itextsharp doesn't make new page when content is longer

Question

I try from 3 day to find way to make one pdf document, and I will appreciate any help.

I have few form fields which access and fill with no problem. Below of this fields I want to place dynamically created table. This table can be long enough to be on more than one page. And here is my problem. I can`t add this table on the same page with form fiels just below them. I find example which merge pdf files. And now I have this scenario.

1. Make one pdf with filled form fields
2. Make pdf with pdfTable which always be with only one page, but content is longer
3. Make pdf which is merge from first two. In first page is filled form fields and in second page is my pdfTable.

I just want to have form fields and table which starts from first page and continue on some next pages.

I post my code which is a little mess but ...

string pdfTemplate = Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoiceTest.pdf";
        string newFile = Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf";

        using (FileStream ms = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf", FileMode.Create))
        using (FileStream formFile = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoiceTest.pdf", FileMode.Open))
        {
            PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(formFile);
            using (Document document = new Document(reader.GetPageSizeWithRotation(1)))
            {
                PdfStamper outStamper = new PdfStamper(reader, ms);
                PdfContentByte body = outStamper.GetOverContent(reader.NumberOfPages);

                document.Open(); //Open document to work with

                AcroFields fields = outStamper.AcroFields;

                BaseFont bfComic = BaseFont.CreateFont(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "trebuc.ttf", BaseFont.IDENTITY_H, BaseFont.EMBEDDED);
                Font font = new Font(bfComic, 12);

                // UPDATE THE FORM FIELDS
                fields.SetFieldProperty("txtContragentName", "textfont", bfComic, null);
                fields.SetField("txtContragentName", "Фрея");
                fields.SetFieldProperty("txtContragentCode", "textfont", bfComic, null);
                fields.SetField("txtContragentCode", "DGB34TT");
                fields.SetFieldProperty("txtDateCreated", "textfont", bfComic, null);
                fields.SetField("txtDateCreated", "03.06.2013");

                outStamper.Close();
            }
        }

        using (FileStream ms = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 2 + ".pdf", FileMode.Create))
        using (FileStream formFile = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf", FileMode.Open))
        {
            PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(formFile);
            using (Document document = new Document(reader.GetPageSizeWithRotation(1)))
            {
                PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.GetInstance(document, ms);
                document.Open();
                //Paragraph heading = new Paragraph("Page Heading", new Font(Font.FontFamily.HELVETICA, 10f, Font.BOLD));
                //heading.SpacingAfter = 8f;
                //doc.Add(heading);
                string text = @"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Suspendisse blandit blandit turpis. Nam in lectus ut dolor consectetuer bibendum. Morbi neque ipsum, laoreet id; dignissim et, viverra id, mauris. Nulla mauris elit, consectetuer sit amet, accumsan eget, congue ac, libero. Vivamus suscipit. Nunc dignissim consectetuer lectus. Fusce elit nisi; commodo non, facilisis quis, hendrerit eu, dolor? Suspendisse eleifend nisi ut magna. Phasellus id lectus! Vivamus laoreet enim et dolor. Integer arcu mauris, ultricies vel, porta quis, venenatis at, libero. Donec nibh est, adipiscing et, ullamcorper vitae, placerat at, diam. Integer ac turpis vel ligula rutrum auctor! Morbi egestas erat sit amet diam. Ut ut ipsum? Aliquam non sem. Nulla risus eros, mollis quis, blandit ut; luctus eget, urna. Vestibulum vestibulum dapibus erat. Proin egestas leo a metus?";
                PdfContentByte cb = writer.DirectContent;
                ColumnText columns = new ColumnText(cb);
                //float left, float right, float gutterwidth, int numcolumns
                columns.SetSimpleColumn(40, 20, document.PageSize.Width - 40, document.PageSize.Height - 20);
                //Paragraph para = new Paragraph(text, new Font(Font.FontFamily.HELVETICA, 8f));
                ////para.SpacingAfter = 9f;
                //para.Alignment = Element.ALIGN_JUSTIFIED;
                //for (int i = 0; i < 28; i++)
                //{
                //    columns.AddElement(para);
                //}

