Generate PDF with arabic text inside grid cell - pdf

Question

I need to generate a PDF that contains a table with data in both English and arabic languages in xamarin.forms. I've been searching a lot. I found the syncfusion documentation and tried to apply it. This one doesn't include a grid but it tells how to add a simple arabic text: https://blog.syncfusion.com/blogs/post/adding-rtl-support-to-your-pdf-in-xamarin.aspx this one worked. So I tried to use it and make modifications to add a grid. This is what I wrote in the main.xaml.cs:
private void btn_Clicked(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
PdfDocument doc = new PdfDocument();
//Add a page.
PdfPage page = doc.Pages.Add();
//Create a PdfGrid.
Syncfusion.Pdf.Grid.PdfGrid pdfGrid = new Syncfusion.Pdf.Grid.PdfGrid();
//Add values to list
List<object> data = new List<object>();
Object row1 = new { ID = "E01", Name = "رنا" };
Object row2 = new { ID = "E02", Name = "رامي" };
Object row3 = new { ID = "E03", Name = "Andrew" };
Object row4 = new { ID = "E04", Name = "Paul" };
Object row5 = new { ID = "E05", Name = "Gray" };
data.Add(row1);
data.Add(row2);
data.Add(row3);
data.Add(row4);
data.Add(row5);
//Add list to IEnumerable
IEnumerable<object> dataTable = data;
//Assign data source.
pdfGrid.DataSource = dataTable;
//Draw grid to the page of PDF document.
pdfGrid.Draw(page, new PointF(10, 10));
//Save the PDF document to stream.
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
//Create a new PDF document.
//Add a new PDF page.
//Load font.
Stream fontStream = typeof(App).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("RTLDemo.Assets.arial.ttf");
//Create PDF true type font.
PdfFont pdfFont = new PdfTrueTypeFont(fontStream, 12);
//String format
PdfStringFormat format = new PdfStringFormat();
//Set the format as right to left.
format.TextDirection = PdfTextDirection.RightToLeft;
//Set the alignment.
format.Alignment = PdfTextAlignment.Right;
SizeF pageSize = page.GetClientSize();
PdfGridCell pdfGridCell = new PdfGridCell();
PdfGridCellStyle style = new PdfGridCellStyle();
style.Font = pdfFont;
style.StringFormat.TextDirection = format.TextDirection;
//Set style to grid
pdfGridCell.Style = style;
//Save the document.
doc.Save(ms);
//Close the document
doc.Close(true);
ms.Position = 0;
if (Device.OS == TargetPlatform.WinPhone || Device.OS == TargetPlatform.Windows)
Xamarin.Forms.DependencyService.Get<ISaveWindowsPhone>().Save("RTLText.pdf", "application/pdf", ms);
else
Xamarin.Forms.DependencyService.Get<ISave>().Save("RTLText.pdf", "application/pdf", ms);
}
I keep getting an exception: System.NullReferenceException:** 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object.' on the style.StringFormat.TextDirection = format.TextDirection; line. I followed the steps in this document: https://www.syncfusion.com/forums/135954/how-to-create-unicode-font-with-pdftruetypefont-or-the-proper-way-to-draw-a-unicode-string I tried a lot of things but nothing is wroking. What should I do?
Update:
i replaced the code above with a new code:
PdfDocument doc = new PdfDocument();
//Add a page.
PdfPage page = doc.Pages.Add();
//Create a PdfGrid.
PdfGrid pdfGrid = new PdfGrid();
//Create a DataTable.
DataTable dataTable = new DataTable();
//Add columns to the DataTable
dataTable.Columns.Add("ID");
dataTable.Columns.Add("Name");
//Add rows to the DataTable.
dataTable.Rows.Add(new object[] { "E01", "رنا" });
dataTable.Rows.Add(new object[] { "E02", "Thomas" });
//Assign data source.
pdfGrid.DataSource = dataTable;
//Using the Column collection
pdfGrid.Columns[0].Width = 100;
//Adding grid cell style
PdfGridCellStyle cellStyle = new PdfGridCellStyle();
//Create new PDF string format instance.
PdfStringFormat format = new PdfStringFormat();
format.Alignment = PdfTextAlignment.Center;
format.TextDirection = PdfTextDirection.RightToLeft;
//Set string format to grid cell.
cellStyle.StringFormat = format;
//Set borders.
PdfBorders borders = new PdfBorders();
borders.All = PdfPens.Red;
cellStyle.Borders = borders;
//Set background image.
Stream fontStream = typeof(App).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("RTLDemo.Assets.arial.ttf");
PdfFont pdfFont = new PdfTrueTypeFont(fontStream, 12);
cellStyle.Font = pdfFont;
//Set cell paddings.
cellStyle.CellPadding = new PdfPaddings(5, 5, 5, 5);
//Applying style to grid
pdfGrid.Rows[0].Cells[0].Style = cellStyle;
//Draw grid to the page of PDF document.
pdfGrid.Draw(page, new PointF(10, 10));
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
//Save the document.
doc.Save(ms);
//Close the document
doc.Close(true);
ms.Position = 0;
if (Device.OS == TargetPlatform.WinPhone || Device.OS == TargetPlatform.Windows)
Xamarin.Forms.DependencyService.Get<ISaveWindowsPhone>().Save("RTLText.pdf", "application/pdf", ms);
else
Xamarin.Forms.DependencyService.Get<ISave>().Save("RTLText.pdf", "application/pdf", ms);
the previous exception didn't appear, the pdf was generated but the arabic text didn't appear, what am i missing?

