically. See Arrays & Repeating Table Rows.

Image Options

{{logo:image}}                           // Default size
{{photo:image,width:200}}                // Fixed width
{{banner:image,width:200,height:100}}    // Fixed dimensions
{{avatar:image,ratio:1:1}}               // Aspect ratio

Styling Variables

Apply styling directly in template placeholders:

{{title:text,color:red,bold:true}}
{{name:text,font-size:18,underline:true}}
{{warning:text,color:#FF0000,background-color:#FFFF00}}

Supported Style Properties

| Property | Example | Description | |----------|---------|-------------| | color | color:red or color:#FF0000 | Text color | | bold | bold:true | Bold text | | italic | italic:true | Italic text | | underline | underline:true | Underlined text | | font-size | font-size:14 | Font size in points | | font-family | font-family:Arial | Font family | | background-color | background-color:#FFFF00 | Highlight color |

Named Colors

red, green, blue, black, white, yellow, orange, purple, pink, gray, brown, navy, teal, maroon

Arrays & Repeating Table Rows

> _Available since v2.0.7._

Use the array type to render a list of values down a column. The value you pass is a plain array of strings (numbers, booleans and dates work too ? they are stringified). One value is placed per row, and the table grows by itself to fit the data.

{{items:array}}

['items' => ['Hammer', 'Saw', 'Nail']]

How it works

Put the placeholder in one row of a table. That row becomes the template:

• It is cloned once per value in the list.
• If you drew extra blank rows under it, they are filled first; when the list is longer, new rows are added automatically. When the list is shorter, the leftover blank rows are removed ? so the output is always exactly the right size.
• If the list is empty, the template row is removed (only the header remains).

Multiple columns side by side

Place an array placeholder in each column of the same row. The row is cloned to the length of the longest list; shorter columns simply leave blank cells.

DOCX template (a 4-column table):

| Numero | Nom | Q | Dimission | |--------|-----|---|-----------| | {{nums:array}} | {{noms:array}} | {{qs:array}} | {{dims:array}} |

PHP code:

DocumentGenerator::template('inventory.docx')
    ->variables([
        'nums' => ['1', '2', '3'],
        'noms' => ['Hammer', 'Saw', 'Nail'],
        'qs'   => ['10', '5', '200'],
        'dims' => ['20cm', '40cm', '3cm'],
    ])
    ->generate('inventory.pdf');

Result ? the single placeholder row becomes three filled rows:

| Numero | Nom | Q | Dimission | |--------|-----|---|-----------| | 1 | Hammer | 10 | 20cm | | 2 | Saw | 5 | 40cm | | 3 | Nail | 200 | 3cm |

Styling array values

Array placeholders accept the same style options as text:

{{noms:array,bold:true,color:#2c3e50}}

Arrays outside a table

If an array placeholder is not inside a table, the values are stacked on separate lines within the same paragraph (joined with line breaks).

Notes

• Values are XML-escaped automatically (`&`, `<`, `>` are safe).
• A non-array value (e.g. a single string) is treated as a one-element list.
• Arrays inside a nested table (a table within a table cell) are not expanded.

Single Document Generation

Methods for generating one document at a time.

Available Methods

| Method | Description | Returns | |--------|-------------|---------| | generate($path) | Generate PDF to file path | File path | | download($filename) | Generate and return download response | HTTP Response | | generateToStorage($path, $disk) | Generate and save to Laravel storage | Storage path |

Generate to File

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Facades\DocumentGenerator;

$pdfPath = DocumentGenerator::template('invoice.docx')
    ->variables([
        'customer_name' => 'John Doe',
        'total' => '$1,234.00',
    ])
    ->generate('invoices/invoice-001.pdf');

Download Response (Single Document Only)

// Returns a download response - works for SINGLE document only
return DocumentGenerator::template('contract.docx')
    ->variables(['name' => 'John Doe'])
    ->download('contract.pdf');

Save to Storage

$path = DocumentGenerator::template('report.docx')
    ->variables(['title' => 'Monthly Report'])
    ->generateToStorage('reports/march-2024.pdf', 'public');

Batch Generation

Generate multiple documents at once. Returns an array of results.

