---
name: pdf-checklist-generator-eea516c48647
description: Generate structured PDF checklists and reports with tables, sections, and scoring criteria using Python libraries
---

# PDF Checklist/Report Generator

This skill provides a reusable pattern for creating professional PDF documents (checklists, reports, scorecards) using Python libraries within `execute_code_sandbox`.

## When to Use This Skill

- Need to generate structured PDF documents programmatically
- Creating checklists with scoring criteria
- Building reports with tables, sections, and formatted content
- Producing downloadable artifacts for workflow tasks

## Library Selection

Choose the appropriate library based on your needs:

| Library | Best For | Installation |
|---------|----------|--------------|
| **reportlab** | Complex layouts, tables, precise control | `pip install reportlab` |
| **fpdf2** | Simple documents, easy API | `pip install fpdf2` |
| **matplotlib** | Charts/graphs in PDFs | `pip install matplotlib` |

## Step-by-Step Procedure

### Step 1: Plan Document Structure

Define the sections, tables, and scoring criteria before coding:
- Document title and metadata
- Section headers
- Table columns and rows
- Scoring rubric (if applicable)

### Step 2: Write Python Code in execute_code_sandbox

Use `execute_code_sandbox` with the appropriate library. Here are templates:

#### Template A: Using reportlab (recommended for tables)

```python
from reportlab.lib import colors
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.platypus import SimpleDocTemplate, Table, TableStyle, Paragraph, Spacer
from reportlab.lib.styles import getSampleStyleSheet, ParagraphStyle
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

# Create PDF
doc = SimpleDocTemplate("checklist.pdf", pagesize=letter)
elements = []
styles = getSampleStyleSheet()

# Title
title_style = ParagraphStyle('CustomTitle', parent=styles['Heading1'], alignment=1)
elements.append(Paragraph("Compliance Checklist", title_style))
elements.append(Spacer(1, 0.25*inch))

# Create table data
data = [
    ['Criteria', 'Status', 'Score', 'Notes'],
    ['Security Review', 'Pass', '10', 'All checks passed'],
    ['Code Quality', 'Pass', '8', 'Minor improvements'],
    ['Documentation', 'Pending', '5', 'Needs updates'],
]

# Create and style table
table = Table(data, colWidths=[3*inch, 1*inch, 1*inch, 2*inch])
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),
    ('BACKGROUND', (0, 1), (-1, -1), colors.beige),
]))
elements.append(table)

# Build PDF
doc.build(elements)
print("PDF created: checklist.pdf")
print(f"ARTIFACT_PATH:/workspace/checklist.pdf")
```

#### Template B: Using fpdf2 (simpler API)

```python
from fpdf import FPDF

pdf = FPDF()
pdf.add_page()
pdf.set_font("Arial", "B", 16)
pdf.cell(0, 10, "Project Report", ln=True, align='C')

pdf.set_font("Arial", size=12)
pdf.ln(10)

# Add sections
sections = [
    ("Executive Summary", "Project completed successfully."),
    ("Key Findings", "All milestones achieved on time."),
    ("Recommendations", "Continue current practices."),
]

for title, content in sections:
    pdf.set_font("Arial", "B", 14)
    pdf.cell(0, 10, title, ln=True)
    pdf.set_font("Arial", size=12)
    pdf.multi_cell(0, 8, content)
    pdf.ln(5)

pdf.output("report.pdf")
print("PDF created: report.pdf")
print(f"ARTIFACT_PATH:/workspace/report.pdf")
```

#### Template C: Checklist with Scoring

```python
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

doc = SimpleDocTemplate("scorecard.pdf", pagesize=letter)
elements = []
styles = getSampleStyleSheet()

# Title
elements.append(Paragraph("Evaluation Scorecard", styles['Heading1']))
elements.append(Spacer(1, 0.25*inch))

# Scoring criteria table
criteria = [
    ['Category', 'Weight', 'Score (0-10)', 'Weighted'],
    ['Functionality', '30%', '9', '2.7'],
    ['Performance', '25%', '8', '2.0'],
    ['Security', '25%', '10', '2.5'],
    ['Documentation', '20%', '7', '1.4'],
    ['TOTAL', '100%', '-', '8.6/10'],
]

table = Table(criteria, colWidths=[2.5*inch, 1*inch, 1.5*inch, 1.5*inch])
table.setStyle(TableStyle([
    ('BACKGROUND', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.darkblue),
    ('TEXTCOLOR', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.whitesmoke),
    ('ALIGN', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 'CENTER'),
    ('GRID', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 1, colors.black),
    ('FONTNAME', (0, -1), (-1, -1), 'Helvetica-Bold'),
    ('BACKGROUND', (0, -1), (-1, -1), colors.lightgrey),
]))
elements.append(table)

doc.build(elements)
print("ARTIFACT_PATH:/workspace/scorecard.pdf")
```

