Delphi ActiveX Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Fill a PDF Template: Replace {{placeholders}} with Values

See more PDF Text Replacement Examples

Demonstrates the TextReplace method on an invoice template whose values are written as placeholders such as {{customer}} and {{total}}. The "placeholders" object names each placeholder and the text to put in; every occurrence on the page is replaced, including a placeholder inside a sentence or inside a label such as "Tax ({{taxRate}}):". The text is redrawn with the font the template used, so the result looks like the template, and a value that is right-aligned in the template stays right-aligned. The changes are written by WriteFile. Delphi ActiveX

var
success: Integer;
pdf: TChilkatPdf;
json: TChilkatJsonObject;
jsonOut: TChilkatJsonObject;
i: Integer;
count_i: Integer;

begin
success := 0;

//  This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
//  See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

//  The PDF used in this example is available at invoice_template.pdf

pdf := TChilkatPdf.Create(Self);
success := pdf.LoadFile('qa_data/pdf/invoice_template.pdf');
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  The template has these placeholders in its page text:
//    {{customer}} (twice: "Bill To:" and the closing sentence), {{date}}, {{po}},
//    two item rows: {{qty1}} {{desc1}} {{price1}} {{amount1}} and {{qty2}} {{desc2}} {{price2}} {{amount2}},
//    {{subtotal}}, "Tax ({{taxRate}}):" with {{tax}}, and {{total}}.
json := TChilkatJsonObject.Create(Self);
json.UpdateString('placeholders.customer','Acme Corp');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.date','2026-10-18');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.po','PO-88213');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.qty1','2');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.desc1','Cordless drill, 18 V');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.price1','$460.00');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.amount1','$920.00');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.qty2','6');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.desc2','Galvanized hinge, 4 inch');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.price2','$12.50');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.amount2','$75.00');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.subtotal','$995.00');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.taxRate','7.35%');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.tax','$73.13');
json.UpdateString('placeholders.total','$1,068.13');

//  "apply" makes every replacement, or none: if any value cannot be drawn with the
//  template's font, the method returns false, the PDF is unchanged, and jsonOut says why.
jsonOut := TChilkatJsonObject.Create(Self);
success := pdf.TextReplace('apply',json.ControlInterface,jsonOut.ControlInterface);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add('Not applied: ' + jsonOut.Emit());
    if (success = 0) then
      begin
        Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
        Exit;
      end;
  end;

//  One entry per placeholder: the pages it was found on and how many times it was replaced.
i := 0;
count_i := jsonOut.SizeOfArray('replacements');
while i < count_i do
  begin
    jsonOut.I := i;
    Memo1.Lines.Add(jsonOut.StringOf('replacements[i].field') + ': ' + IntToStr(jsonOut.IntOf('replacements[i].count')) + ' on page(s) ' + jsonOut.StringOf('replacements[i].pages'));
    i := i + 1;
  end;

//  The replacements stay in memory until the PDF is written.
success := pdf.WriteFile('qa_output/invoice_filled.pdf');
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;
Memo1.Lines.Add('Wrote qa_output/invoice_filled.pdf');

//  Sample output:

//  customer: 2 on page(s) 1
//  date: 1 on page(s) 1
//  po: 1 on page(s) 1
//  qty1: 1 on page(s) 1
//  desc1: 1 on page(s) 1
//  price1: 1 on page(s) 1
//  amount1: 1 on page(s) 1
//  qty2: 1 on page(s) 1
//  desc2: 1 on page(s) 1
//  price2: 1 on page(s) 1
//  amount2: 1 on page(s) 1
//  subtotal: 1 on page(s) 1
//  taxRate: 1 on page(s) 1
//  tax: 1 on page(s) 1
//  total: 1 on page(s) 1
//  Wrote qa_output/invoice_filled.pdf