> Note: download() is NOT available for batch generation. You cannot download multiple files in a single HTTP response. For batch downloads, generate files then create a ZIP archive.

Available Methods

| Method | Description | Returns | |--------|-------------|---------| | generateBatch($documents) | Generate multiple PDFs (same template) | Array of results | | batchGenerate($documents) | Generate multiple PDFs (different templates) | Array of results |

Same Template, Different Data

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Facades\DocumentGenerator;

$generator = DocumentGenerator::template('certificate.docx');

$results = $generator->generateBatch([
    ['variables' => ['name' => 'Alice Johnson'], 'output' => 'certs/alice.pdf'],
    ['variables' => ['name' => 'Bob Smith'], 'output' => 'certs/bob.pdf'],
    ['variables' => ['name' => 'Carol White'], 'output' => 'certs/carol.pdf'],
]);

// Check results
foreach ($results as $result) {
    if ($result['success']) {
        echo "Generated: {$result['path']}\n";
    } else {
        echo "Failed: {$result['error']}\n";
    }
}

Different Templates

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\DocumentGenerator;

$results = DocumentGenerator::batchGenerate([
    [
        'template' => 'invoice.docx',
        'variables' => ['customer' => 'John', 'total' => '$500'],
        'output' => 'docs/invoice.pdf',
    ],
    [
        'template' => 'contract.docx', 
        'variables' => ['client' => 'Jane', 'date' => '2024-01-15'],
        'output' => 'docs/contract.pdf',
    ],
]);

Progress Callback

$results = $generator->generateBatch($documents, false, function($completed, $total, $path) {
    $percent = round(($completed / $total) * 100);
    echo "Progress: {$percent}% ({$completed}/{$total})\n";
});

Download Multiple Documents as ZIP

To let users download multiple documents, create a ZIP file:

use ZipArchive;

// Generate batch
$results = $generator->generateBatch($documents);

// Create ZIP with successful files
$zipPath = storage_path('app/temp/documents.zip');
$zip = new ZipArchive();
$zip->open($zipPath, ZipArchive::CREATE | ZipArchive::OVERWRITE);

foreach ($results as $result) {
    if ($result['success']) {
        $zip->addFile($result['path'], basename($result['path']));
    }
}
$zip->close();

// Return ZIP download
return response()->download($zipPath, 'documents.zip')->deleteFileAfterSend(true);

Queue & Events (Parallel Processing)

For generating many documents simultaneously, use Laravel's queue system with the built-in job and events. Each document gets a system-generated documentId that you can use to track its progress.

Why Use Queues?

• Parallel Processing: Generate multiple documents at the same time
• Background Processing: Don't block web requests
• Reliability: Automatic retries on failure
• Scalability: Distribute work across multiple queue workers
• Tracking: Each document gets a unique ID for status tracking

Generate Single Document in Queue

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Jobs\GenerateDocument;

// Create the job to get the document ID
$job = new GenerateDocument(
    templatePath: storage_path('templates/invoice.docx'),
    variables: ['customer' => 'John Doe', 'total' => '$1,234'],
    outputPath: storage_path('app/invoices/invoice-001.pdf')
);

// Get the document ID for tracking (store this in your database)
$documentId = $job->documentId;  // e.g., "doc_550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"

// Save to your database
DocumentRequest::create([
    'document_id' => $documentId,
    'user_id' => auth()->id(),
    'status' => 'pending',
]);

// Dispatch the job
dispatch($job);

// Return the document ID to user so they can check status later
return response()->json(['document_id' => $documentId, 'status' => 'processing']);

Generate Multiple Documents in Parallel

Use the GenerateDocumentBatch helper:

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Jobs\GenerateDocumentBatch;

// Create batch
$batchHelper = GenerateDocumentBatch::create([
    ['template' => 'invoice.docx', 'variables' => ['name' => 'Alice'], 'output' => 'alice.pdf'],
    ['template' => 'invoice.docx', 'variables' => ['name' => 'Bob'], 'output' => 'bob.pdf'],
    ['template' => 'invoice.docx', 'variables' => ['name' => 'Carol'], 'output' => 'carol.pdf'],
]);

// Get all document IDs BEFORE dispatching (store these in your database)
$documentIds = $batchHelper->getDocumentIds();
// ['doc_abc123...', 'doc_def456...', 'doc_ghi789...']

