How to generate PDF using Apex?

You can use the PageReference.getContentAsPDF() method in Apex to render a Visualforce page as PDF data. Then use Apex code to convert that PDF data to an email attachment, a document, a Chatter post, and so on.The following example is a simple three element form that selects an account and a report format, and then sends the resulting report to the specified email address.

<apex:page title="Account Summary" tabStyle="Account"
    controller="PdfEmailerController">

    <apex:pageMessages />

    <apex:form >
        <apex:pageBlock title="Account Summary">
    
        <p>Select a recently modified account to summarize.</p>
        <p/>
        
        <apex:pageBlockSection title="Report Format">
        
            <!-- Select account menu -->
            <apex:pageBlockSectionItem>
                <apex:outputLabel for="selectedAccount" value="Account"/> 
                <apex:selectList id="selectedAccount" value="{! selectedAccount }" 
                                 size="1">
                    <apex:selectOption /> <!-- blank by default -->
                    <apex:selectOptions value="{! recentAccounts }" />
                </apex:selectList>
            </apex:pageBlockSectionItem>

            <!-- Select report format menu -->
            <apex:pageBlockSectionItem >
                <apex:outputLabel for="selectedReport" value="Summary Format"/> 
                <apex:selectList id="selectedReport" value="{! selectedReport }" 
                                 size="1">
                    <apex:selectOptions value="{! reportFormats }" />
                </apex:selectList>
            </apex:pageBlockSectionItem>

            <!-- Email recipient input field -->
            <apex:pageBlockSectionItem >
                <apex:outputLabel for="recipientEmail" value="Send To"/> 
                <apex:inputText value="{! recipientEmail }" size="40"/>
            </apex:pageBlockSectionItem>

        </apex:pageBlockSection>
            
        <apex:pageBlockButtons location="bottom">
            <apex:commandButton action="{! sendReport }" value="Send Account Summary" />
        </apex:pageBlockButtons>
    
    </apex:pageBlock>
    </apex:form>

</apex:page>

This page is a simple user interface. When you’re generating a PDF file from Apex, all the action is in the Apex code.In this example, that code is in the PdfEmailerController class that’s specified as the page’s controller.

public with sharing class PdfEmailerController {
    
    // Form fields
    public Id selectedAccount    { get; set; }  // Account selected on Visualforce page
    public String selectedReport { get; set; }  // Report selected
    public String recipientEmail { get; set; }  // Send to this email
    
    // Action method for the [Send Account Summary] button
    public PageReference sendReport() {

        // NOTE: Abbreviated error checking to keep the code sample short
        //       You, of course, would never do this little error checking
        if(String.isBlank(this.selectedAccount) || String.isBlank(this.recipientEmail)) {
            ApexPages.addMessage(new 
                ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, 
               'Errors on the form. Please correct and resubmit.'));
            return null; // early out
        }
        
        // Get account name for email message strings
        Account account = [SELECT Name 
                           FROM Account 
                           WHERE Id = :this.selectedAccount 
                           LIMIT 1];
        if(null == account) {
            // Got a bogus ID from the form submission
            ApexPages.addMessage(new 
                ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR, 
               'Invalid account. Please correct and resubmit.'));
            return null; // early out
        }
        
        // Create email
        Messaging.SingleEmailMessage message = new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage();
        message.setToAddresses(new String[]{ this.recipientEmail });
        message.setSubject('Account summary for ' + account.Name);
        message.setHtmlBody('Here\'s a summary for the ' + account.Name + ' account.');
        
        // Create PDF
        PageReference reportPage = 
            (PageReference)this.reportPagesIndex.get(this.selectedReport);
        reportPage.getParameters().put('id', this.selectedAccount);
        Blob reportPdf;
        try {
            reportPdf = reportPage.getContentAsPDF();
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            reportPdf = Blob.valueOf(e.getMessage());
        }
        
        // Attach PDF to email and send
        Messaging.EmailFileAttachment attachment = new Messaging.EmailFileAttachment();
        attachment.setContentType('application/pdf');
        attachment.setFileName('AccountSummary-' + account.Name + '.pdf');
        attachment.setInline(false);
        attachment.setBody(reportPdf);
        message.setFileAttachments(new Messaging.EmailFileAttachment[]{ attachment });
        Messaging.sendEmail(new Messaging.SingleEmailMessage[]{ message });
        
        ApexPages.addMessage(new 
            ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.INFO,
           'Email sent with PDF attachment to ' + this.recipientEmail));

        return null; // Stay on same page, even on success
    }
    
    
    /***** Form Helpers *****/
    
    // Ten recently-touched accounts, for the Account selection menu
    public List<SelectOption> recentAccounts {
        get {
            if(null == recentAccounts){
                recentAccounts = new List<SelectOption>();
                for(Account acct : [SELECT Id,Name,LastModifiedDate 
                                    FROM Account 
                                    ORDER BY LastModifiedDate DESC 
                                    LIMIT 10]) {
                    recentAccounts.add(new SelectOption(acct.Id, acct.Name));
                }
            }
            return recentAccounts;
        }
        set;
    }
    
    // List of available reports, for the Summary Format selection menu
    public List<SelectOption> reportFormats {
        get {
            if(null == reportFormats) {
                reportFormats = new List<SelectOption>();
                for(Map <String,Object> report : reports) {
                    reportFormats.add(new SelectOption(
                        (String)report.get('name'), (String)report.get('label')));
                }
            }
            return reportFormats;
        }
        set;
    }

    
    /***** Private Helpers *****/
    
    // List of report templates to make available
    // These are just Visualforce pages you might print to PDF
    private Map<String,PageReference> reportPagesIndex;
    private List<Map<String,Object>> reports {
        get {
            if(null == reports) {
                reports = new List<Map<String,Object>>();
                // Add one report to the list of reports
                Map<String,Object> simpleReport = new Map<String,Object>();
                simpleReport.put('name',  'simple');
                simpleReport.put('label', 'Simple');
                simpleReport.put('page',   Page.ReportAccountSimple);
                reports.add(simpleReport);
                
                // Add your own, more complete list of PDF templates here

                // Index the page names for the reports
                this.reportPagesIndex = new Map<String,PageReference>();
                for(Map<String,Object> report : reports) {
                    this.reportPagesIndex.put(
                        (String)report.get('name'), (PageReference)report.get('page'));
                }
            }
            return reports;
        }
        set;
    }
}