                //columns.Go();

                BaseFont bfComic = BaseFont.CreateFont(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "trebuc.ttf", BaseFont.IDENTITY_H, BaseFont.EMBEDDED);
                Font font = new Font(bfComic, 12);
                PdfPTable table = new PdfPTable(10);
                table.HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_LEFT;
                table.DefaultCell.HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_RIGHT;
                table.WidthPercentage = 100;
                PdfPCell cell1 = new PdfPCell(new Phrase("ДАТА", new Font(bfComic, 10f, Font.NORMAL, BaseColor.WHITE))) { HorizontalAlignment = 1, VerticalAlignment = 2 };
                cell1.BackgroundColor = new iTextSharp.text.BaseColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#808080"));

                PdfPCell cell2 = new PdfPCell(new Phrase("Header spanning 3 columns", new Font(Font.NORMAL, 10f, Font.NORMAL, BaseColor.WHITE))) { HorizontalAlignment = 1 };
                cell2.BackgroundColor = new iTextSharp.text.BaseColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#808080"));

                table.AddCell(cell1);
                table.AddCell(cell2);
                //dump data to be set
                #region dump data
                for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
                {
                    table.AddCell("Col 1 Row 1");
                }

                #endregion

                float[] widths = new float[] { 200f, 200f, 200f, 200f, 100f, 100f, 100f, 100f, 100f, 100f };
                table.SetWidths(widths);
                table.CompleteRow(); //Added - table won't add the final row if its cells are incomplete - safe to have it ending a table
                columns.AddElement(table);
                columns.Go();
            }
        }

        using (FileStream ms = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 3 + ".pdf", FileMode.Create))
        using (FileStream stampedfile = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf", FileMode.Open))
        using (FileStream appendfile = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 2 + ".pdf", FileMode.Open))
        {
            PdfReader stampedContentReader = new PdfReader(stampedfile);
            PdfReader appendContentReader = new PdfReader(appendfile);

            using (Document document = new Document(stampedContentReader.GetPageSizeWithRotation(1)))
            {
                PdfCopy pdfCopy = new PdfCopy(document, ms);

                document.Open();

                for (int i = 1; i <= stampedContentReader.NumberOfPages; i++)
                    pdfCopy.AddPage(pdfCopy.GetImportedPage(stampedContentReader, i));

                for (int i = 1; i <= appendContentReader.NumberOfPages; i++)
                    pdfCopy.AddPage(pdfCopy.GetImportedPage(appendContentReader, i));
            }
        }

Answer 1

Your code is indeed a mess. I'll copy/paste it but please understand that I'm not a C# developer. I only know Java and I know iText inside-out (I'm its original developer).

string pdfTemplate = Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoiceTest.pdf";
string newFile = Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf";

using (FileStream ms = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf", FileMode.Create))
using (FileStream formFile = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoiceTest.pdf", FileMode.Open))
{
    PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(formFile);
    // YOU DON'T NEED A DOCUMENT OBJECT HERE!
    // READ THE DOCUMENTATION!!!
    PdfStamper outStamper = new PdfStamper(reader, ms);
    AcroFields fields = outStamper.AcroFields;
    BaseFont bfComic = BaseFont.CreateFont(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "trebuc.ttf", BaseFont.IDENTITY_H, BaseFont.EMBEDDED);
    // UPDATE THE FORM FIELDS
    fields.SetFieldProperty("txtContragentName", "textfont", bfComic, null);
    fields.SetField("txtContragentName", "Фрея");
    fields.SetFieldProperty("txtContragentCode", "textfont", bfComic, null);
    fields.SetField("txtContragentCode", "DGB34TT");
    fields.SetFieldProperty("txtDateCreated", "textfont", bfComic, null);
    fields.SetField("txtDateCreated", "03.06.2013");
    outStamper.Close();
}

