Generate PDF bytes
from C++

Download the native library

Choose the archive for your platform from the matching GitHub release. It contains the C++ wrapper, the underlying C header, shared and static libraries, relocatable CMake metadata, the ABI contract, and checksums.

find_package(Ironpress CONFIG REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE Ironpress::CXX)

Point CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH at the extracted archive. Use Ironpress::CXXStatic for static linkage. Both targets require C++17 and preserve the linked ABI check.

Create an HTML PDF

#include "ironpress.hpp"

#include <fstream>

int main() {
    ironpress::Converter converter;
    auto pdf = converter.convert_html("<h1>Hello from C++</h1>");

    std::ofstream output("output.pdf", std::ios::binary);
    output.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(pdf.data()),
                 static_cast<std::streamsize>(pdf.size()));
}

Render Markdown

Markdown returns the same uniquely owned PDF type:

auto pdf = converter.convert_markdown(
    "# Release notes\n\nEverything shipped."
);

Reuse a configured converter

Configuration methods return the converter, so related settings stay readable and reusable.

converter
    .set_page_size(ironpress::PageSize::letter)
    .set_margins(ironpress::PageMargins::uniform(36.0F))
    .set_compression(true)
    .set_footer("Page {page} / {pages}");

auto first = converter.convert_html(first_html);
auto second = converter.convert_html(second_html);

Provide fonts as bytes

The C++ wrapper does not read document paths or access the network. Read a TrueType font or optional CJK or emoji pack in your application, then lend its bytes for one call.

std::vector<std::uint8_t> font = read_font();
converter.add_font("Inter", ironpress::BytesView(font));

Handle failures and runtime limits

Fallible methods throw ironpress::Error after the C call returns. Its status is stable and its message is copied before the native error owner is released.

try {
    auto pdf = converter.convert_html(source);
} catch (const ironpress::Error& error) {
    log(error.status(), error.what());
}

• No exception or Rust panic crosses the native boundary.
• A converter may move between threads while idle, but concurrent use is unsupported.
• Local paths, direct file output, async, streaming, and remote HTTP are absent.
• A moved-from owner may be destroyed or assigned a new owner.

Go further