PDF Checklist Generation

This skill provides a workflow for creating professional PDF documents (checklists, reports, scorecards) using Python libraries within an execute_code_sandbox environment.

When to Use

• Need to generate downloadable PDF reports or checklists
• Require structured documents with tables, sections, or scoring criteria
• Working in a sandbox environment without direct file system access

Available Libraries

Choose one based on your needs:

Library	Best For	Complexity
reportlab	Professional layouts, tables, precise control	Medium
fpdf	Simple documents, quick generation	Low
matplotlib	Charts, graphs, visual reports	Medium

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Install Required Library

!pip install reportlab  # or fpdf, matplotlib

Step 2: Create PDF Generation Script

Example using reportlab:

from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.platypus import SimpleDocTemplate, Table, TableStyle, Paragraph, Spacer
from reportlab.lib.styles import getSampleStyleSheet
from reportlab.lib import colors

def create_checklist_pdf(filename, checklist_items):
    doc = SimpleDocTemplate(filename, pagesize=letter)
    styles = getSampleStyleSheet()
    elements = []
    
    # Title
    elements.append(Paragraph("Assessment Checklist", styles['Heading1']))
    elements.append(Spacer(1, 12))
    
    # Table data
    data = [['Item', 'Status', 'Score']]
    for item in checklist_items:
        data.append([item['name'], item['status'], item['score']])
    
    # Create table
    table = Table(data)
    table.setStyle(TableStyle([
        ('BACKGROUND', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.grey),
        ('TEXTCOLOR', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.whitesmoke),
        ('ALIGN', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 'CENTER'),
        ('GRID', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 1, colors.black),
    ]))
    elements.append(table)
    
    doc.build(elements)
    print(f"PDF created: {filename}")

# Usage
checklist = [
    {'name': 'Security Check', 'status': 'Pass', 'score': 10},
    {'name': 'Performance Test', 'status': 'Fail', 'score': 5},
]
create_checklist_pdf('report.pdf', checklist)

Step 3: Execute in Sandbox

Run the script using execute_code_sandbox:

execute_code_sandbox(code="<your pdf generation code>")

Step 4: Verify Output

After generation, verify the PDF was created:

read_file(path="report.pdf")

Or inspect via shell:

execute_code_sandbox(code="import os; print(os.path.exists('report.pdf'))")

Best Practices

1. Keep it simple: Start with basic layouts before adding complexity
2. Test incrementally: Generate a minimal PDF first, then add features
3. Handle errors: Wrap PDF generation in try/except blocks
4. Verify file existence: Always confirm the PDF was created before proceeding
5. Use UTF-8: Ensure text encoding is proper for special characters

Common Pitfalls

• Forgetting to install the library before import
• Not checking if file was created successfully
• Using paths that don't exist in sandbox environment
• Missing required dependencies for advanced features

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Import error	Run !pip install <library> first
File not found	Check working directory with !pwd
Blank PDF	Ensure doc.build() is called
Encoding issues	Use Unicode strings, specify encoding