Generating PDFs with GitBook or mdBook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Local Dev

GitBookPDFSpider.create({
  // replace target gitbook url & name
  url: 'https://braydie.gitbooks.io/how-to-be-a-programmer/content/en/',
  bookName: 'How to be a programer.pdf'
}).then(spider => {
  spider.run();
});

To facilitate the local development of your GitBook project and generate a PDF, follow these simple steps. Utilizing the GitBookPDFSpider library, you can seamlessly transform your GitBook content into a PDF file.

1. Clone the Repository: If you haven’t already, clone your GitBook repository to your local machine. Use the following command, replacing [repository-url] with the actual URL of your GitBook repository.

   git clone [repository-url]
   cd [repository-directory]
   

2. Install Dependencies: Ensure you have Node.js and npm installed on your machine. Navigate to your project directory and install the required dependencies by executing the following command:

   npm install
   

3. Configure GitBookPDFSpider: Open the gitbook.js file and replace the url and bookName parameters with the target GitBook URL and the desired PDF name, respectively.

4. Run the Spider: Execute the following command to run the GitBookPDFSpider and generate the PDF:

   node ./gitbook.js
   

   This script will initiate the spider, fetching the specified GitBook content and saving it as a PDF file with the provided name.

Generate PDF on Playwright Playground

1. Copy gitbook.js content: Copy the contents of your gitbook.js file, which includes the GitBookPDFSpider configuration.

2. Access Playwright Playground: Open Playwright Playground by navigating to https://try.playwright.tech/?e=generate-pdf .

3. Replace Configuration: Paste the copied content into the Playwright Playground editor, replacing the existing code. Modify the url and bookName parameters as needed.

4. Run the Script: Click on the “Run” button within Playwright Playground to execute the script. Playwright will simulate a browser environment and generate the PDF based on your GitBook content.

By following these steps, you can effortlessly create PDFs locally or experiment with Playwright Playground to fine-tune your PDF generation process. Happy documenting!