using (FileStream ms = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 2 + ".pdf", FileMode.Create))
using (FileStream formFile = new FileStream(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "invoice" + 1 + ".pdf", FileMode.Open))
{
    PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(formFile);
    // I'm adding extra parameters to change the margins so that they match what you had when you defined your ColumnText object
    using (Document document = new Document(reader.GetPageSizeWithRotation(1), 40, 40, 20, 20))
    {
        PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.GetInstance(document, ms);
        document.Open();
        // HEADERS ARE ADDED WITH PAGE EVENTS!!!
        // PLEASE READ ABOUT PAGE EVENTS IF YOU NEED PAGE HEADERS
        string text = @"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Suspendisse blandit blandit turpis. Nam in lectus ut dolor consectetuer bibendum. Morbi neque ipsum, laoreet id; dignissim et, viverra id, mauris. Nulla mauris elit, consectetuer sit amet, accumsan eget, congue ac, libero. Vivamus suscipit. Nunc dignissim consectetuer lectus. Fusce elit nisi; commodo non, facilisis quis, hendrerit eu, dolor? Suspendisse eleifend nisi ut magna. Phasellus id lectus! Vivamus laoreet enim et dolor. Integer arcu mauris, ultricies vel, porta quis, venenatis at, libero. Donec nibh est, adipiscing et, ullamcorper vitae, placerat at, diam. Integer ac turpis vel ligula rutrum auctor! Morbi egestas erat sit amet diam. Ut ut ipsum? Aliquam non sem. Nulla risus eros, mollis quis, blandit ut; luctus eget, urna. Vestibulum vestibulum dapibus erat. Proin egestas leo a metus?";
        BaseFont bfComic = BaseFont.CreateFont(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/") + "trebuc.ttf", BaseFont.IDENTITY_H, BaseFont.EMBEDDED);
        Font font = new Font(bfComic, 12);
        PdfPTable table = new PdfPTable(10);
        // The next line doesn't make sense if the width percentage is 100%
        // table.HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_LEFT;
        table.DefaultCell.HorizontalAlignment = Element.ALIGN_RIGHT;
        table.WidthPercentage = 100;
        PdfPCell cell1 = new PdfPCell(new Phrase("ДАТА", new Font(bfComic, 10f, Font.NORMAL, BaseColor.WHITE))) { HorizontalAlignment = 1, VerticalAlignment = 2 };
        cell1.BackgroundColor = new iTextSharp.text.BaseColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#808080"));
        PdfPCell cell2 = new PdfPCell(new Phrase("Header spanning 3 columns", new Font(Font.NORMAL, 10f, Font.NORMAL, BaseColor.WHITE))) { HorizontalAlignment = 1 };
        cell2.BackgroundColor = new iTextSharp.text.BaseColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#808080"));
        table.AddCell(cell1);
        table.AddCell(cell2);
        //dump data to be set
        #region dump data
        for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
        {
            table.AddCell("Col 1 Row 1");
        }
        #endregion
        float[] widths = new float[] { 200f, 200f, 200f, 200f, 100f, 100f, 100f, 100f, 100f, 100f };
        table.SetWidths(widths);
        table.CompleteRow(); //Added - table won't add the final row if its cells are incomplete - safe to have it ending a table
        document.Add(table);
    }
}

The major mistake you made in the first part of your code, is introducing Document . There's no need for that. Please read chapter 6 of my book and take a look at the C# examples .

The major mistake you made in the second part is using ColumnText meaning you want to take control over the layout, but not knowing how to deal with that control. If you use ColumnText , you need to ask the column if all content was consumed. If not, you need to create a new page yourself. This is all explained in chapter 3 of my book.

The third part looks OK (as far as I understand C#).

I wrote my books so that people can save time by writing correct code from the start. I didn't write my books so that I have to copy/paste them on StackOverflow ;-)