// Save to your database for tracking
foreach ($documentIds as $documentId) {
    DocumentRequest::create([
        'document_id' => $documentId,
        'user_id' => auth()->id(),
        'status' => 'pending',
    ]);
}

// Now dispatch
$batch = $batchHelper
    ->name('Monthly Invoices')
    ->onQueue('documents')
    ->dispatch();

// Return document IDs to user
return response()->json([
    'batch_id' => $batchHelper->getBatchId(),
    'document_ids' => $documentIds,
    'status' => 'processing',
]);

Tracking Document Status with Events

When documents complete (or fail), events fire with the documentId. Use listeners to update your database:

// In your EventServiceProvider
protected $listen = [
    \Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\DocumentGenerated::class => [
        \App\Listeners\UpdateDocumentStatus::class,
    ],
    \Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\DocumentGenerationFailed::class => [
        \App\Listeners\HandleDocumentFailure::class,
    ],
];

// app/Listeners/UpdateDocumentStatus.php
class UpdateDocumentStatus
{
    public function handle(DocumentGenerated $event): void
    {
        // Find your record using the document ID
        $request = DocumentRequest::where('document_id', $event->documentId)->first();
        
        if ($request) {
            $request->update([
                'status' => 'completed',
                'file_path' => $event->outputPath,
                'completed_at' => now(),
            ]);
            
            // Notify the user
            $request->user->notify(new DocumentReadyNotification($event->outputPath));
        }
    }
}

API Endpoint Example

// Controller: Start document generation
public function generateInvoice(Request $request)
{
    $job = new GenerateDocument(
        'invoice.docx',
        ['customer' => $request->customer_name, 'total' => $request->total],
        "invoices/{$request->invoice_id}.pdf"
    );
    
    // Store for tracking
    DocumentRequest::create([
        'document_id' => $job->documentId,
        'user_id' => auth()->id(),
        'type' => 'invoice',
        'status' => 'processing',
    ]);
    
    dispatch($job);
    
    return response()->json([
        'document_id' => $job->documentId,
        'message' => 'Document is being generated',
    ]);
}

// Controller: Check status
public function checkStatus(string $documentId)
{
    $request = DocumentRequest::where('document_id', $documentId)
        ->where('user_id', auth()->id())
        ->firstOrFail();
    
    return response()->json([
        'document_id' => $documentId,
        'status' => $request->status,
        'file_path' => $request->file_path,
        'completed_at' => $request->completed_at,
    ]);
}

Events

The package fires events at each stage of document generation. Use these to add custom logic.

| Event | When Fired | Use Case | |-------|------------|----------| | DocumentGenerating | Before generation starts | Validate, log start | | DocumentGenerated | After successful generation | Notify user, move file | | DocumentGenerationFailed | When generation fails | Log error, notify admin | | BatchGenerationCompleted | When batch finishes | Zip files, send summary |

Setting Up Event Listeners

1. Publish example listeners:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag="documentgenerator-listeners"

2. Register listeners in EventServiceProvider:

// app/Providers/EventServiceProvider.php

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\DocumentGenerated;
use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\DocumentGenerationFailed;
use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\BatchGenerationCompleted;
use App\Listeners\DocumentGenerator\LogDocumentGenerated;
use App\Listeners\DocumentGenerator\NotifyDocumentReady;
use App\Listeners\DocumentGenerator\HandleGenerationFailed;
use App\Listeners\DocumentGenerator\HandleBatchCompleted;

protected $listen = [
    DocumentGenerated::class => [
        LogDocumentGenerated::class,
        NotifyDocumentReady::class,
    ],
    DocumentGenerationFailed::class => [
        HandleGenerationFailed::class,
    ],
    BatchGenerationCompleted::class => [
        HandleBatchCompleted::class,
    ],
];

Example: Notify User When Document is Ready

// app/Listeners/DocumentGenerator/NotifyDocumentReady.php

namespace App\Listeners\DocumentGenerator;