### Step 3: Include ARTIFACT_PATH in Output

Always include the artifact path in your print output so the system can locate the generated file:

```python
print(f"ARTIFACT_PATH:/workspace/your_filename.pdf")
```

### Step 4: Verify Output

After generation, verify the PDF was created successfully:

**Option A: Use read_file**
```
read_file with filetype="pdf" and file_path="/workspace/checklist.pdf"
```

**Option B: Use shell inspection**
```
run_shell with command="ls -la /workspace/*.pdf"
```

## Common Patterns

### Pattern 1: Multi-Section Report
```python
sections = [
    ("Introduction", "Overview text..."),
    ("Methodology", "Process description..."),
    ("Results", "Findings summary..."),
    ("Conclusion", "Final recommendations..."),
]

for title, content in sections:
    elements.append(Paragraph(title, styles['Heading2']))
    elements.append(Paragraph(content, styles['Normal']))
    elements.append(Spacer(1, 0.2*inch))
```

### Pattern 2: Status Indicator Table
```python
status_colors = {
    'Pass': colors.green,
    'Fail': colors.red,
    'Pending': colors.orange,
    'N/A': colors.grey,
}

# Apply conditional coloring in table style
for row_idx, row_data in enumerate(data[1:], 1):
    status = row_data[1]
    if status in status_colors:
        table.setStyle(TableStyle([
            ('BACKGROUND', (1, row_idx), (1, row_idx), status_colors[status]),
        ]))
```

### Pattern 3: Page Breaks for Long Documents
```python
from reportlab.platypus import PageBreak

elements.append(PageBreak())  # Insert page break
```

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| Library not found | Add `pip install <library>` at start of code |
| Font errors | Use built-in fonts: Arial, Helvetica, Times-Roman |
| Table overflow | Adjust `colWidths` or split into multiple tables |
| PDF not created | Check ARTIFACT_PATH is correct and file is written |

## Best Practices

1. **Always verify**: Check the PDF exists and is readable after generation
2. **Use ARTIFACT_PATH**: Include it in output for system discovery
3. **Keep it readable**: Use adequate spacing (`Spacer`) between elements
4. **Test incrementally**: Build complex PDFs section by section
5. **Handle errors**: Wrap file operations in try/except blocks

## Example Complete Workflow

```python
# 1. Install library
!pip install reportlab -q

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

doc = SimpleDocTemplate("/workspace/checklist.pdf", pagesize=letter)
elements = []
styles = getSampleStyleSheet()

elements.append(Paragraph("Task Completion Checklist", styles['Heading1']))
elements.append(Spacer(1, 0.25*inch))

data = [['Task', 'Complete', 'Notes'],
        ['Setup environment', 'Yes', ''],
        ['Run tests', 'Yes', 'All passed'],
        ['Documentation', 'No', 'In progress']]

table = Table(data)
table.setStyle(TableStyle([('GRID', (0,0), (-1,-1), 1, colors.black)]))
elements.append(table)

doc.build(elements)
print("ARTIFACT_PATH:/workspace/checklist.pdf")

# 3. Verify
import os
print(f"File exists: {os.path.exists('/workspace/checklist.pdf')}")
print(f"File size: {os.path.getsize('/workspace/checklist.pdf')} bytes")
```

---
Source attribution: AG064
Original project: https://github.com/AG064/OpenSpace/blob/ff671ef61ed6587c49bd54c81cdc751c0b99e363/gdpval_bench/skills/pdf-checklist-generator/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 ✨Data Intelligence Lab@HKU✨

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Dave AI resource metadata

Creator / publisher: AG064
Original project: https://github.com/AG064/OpenSpace/blob/ff671ef61ed6587c49bd54c81cdc751c0b99e363/gdpval_bench/skills/pdf-checklist-generator/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Data & Analytics, Product Management, Project & Program Management
Roles: Data Analyst, Product Manager, Project Manager
Specialties: API, Backend
Tools: Fpdf2, Matplotlib, Reportlab
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: dbf20833423e4239826bb83f236381250079e137034b367e4a919e5c9443477c