Answer 1

We can draw RTL text in PDF grid with Syncfusion PDF library in Xamarin.Forms application. Please find the sample code below,
//Create a new PDF document.
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Add a new PDF page.
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();
//Get the font file as stream.
Stream fontStream = typeof(MainPage).GetTypeInfo().Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("UnicodeText.Assets.arial.ttf");
//Create a new PdfTrueTypeFont instance.
PdfTrueTypeFont font = new PdfTrueTypeFont(fontStream, 14);
//Create a new bold stylePdfTrueTypeFont instance.
PdfTrueTypeFont boldFont = new PdfTrueTypeFont(fontStream, 14, PdfFontStyle.Bold);
page.Graphics.DrawString("PdfGrid", boldFont, PdfBrushes.Black, PointF.Empty);
//Create PdfGrid.
PdfGrid pdfGrid = new PdfGrid();
//Add values to list
List<object> data = new List<object>();
data.Add(new { ID = "E01", Name = "رنا" });
data.Add(new { ID = "E02", Name = "رامي" });
data.Add(new { ID = "E03", Name = "Andrew" });
data.Add(new { ID = "E04", Name = "Paul" });
data.Add(new { ID = "E05", Name = "Clay" });
//Add list to IEnumerable.
IEnumerable<object> dataTable = data;
//Assign data source.
pdfGrid.DataSource = dataTable;
//Assign bold font to pdfGrid header.
pdfGrid.Headers[0].Style.Font = boldFont;
//Assign font to PdfGrid.
pdfGrid.Style.Font = font;
//Create String format with RTL text direction and center text alignment.
PdfStringFormat format = new PdfStringFormat();
format.TextDirection = PdfTextDirection.RightToLeft;
format.Alignment = PdfTextAlignment.Center;
//Assign string format to draw RTL text with center alsignment
pdfGrid.Rows[0].Cells[1].StringFormat = format;
pdfGrid.Rows[1].Cells[1].StringFormat = format;
//Draw grid to the page of PDF document.
pdfGrid.Draw(page, new Syncfusion.Drawing.PointF(0, 20));
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
//Save the document.
document.Save(stream);
//Close the document.
document.Close(true);
Please find the sample from https://www.syncfusion.com/downloads/support/directtrac/general/ze/UnicodeText1046384115. Please find the sample output PDF created from https://www.syncfusion.com/downloads/support/directtrac/general/ze/Output-609045962.
Note: String format assigned in your sample is not applied on corresponding PDF grid cell which having Arabic text. We have to provide cell index as 1 as per the sample code provided.

Answer 2

this is taken directly from the documentation
//Adding grid cell style
PdfGridCellStyle cellStyle = new PdfGridCellStyle();
//Create new PDF string format instance.
PdfStringFormat format = new PdfStringFormat();
format.Alignment = PdfTextAlignment.Center;
//Set string format to grid cell.
cellStyle.StringFormat = format;