Print templates

Sitecore Content Hub lets you generate a PDF file from a list of entities. You can use the print templates functionality to create a PDF based on entity properties and relations, such as the PDF report of annotations made on an asset.

To configure the generate PDF functionality in Content Hub, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Create a print template entity.
2. Create a print entity generation action.
3. Configure the Generate PDF operation.

The print template entity is a ZIP package containing .cshtml, .json, and .css files that define the structure of the PDF file using the entity properties and relations.

To create a print template entity from the Print templates page:

1. On the main menu bar, click Manage .
2. On the Manage page, click Print templates.
3. On the Print templates page, click New Print template.

4. In the New Print template dialog box, define the following parameters.

   Field	Type	Description	Value	Mandatory
   Name	String	Name of the print template	String value	Yes
   Target definition	Drop-down list	Definition of the entities that show in the PDF file	An entity definition	Yes
   Custom properties	String	Extra properties that the user needs to specify upon generating the PDF file	Name and label values	No

5. Click Create.

6. In the Upload print template dialog box, upload a print template package.

To create a print template entity from the Entities page:

1. On the main menu bar, click Manage .
2. On the Manage page, click Entities.
3. On the Entities page, in the Search field, enter Print.EntityGenerationTemplate and then select it.
4. On the Print template entities page, click New entity .

5. On the Entity detail page page, click the System tab and define the following parameters:

   Field	Type	Description	Value	Mandatory
   Name	String	Name of the print template	String value	Yes
   Target definition	Drop-down list	Definition of the entities that show in the PDF file	An entity definition	Yes
   Asset	Selection list	The print template ZIP package	A ZIP file	No
   Custom properties	String	Extra properties that the user needs to specify upon generating the PDF file	Name and label values	No

6. On the Entity detail page, click the Technical tab and define the following parameters.

   Field	Type	Description	Value	Mandatory
   Identifier	String	Print template entity identifier	String value	Yes
   Inherits security	Toggle switch	Inherits the security configuration from its parent entity	On/Off	No

After you create the print template entity, you use a print entity generation action to generate the PDF file based on the print template.

To create a print entity generation action:

1. On the main menu bar, click Manage .
2. On the Manage page, click Actions.
3. On the Actions page, click New action.

4. In the New action dialog box, define the following parameters:

   Field	Type	Description	Value	Mandatory
   Name	String	Name of the action	String value	Yes
   Label	String	Label of the action	String value	No
   Type	Drop-down list	Action type	Select Print Entity Generation	Yes
   Definition	Drop-down list	Target definition of the PDF generation	An entity definition	Yes
   Template	Drop-down list	Print template entity to use for the PDF generation	A print template	Yes

5. Click Save.

After you create the print template entity and the print entity generation action, you must configure the Generate PDF operation. Calling this operation triggers the print entity generation action, which in turn starts the PDF generation.

You can configure the Generate PDF operation for page components on any page you want. The following procedure details how to add the operation to the Entity operations component on the asset detail page but the procedure is similar for any page and page component that supports the Generate PDF operation.

To add the Generate PDF operation:

1. On the main menu bar, click Manage .
2. On the Manage page, click Pages.
3. In the page portal, search for and select the Asset details page.
4. Click the Layout tab and then click the Entity operations component to edit it.
5. On the EntityOperations component page, click Add operation, then select Generate PDF.
6. Configure the Generate PDF operation display settings.

7. Define the following operation settings:

   Field	Type	Description	Value	Mandatory
   Action	Selection list	Print entity generation action that triggers the PDF generation	An action of type Print Entity Generation	Yes
   High-resolution	Toggle switch	Generates a higher quality PDF	On/Off	No

8. Click Save.

"highRes": {
    "property": "Renditions",
    "rendition": "thumbnail"
    }

This section provides an example of a print template ZIP package used with an entity named Module, which contains a list of related entities called Feature.

The ZIP package contains the following files:

• Module.json - main file specifying the Module properties to use, and any related entities (in this case, Feature entities).
• Module.cshtml - specifies the structure of the defined Module properties in the PDF file using HTML format. This file can reference other .cshtml files to embed them within the structure.
• Feature.cshtml - specifies the structure of the defined Feature properties in the PDF file using HTML format. This file can be embedded within other .cshtml files.
• CSS file: this file specifies the CSS related to the .cshtml files.

The following code is an example of the Module.json file:

{
  "template": {
    "type": "Template",
    "file": "module.cshtml",
    "source": {
      "type": "entity",
      "variables": [
        {
          "name": "TopTitleLabel",
          "type": "snippet",
          "value": {
            "en-US": "Module Specifications"
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "Preview",
          "type": "rendition",
          "lowRes": {
            "property": "Renditions",
            "rendition": "preview"
          },
          "highRes": {
            "property": "MainFile"
          },
          "relation": {
            "name": "ModuleToMasterAsset",
            "role": "Parent",
            "relation": {
              "name": "MasterFile",
              "role": "Parent"
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "FeaturesLabel",
          "type": "snippet",
          "value": {
            "en-US": "Features"
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "ModuleName",
          "type": "property",
          "property": "ModuleName"
        },
        {
          "name": "ModuleDescription",
          "type": "property",
          "property": "ModuleDescription"
        },
        {
          "name": "Features",
          "type": "Template",
          "template": {
            "type": "Template",
            "file": "features.cshtml",
            "source": {
              "type": "relation",
              "relation": {
                "name": "ModuleToFeature",
                "role": "Parent"
              },
              "variables": [
                {
                  "name": "FeatureName",
                  "type": "property",
                  "property": "FeatureName"
                },
                {
                  "name": "FeatureDescription",
                  "type": "property",
                  "property": "FeatureDescription"
                },
                {
                  "name": "FeatureType",
                  "type": "property",
                  "property": "FeatureType"
                }
              ]
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

The following code is an example of the Module.cshtml file:

@model Stylelabs.M.Print.EntityGeneration.Models.Model

<html>
  <head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="bootstrap.min.css" />
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css" />
    <title>Module specification</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="top-header">
      <img src="/logo.png" class="logo" />
      <h5 class="top-title">
        @Raw(@Model.Properties["$$TopTitleLabel$$"].FirstOrDefault())
      </h5>
    </div>
    <div class="container-wrapper">
      <div class="container">
        <div class="row">
          <div class="col-xs-8">
            <h1>@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$ModuleName$$"].FirstOrDefault())</h1>
            <div class="lead">
              @Raw(@Model.Properties["$$ModuleDescription$$"].FirstOrDefault())
            </div>
          </div>
          <div class="col-xs-4">
            <img src="@(@Model.Properties["$$Preview$$"].FirstOrDefault())" d>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="container">
      <h5>@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeaturesLabel$$"].FirstOrDefault())</h5>
      <div class="features-wrapper">
        @foreach (var feature in @Model.Properties["$$Features$$"]) {
        @Raw(feature) }
      </div>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

The following code is an example of the Feature.cshtml file:

@model Stylelabs.M.Print.EntityGeneration.Models.Model

<h4>
  @Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeatureName$$"].FirstOrDefault()) @*<span
    class="type"
    >@Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeatureType$$"].FirstOrDefault())</span
  >*@
</h4>
<div class="feature-description">
  @Raw(@Model.Properties["$$FeatureDescription$$"].FirstOrDefault())
</div>