# pdf-writer
[](https://github.com/typst/pdf-writer/actions)
[](https://crates.io/crates/pdf-writer)
[](https://docs.rs/pdf-writer)
A step-by-step PDF writer.
The entry point into the API is the main `PdfWriter`, which constructs the
document into one big internal buffer. The top-level writer has many methods to
create specialized writers for specific PDF objects. These all follow the same
general pattern: They borrow the main buffer mutably, expose a builder pattern
for writing individual fields in a strongly typed fashion and finish up the
object when dropped.
There are a few more top-level structs with internal buffers, like the builder
for `Content` streams, but wherever possible buffers are borrowed from parent
writers to minimize allocations.
## Minimal example
The following example creates a PDF with a single, empty A4 page.
```rust
use pdf_writer::{PdfWriter, Rect, Ref};
// Define some indirect reference ids we'll use.
let catalog_id = Ref::new(1);
let page_tree_id = Ref::new(2);
let page_id = Ref::new(3);
// Write a document catalog and a page tree with one A4 page that uses no resources.
let mut writer = PdfWriter::new();
writer.catalog(catalog_id).pages(page_tree_id);
writer.pages(page_tree_id).kids([page_id]).count(1);
writer.page(page_id)
.parent(page_tree_id)
.media_box(Rect::new(0.0, 0.0, 595.0, 842.0))
.resources();
// Finish with cross-reference table and trailer and write to file.
std::fs::write("target/empty.pdf", writer.finish())?;
```
For a more comprehensive overview, check out the [hello world example], which
creates a document with text and a link in it.
## Safety
This crate forbids unsafe code, but it depends on widespread crates that use
unsafe internally.
## License
This crate is dual-licensed under the MIT and Apache 2.0 licenses.
[hello world example]: https://github.com/typst/pdf-writer/tree/main/examples/hello.rs