Meteor Server Side PDF Generation

imports.startup.server.routes.js

import PdfMake from 'pdfmake';
import fonts from 'pdfmake/build/vfs_fonts';
import streamBuffers from 'stream-buffers';

// use picker for meteor server side routes
Picker.route('/pdf', function(params, req, res, next) {
  
  // define the content of the pdf document
  const documentDefinition = {content: 'Hello World!'};

  // define embedded fonts to embed in the pdf document
  const fontDescriptors = {
    Roboto: {
      normal: new Buffer(fonts.pdfMake.vfs['Roboto-Regular.ttf'], 'base64'),
      bold: new Buffer(fonts.pdfMake.vfs['Roboto-Medium.ttf'], 'base64'),
      italics: new Buffer(fonts.pdfMake.vfs['Roboto-Italic.ttf'], 'base64'),
      bolditalics: new Buffer(fonts.pdfMake.vfs['Roboto-MediumItalic.ttf'], 'base64')
    }
  };

  // setup pdf with document definition for streaming
  const pdfMake = new PdfMake(fontDescriptors);
  const pdfDoc = pdfMake.createPdfKitDocument(documentDefinition);

  // setup writeable stream buffer
  const streamBuffer = new streamBuffers.WritableStreamBuffer();

  // when doc is done streaming
  pdfDoc.on('end', function () {

    // get buffer as binary string
    const pdfBinary = streamBuffer.getContentsAsString('binary');
    
    // write the binary response to the client
    res.writeHead(200, {
      'Content-Type': 'application/pdf',
      'Content-Disposition': 'attachment; filename=doc.pdf'
    });
    res.end(pdfBinary);
  });

  // pipe doc into stream buffer and end the pdf document stream
  pdfDoc.pipe(streamBuffer);
  pdfDoc.end();
});