Pseudocode for PDF Content Management Functions

This section provides a pseudocode representation of the process for creating a PDF file from Markdown content. The process includes converting Markdown to styled HTML and then transforming that HTML into a PDF.

Main Function: create_pdf_file

Function Overview

• Purpose: Create a PDF document from Markdown input.
• Parameters:
  • content: a string containing Markdown formatted text.
• Returns: a BytesIO object containing the generated PDF.

Pseudocode

FUNCTION create_pdf_file(content)
    
    // Step 1: Convert Markdown to HTML
    html_content = convert_markdown_to_html(content)
    
    // Step 2: Create a styled HTML template
    styled_html = FORMAT the HTML content into a full HTML document with styles
    
    // Step 3: Initialize a buffer for the PDF
    pdf_buffer = create_new BytesIO object

    // Step 4: Convert styled HTML to PDF and write to buffer
    convert_html_to_pdf(styled_html, pdf_buffer)

    // Step 5: Reset buffer cursor to the beginning
    pdf_buffer.seek(0)

    // Step 6: Return the PDF buffer
    RETURN pdf_buffer

END FUNCTION

// Helper Functions

FUNCTION convert_markdown_to_html(content)
    // Utilize the markdown library to convert Markdown to HTML
    RETURN markdown(content, extensions=["extra", "codehilite"])
END FUNCTION

FUNCTION create_new BytesIO
    // Create and return a new BytesIO object
    RETURN new BytesIO
END FUNCTION

FUNCTION convert_html_to_pdf(styled_html, pdf_buffer)
    // Use WeasyPrint library to convert HTML string to PDF
    CALL HTML(string=styled_html).write_pdf(pdf_buffer)
END FUNCTION

FUNCTION FORMAT(html_content)
    // Format the HTML content into a complete HTML structure with CSS styles
    SET styled_html to formatted HTML string including header, styles, and body with html_content
    RETURN styled_html
END FUNCTION

Explanation

1. Markdown Conversion: The create_pdf_file function starts by converting the Markdown content into HTML using a helper function convert_markdown_to_html.
2. HTML Formatting: The resulting HTML is then formatted into a complete HTML document with embedded CSS for styling.
3. PDF Buffer Preparation: A new BytesIO object is created to serve as the storage for the PDF data.
4. HTML to PDF Conversion: Using the WeasyPrint library, the styled HTML is converted into a PDF and written into the buffer.
5. Cursor Reset: The buffer's cursor is reset to the beginning to allow reading from the start.
6. Return: Finally, the PDF buffer is returned for further use.

This pseudocode is designed to clearly convey the logic and structure of the PDF file creation process, facilitating understanding for developers and stakeholders involved in the project.