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\DocumentGenerated;
use App\Models\DocumentRequest;
use App\Notifications\DocumentReadyNotification;

class NotifyDocumentReady
{
    public function handle(DocumentGenerated $event): void
    {
        // Find the document request using the system-generated documentId
        $request = DocumentRequest::where('document_id', $event->documentId)->first();
        
        if ($request) {
            // Update status
            $request->update([
                'status' => 'completed',
                'file_path' => $event->outputPath,
            ]);
            
            // Notify the user who requested this document
            $request->user->notify(new DocumentReadyNotification(
                $event->outputPath,
                $event->getFileSizeFormatted()
            ));
        }
    }
}

Example: Create ZIP of Batch Documents

// app/Listeners/DocumentGenerator/HandleBatchCompleted.php

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Events\BatchGenerationCompleted;
use ZipArchive;

class HandleBatchCompleted
{
    public function handle(BatchGenerationCompleted $event): void
    {
        if (!$event->isFullySuccessful()) {
            Log::warning("Batch {$event->batchId} had {$event->failedCount} failures");
            return;
        }

        // Create ZIP with all documents
        $zipPath = storage_path("app/batches/{$event->batchId}.zip");
        $zip = new ZipArchive();
        $zip->open($zipPath, ZipArchive::CREATE);

        foreach ($event->getSuccessfulPaths() as $path) {
            $zip->addFile($path, basename($path));
        }

        $zip->close();
        
        Log::info("Batch ZIP created: {$zipPath}");
    }
}

Running Queue Workers

Start queue workers to process document generation jobs:

# Single worker
php artisan queue:work

# Multiple workers for parallel processing
php artisan queue:work --queue=documents &
php artisan queue:work --queue=documents &
php artisan queue:work --queue=documents &

# Using Supervisor (production)
# See Laravel docs: https://laravel.com/docs/queues#supervisor-configuration

PDF Conversion Methods

LibreOffice (Default - Best Quality)

Uses LibreOffice for pixel-perfect PDF conversion. Recommended for production.

Install LibreOffice: - Windows: Download - Linux: sudo apt install libreoffice - macOS: brew install libreoffice

DOCUMENT_PDF_CONVERSION=libreoffice
LIBREOFFICE_PATH="C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe"

Dompdf (HTML-based Fallback)

No external dependencies, but may not preserve all formatting.

DOCUMENT_PDF_CONVERSION=dompdf

Error Handling

If LibreOffice is not installed, you'll get a helpful error:

LibreOffice is not installed or not found on this system.

To fix this, you have two options:

1. Install LibreOffice (recommended for best PDF quality):
   Download from: https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download/
   Then set the path in your .env file:
   LIBREOFFICE_PATH="C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe"

2. Use HTML-based conversion (no LibreOffice required):
   Set in your .env file:
   DOCUMENT_PDF_CONVERSION=dompdf

Configuration

// config/documentgenerator.php

return [
    // PDF conversion method: 'libreoffice' (default) or 'dompdf'
    'pdf_conversion' => env('DOCUMENT_PDF_CONVERSION', 'libreoffice'),
    
    // LibreOffice executable path (auto-detected if not set)
    'libreoffice_path' => env('LIBREOFFICE_PATH', null),
    
    // Default template storage path
    'template_path' => storage_path('app/document-templates'),
    
    // Default output path for permanent files
    'output_path' => storage_path('app/generated-documents'),
    
    // Save to temp directory (auto-deleted)
    'temp_output' => true,
    
    // Delete file after download() response
    'delete_after_download' => true,
    
    // Cleanup temp files on script end
    'cleanup_on_shutdown' => true,
    
    // Default storage disk
    'disk' => 'local',
];

Standalone Usage (Without Laravel)

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use Ayoratoumvone\Documentgeneratorx\Generators\DocxToPdfGenerator;

$generator = new DocxToPdfGenerator();

// Set LibreOffice path
$generator->setLibreOfficePath('C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe');

// Generate PDF
$generator->generate(
    'template.docx',
    ['name' => 'John Doe', 'date' => '2024-01-15'],
    'output.pdf'
);

Requirements

• PHP 8.1+
• Laravel 9.x, 10.x, 11.x, or 12.x
• GD extension for image processing
• LibreOffice (recommended) or Dompdf

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.md for details.

Author

• Ayoratoumvone