How to export an analysis to PDF using IronPython in Spotfire®

This article provides a code snippet to export an analysis to PDF using IronPython.

Use the below method:

Document.Export Method

It is not straightforward to do this before Spotfire 7.5, because it tries to execute a progress operation inside an existing transaction. Spotfire 7.5 has a checkbox on the IronPython editor that you can uncheck to prevent the script from executing inside a transaction. The script below should work in the versions prior to 7.5 .

# Copyright © 2017. TIBCO Software Inc.  Licensed under TIBCO BSD-style license.

# Import namespaces
from Spotfire.Dxp.Framework.ApplicationModel import ApplicationThread
from Spotfire.Dxp.Application.Export import PdfExportSettings
from Spotfire.Dxp.Application.Export import ExportScope
from Spotfire.Dxp.Application.Export import PageOrientation
from Spotfire.Dxp.Application.Export import PaperSize
from Spotfire.Dxp.Application.Export import ExportScope

# Declaring the function which will run async
def g(app,fileName,pdfexpsettings):
   def f():      
	  app.Document.Export(pdfexpsettings,fileName)
   return f

# Set the file name
fileName = "C:datafilestestfile.pdf"
pdfexpsettings = PdfExportSettings()
pdfexpsettings.Scope = ExportScope.ActivePage
pdfexpsettings.PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Landscape
pdfexpsettings.IncludePageTitles = False
pdfexpsettings.IncludeVisualizationTitles = False
pdfexpsettings.IncludeVisualizationDescriptions = False
pdfexpsettings.PaperSize = PaperSize.A4
pdfexpsettings.PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Landscape

# Executing the function on the application thread, and Save the document back to the Library
Application.GetService[ApplicationThread]().InvokeAsynchronously(g(Application, fileName,pdfexpsettings))

# Note:
# The function g is necessary because the script's scope is cleared after execution,
# and therefore Application (or anything else defined in this scope) will not be available
# when the code invokes on the application thread.

Changes in Spotfire 7.12

TIBCO Spotfire® 7.12 has new capabilities for exporting to PDF. See What's New in Spotfire® and TIBCO Spotfire® 7.12 - APIs for exporting and rendering visualizations for details

The following the APIs has been added:

• Report class (7.12)
• Document.GetReports method (7.12)
• Document.TryGetReport method (7.12)

A new Action available in Text Area Action Controls, letting the author create a button, link or image and select a corresponding Prepared Report, which will be exported if a user clicks on the control.

It is also possible to get the same result with an Action Control that runs a IronPython script:

# Copyright © 2019. TIBCO Software Inc.  Licensed under TIBCO BSD-style license.

from Spotfire.Dxp.Application.Export import Report

# Get the prepared report
result = Application.Document.TryGetReport("Weekly Sales report")

# Check result
if result[0] == True:

	# Export the PDF
	report = result[1]
	exportResult = report.ExportToPdf("c:Sourcetest.pdf")

	# Check result
	if exportResult != True:
		print 'export failed'

The TIBCO Spotfire® 7.12 - APIs for exporting and rendering visualizations article has an attached DXP file that illustrates both how to use the "Export Report" action and an IronPython script to export a report saved in the analysis.

See also

• Writing to files and databases from Spotfire

References

• API Reference: Spotfire Analyst
• PdfExportSettings class.
• Document.Export method
• Report class (7.12)
• Document.GetReports method (7.12)
• Document.TryGetReport method (7.12)

License:  TIBCO BSD-Style License

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