How to create PDF from HTML in Meteor 1.4.4.2 and 1.5 server side

Following are the steps to create PDF from HTML Template using Meteor 1.4.4.2

• Download the file and add the packages below PROJECT/.meteor/packages
  
  

  meteorhacks:ssr
  bryanmorgan:webshot
  
        
  
          
          
          
        
  
      

• Make sure that any html page you want to convert to pdf must be present in place PROJECT/private
  
  as per Meteor 1.4.4.2 guidelines. In this example, the filename is app_clientagreement.html
  
  (file is plain html).

• We will now create a server side method to generate the PDF. The file is in location PROJECT\imports\startup\server\methods.js
  
  (make sure you import the file method.js
  
  inside PROJECT\imports\startup\server\index.js
  
  as import './methods.js'
  
  ). Inside methods.js write below code

  import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
  import { SSR, Template } from 'meteor/meteorhacks:ssr';
  
  Meteor.methods({
      'generate_pdf'(){
  
      var fs      = Npm.require('fs');
      var Future = Npm.require('fibers/future');
      var fut = new Future();
      var fileName = "pokemon-report.pdf";
  
      SSR.compileTemplate('agreement', Assets.getText('app_clientagreement.html'));
      var html_string = SSR.render('agreement');
  
      var options = {
            "paperSize": {
                "format": "Letter",
                "orientation": "portrait",
                "margin": "1cm"
            },
            siteType: 'html'
      };
  
        webshot(html_string, fileName, options, function(err) {
            fs.readFile(fileName, function (err, data) {
                if (err) {
                    return console.log(err);
                }
                fs.unlinkSync(fileName);
                fut.return(data);
            });
        });
  
        let pdfData = fut.wait();
        let base64String = new Buffer(pdfData).toString('base64');
  
        return base64String;
    }
  });
  
        
  
          
          
          
        
  
      

• To call this method in the Template, for convenience of getting an automatic call, I call it when the template is rendered. The code is below,

  Template.App_Agreement.onRendered(function(){
        Meteor.call('generate_pdf', function(err, res) {
          if (err) {
               console.error(err);
          } else if (res) {
               window.open("data:application/pdf;base64, " + res);
          }
        });
  });
  
        
  
          
          
          
        
  
      

When you call over the template (which is "App_Agreement"), a new tab opens and a PDF is created.