Swift Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Fill a PDF Template: Replace {{placeholders}} with Values

See more PDF Text Replacement Examples

Demonstrates the TextReplace method on an invoice template whose values are written as placeholders such as {{customer}} and {{total}}. The "placeholders" object names each placeholder and the text to put in; every occurrence on the page is replaced, including a placeholder inside a sentence or inside a label such as "Tax ({{taxRate}}):". The text is redrawn with the font the template used, so the result looks like the template, and a value that is right-aligned in the template stays right-aligned. The changes are written by WriteFile. Swift

func chilkatTest() {
    var success: Bool = false

    //  This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    //  See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    //  The PDF used in this example is available at invoice_template.pdf

    let pdf = CkoPdf()!
    success = pdf.loadFile(filePath: "qa_data/pdf/invoice_template.pdf")
    if success == false {
        print("\(pdf.lastErrorText!)")
        return
    }

    //  The template has these placeholders in its page text:
    //    {{customer}} (twice: "Bill To:" and the closing sentence), {{date}}, {{po}},
    //    two item rows: {{qty1}} {{desc1}} {{price1}} {{amount1}} and {{qty2}} {{desc2}} {{price2}} {{amount2}},
    //    {{subtotal}}, "Tax ({{taxRate}}):" with {{tax}}, and {{total}}.
    let json = CkoJsonObject()!
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.customer", value: "Acme Corp")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.date", value: "2026-10-18")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.po", value: "PO-88213")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.qty1", value: "2")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.desc1", value: "Cordless drill, 18 V")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.price1", value: "$460.00")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.amount1", value: "$920.00")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.qty2", value: "6")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.desc2", value: "Galvanized hinge, 4 inch")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.price2", value: "$12.50")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.amount2", value: "$75.00")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.subtotal", value: "$995.00")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.taxRate", value: "7.35%")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.tax", value: "$73.13")
    json.updateString(jsonPath: "placeholders.total", value: "$1,068.13")

    //  "apply" makes every replacement, or none: if any value cannot be drawn with the
    //  template's font, the method returns false, the PDF is unchanged, and jsonOut says why.
    let jsonOut = CkoJsonObject()!
    success = pdf.textReplace(op: "apply", jsonIn: json, jsonOut: jsonOut)
    if success == false {
        print("Not applied: \(jsonOut.emit()!)")
        if success == false {
            print("\(pdf.lastErrorText!)")
            return
        }

    }

    //  One entry per placeholder: the pages it was found on and how many times it was replaced.
    var i: Int = 0
    var count_i: Int = jsonOut.size(ofArray: "replacements").intValue
    while i < count_i {
        jsonOut.i = i
        print("\(jsonOut.string(of: "replacements[i].field")!): \(jsonOut.int(of: "replacements[i].count").intValue) on page(s) \(jsonOut.string(of: "replacements[i].pages")!)")
        i = i + 1
    }

    //  The replacements stay in memory until the PDF is written.
    success = pdf.writeFile(path: "qa_output/invoice_filled.pdf")
    if success == false {
        print("\(pdf.lastErrorText!)")
        return
    }

    print("Wrote qa_output/invoice_filled.pdf")

    //  Sample output:

    //  customer: 2 on page(s) 1
    //  date: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  po: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  qty1: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  desc1: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  price1: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  amount1: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  qty2: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  desc2: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  price2: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  amount2: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  subtotal: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  taxRate: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  tax: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  total: 1 on page(s) 1
    //  Wrote qa_output/invoice_filled.pdf

}