I’m looking for a solution to generate document (ideally docx but pdf is ok) from a database
Ex: I have a project entry (with client info, dates, information about the project, etc.) and I want to generate documents from a tender templates, containing selected entries from the database.
Here is what I tried until now :
- Custom database (tinyDB) + custom webpage form + a docx template with jinja markups served by a homemade webpage hosted on pythonanywhere (lot of work and not reliable as I’m doing everything myself)
- Nocodb form and database (no document generation yet) (self-hosted or on cloud)
- Airtable (closed source and on cloud) for forms, database and document generation
Airtable is what I’m currently trying because it’s the only one that I found that have lot of support and adds on.
There are a few options on Airtable for document generation, lot of which cost around $30/month which is why I’m looking for a viable alternative. Ideally I would like to be able to upload my already made templates.
More point to the solution if it’s supports geodata
I’m considering keeping airtable and using the api to generate document with the python program I used on the first point, but I’d like to know if there is more options.
EDIT2: to be concise: I’m looking for an alternative to Airtable + Make. Ideally, FOSS and self-hostable or on cloud
Edit: precision: I need to create a document that contains multiple items of the db. Ex: I need to create a resume with different experiences that are saved in the database
Here is an example of a template:
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Is using Latex an option? I’ve done that and it works quite nicely. You can easily populate a template e.g. using Python.
It is, but the main issue is how to select the values from the database and to render without the user needing to tweak anything
Latex, MD, Word is equivalent (although Word is preferred) since I’ll just place universal markers in it
I am working on something similar and also planning on LaTex because it will be so easy to do find and replace because it’s plain text (just adding placeholders like ##NAME## or whatever), but I’m only planning on outputting PDFs, which would be easy enough. I don’t think there’s many viable solutions to go LaTex to docx if that’s a big requirement for you
I’m using docxtpl which uses jinja placeholder to set values.
For your solution, you should use jinja It’s used for whatever text files you want, htlm, txt, latex, MD, etc. And you can put code into the document (see my examples document in the post)
Ah thanks! I am working with .NET, and I was surprised how there’s little out there in terms of (open source) libraries for LaTex (I did some research since this comment). I might end up going with docx via the OpenXML API. Also, I haven’t really used LaTex before (has been on on my learning to-do list), and once I started messing with some templates, I realized I need to learn a lot more first.
One thing with my documents is that find and replace alone won’t work, as I need to replace some patterns. I am generating resumes, so I need to take something like a pattern for a job, and then repeat it several times
Yes, that why I recommand jinja. as it can be used in OpenXML as well as latex or anything in plain text.
Let’s say you want to place a table that corresponds to a certain pattern, you could add it to your file conditionally. In your Word document, you could add that :
{% for job in jobs %} {% if job.style == 1 %} {{ job.name }} | {{ job.date}} | ... {% else %} - {{ job.name }} - {{ job.date}} - ... {% endif %} {% endfor %}I don’t know .NET but you can probably call a Jinja tools
Also for the resume, you might be insterested in Rx Resume
Ah thanks for letting me know about Rx Resume! Great resource, and actually solves the last mile problem (creating the document) of my little personal app. I am a bit of a jack of all trades, so I made a little database for the resume where the lowest level item (the little bullet points in the experience) can have tags attached to them. So I might describe the same job/experience in multiple ways depending on who the audience is, and then filter for the tags to only get the bullet points that are relevant for that position and generate a resume.
Now instead of going into some whole slog of coding document generation, I can just export that bit as JSON and import into Rx Resume! Thanks again!
One way to do it is have a small Python (or any other scripting language really) script that performs text replacements in the Latex source file. This is much easier in Latex because it’s plain text. I don’t know of a solution that doesn’t involve writing your own code (apart from LO/Word serial letters).
I’ve generated HTML before and then used an HTML to PDF converter as a second step. If you were already familiar with building building webpages, this might be a good option.
I am using appsmith for the app, with a pgsql db. Then n8n to query pgsql with its JSON functions and finally sending it to apitemplate.io to generate a PDF from the JSON and a template. The PDF then goes into nextcloud. With apitemplate you get 50 executions a month for free, which is enough for my use case. Hope this helps. (The use case is an equipment maintenance tool for the SCBAs of our fire brigade, where I need reporting for proving that maintenance was carried out)
Ha that looks like something I can use!
I think that Airtable + Make is still easier to use with less code, so my colleagues might prefer it over your solution
But I definitely keep that in mind. I have another tool where that might be useful.
I do not know Airtable too well, but n8n might have a connector for it. Then you could use the rest. good luck!
Oh wow that looks great! I didn’t know about n8n
I am searching for a similiar Software. Ideal would be a low code database platform selfhostet with easy document generation. I am still searching but you can take a look at https://rei3.de/en/home. Low code and database works good. The document generation is a bit hacky but you can fill placeholders oft a HTML side. But they hinted that they will have to work in this because the library they used is no longer supportet. So I hope it will geht easier.
Plus side it comes with user management and some “apps” out oft the box and all oft the “apps” are interoperable. Self created apps are Versionen out oft the box and you have to sign them with a generated developer key which is also very nice.
I had another idea. Maybe Dokuwiki with the struct and burocreacy Plugin would could work for you.
Thanks! This look interesting. I can’t find the document generation though
Look in the community board. Link is in the bottom oft the page. There is a thread with an example. Ah I see. The better thread is in the german part here https://community.rei3.de/d/220-pdf-aus-formulardatensatz-erstellen
I hope with translation it is usable.
This one is even better and in english: https://community.rei3.de/d/120-generate-dynamic-htmlpdf
You can link excel cells to fields in a word document… can probably use vba to systematically iterate through a list of data to populate your linked cells to generate your documents.
Sorry, my comments and edits seem to fail every time
