PDF Generation from HTML

Convert HTML content to PDF documents and upload them to Unity Catalog Volumes.

Overview

The generate_and_upload_pdf MCP tool converts HTML to PDF and uploads to a Unity Catalog Volume. You (the LLM) generate the HTML content, and the tool handles conversion and upload.

Tool Signature

generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content: str,      # Complete HTML document
    filename: str,          # PDF filename (e.g., "report.pdf")
    catalog: str,           # Unity Catalog name
    schema: str,            # Schema name
    volume: str = "raw_data",  # Volume name (default: "raw_data")
    folder: str = None,     # Optional subfolder
)

Returns:

{
    "success": true,
    "volume_path": "/Volumes/catalog/schema/volume/filename.pdf",
    "error": null
}

Quick Start

Generate a simple PDF:

generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content='''<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 40px; }
        h1 { color: #1a73e8; border-bottom: 2px solid #1a73e8; padding-bottom: 10px; }
        .section { margin: 20px 0; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Quarterly Report Q1 2024</h1>
    <div class="section">
        <h2>Executive Summary</h2>
        <p>Revenue increased 15% year-over-year...</p>
    </div>
</body>
</html>''',
    filename="q1_report.pdf",
    catalog="my_catalog",
    schema="my_schema"
)

Performance: Generate Multiple PDFs in Parallel

IMPORTANT: PDF generation and upload can take 2-5 seconds per document. When generating multiple PDFs, call the tool in parallel to maximize throughput.

Example: Generate 5 PDFs in Parallel

Make 5 simultaneous generate_and_upload_pdf calls:

# Call 1
generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content="<html>...Employee Handbook content...</html>",
    filename="employee_handbook.pdf",
    catalog="hr_catalog", schema="policies", folder="2024"
)

# Call 2 (parallel)
generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content="<html>...Leave Policy content...</html>",
    filename="leave_policy.pdf",
    catalog="hr_catalog", schema="policies", folder="2024"
)

# Call 3 (parallel)
generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content="<html>...Code of Conduct content...</html>",
    filename="code_of_conduct.pdf",
    catalog="hr_catalog", schema="policies", folder="2024"
)

# Call 4 (parallel)
generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content="<html>...Benefits Guide content...</html>",
    filename="benefits_guide.pdf",
    catalog="hr_catalog", schema="policies", folder="2024"
)

# Call 5 (parallel)
generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content="<html>...Remote Work Policy content...</html>",
    filename="remote_work_policy.pdf",
    catalog="hr_catalog", schema="policies", folder="2024"
)

By calling these in parallel (not sequentially), 5 PDFs that would take 15-25 seconds sequentially complete in 3-5 seconds total.

HTML Best Practices

Use Complete HTML5 Structure

Always include the full HTML structure:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        /* Your CSS here */
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <!-- Your content here -->
</body>
</html>

CSS Features Supported

PlutoPrint supports modern CSS3:

Flexbox and Grid layouts
CSS variables (--var-name)
Web fonts (system fonts recommended)
Colors, backgrounds, borders
Tables with styling

CSS to Avoid

Animations and transitions (static PDF)
Interactive elements (forms, hover effects)
External resources (images via URL) - use embedded base64 if needed

Professional Document Template

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        :root {
            --primary: #1a73e8;
            --text: #202124;
            --gray: #5f6368;
        }
        body {
            font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif;
            margin: 50px;
            color: var(--text);
            line-height: 1.6;
        }
        h1 {
            color: var(--primary);
            border-bottom: 3px solid var(--primary);
            padding-bottom: 15px;
        }
        h2 { color: var(--text); margin-top: 30px; }
        .highlight {
            background: #e8f0fe;
            padding: 15px;
            border-left: 4px solid var(--primary);
            margin: 20px 0;
        }
        table {
            width: 100%;
            border-collapse: collapse;
            margin: 20px 0;
        }
        th, td {
            border: 1px solid #dadce0;
            padding: 12px;
            text-align: left;
        }
        th { background: #f1f3f4; }
        .footer {
            margin-top: 50px;
            padding-top: 20px;
            border-top: 1px solid #dadce0;
            color: var(--gray);
            font-size: 0.9em;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Document Title</h1>

    <h2>Section 1</h2>
    <p>Content here...</p>

    <div class="highlight">
        <strong>Important:</strong> Key information highlighted here.
    </div>

    <h2>Data Table</h2>
    <table>
        <tr><th>Column 1</th><th>Column 2</th><th>Column 3</th></tr>
        <tr><td>Data</td><td>Data</td><td>Data</td></tr>
    </table>

    <div class="footer">
        Generated on 2024-01-15 | Confidential
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Technical Documentation

Generate API documentation, user guides, or technical specs:

generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content='''<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><style>
    body { font-family: monospace; margin: 40px; }
    code { background: #f4f4f4; padding: 2px 6px; }
    pre { background: #f4f4f4; padding: 15px; overflow-x: auto; }
    .endpoint { background: #e3f2fd; padding: 10px; margin: 10px 0; }
</style></head>
<body>
    <h1>API Reference</h1>
    <div class="endpoint">
        <code>GET /api/v1/users</code>
        <p>Returns a list of all users.</p>
    </div>
    <h2>Request Headers</h2>
    <pre>Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json</pre>
</body>
</html>''',
    filename="api_reference.pdf",
    catalog="docs_catalog",
    schema="api_docs"
)

Pattern 2: Business Reports

generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content='''<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><style>
    body { font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 50px; }
    .metric { display: inline-block; text-align: center; margin: 20px; }
    .metric-value { font-size: 2em; color: #1a73e8; }
    .metric-label { color: #666; }
</style></head>
<body>
    <h1>Q1 2024 Performance Report</h1>
    <div class="metric">
        <div class="metric-value">$2.4M</div>
        <div class="metric-label">Revenue</div>
    </div>
    <div class="metric">
        <div class="metric-value">+15%</div>
        <div class="metric-label">Growth</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>''',
    filename="q1_2024_report.pdf",
    catalog="finance",
    schema="reports",
    folder="quarterly"
)

Pattern 3: HR Policies

generate_and_upload_pdf(
    html_content='''<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><style>
    body { font-family: Arial; margin: 40px; line-height: 1.8; }
    .policy-section { margin: 30px 0; }
    .important { background: #fff3e0; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px; }
</style></head>
<body>
    <h1>Employee Leave Policy</h1>
    <p><em>Effective: January 1, 2024</em></p>

    <div class="policy-section">
        <h2>1. Annual Leave</h2>
        <p>All full-time employees are entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave per calendar year.</p>
    </div>

    <div class="important">
        <strong>Note:</strong> Leave requests must be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance.
    </div>
</body>
</html>''',
    filename="leave_policy.pdf",
    catalog="hr_catalog",
    schema="policies"
)

Workflow for Multiple Documents

When asked to generate multiple PDFs:

Plan the documents: Determine titles, content structure for each
Generate HTML for each: Create complete HTML documents
Call tool in parallel: Make multiple simultaneous generate_and_upload_pdf calls
Report results: Summarize successful uploads and any errors

Prerequisites

Unity Catalog schema must exist
Volume must exist (default: raw_data)
User must have WRITE permission on the volume

Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | "Volume does not exist" | Create the volume first or use an existing one | | "Schema does not exist" | Create the schema or check the name | | PDF looks wrong | Check HTML/CSS syntax, use supported CSS features | | Slow generation | Call multiple PDFs in parallel, not sequentially |