Working example of JSReport using pdf-utils to render a header and footer in NodeJS

IonelLupu

Posted about this here too: https://github.com/jsreport/jsreport-pdf-utils/issues/36

I'm trying to generate a PDF using jsreport with the pdf-utils extension in a Node.js environment.

What I need:

An example of how to generate a PDF using pdf-utils from Node.js.
Ideally, with custom logic like:
- A different header on the first page.
- No header or footer on the last page.

🔍 What I’ve Tried

I found some examples in the jsreport playground, which are useful but UI-focused. Unfortunately, they don't show how to translate the logic into Node.js code.

The official docs (pdf-utils docs) are a bit hard to follow, especially when it comes to:

Where to place the JS properties like pdfUtils.operations when calling jsreport programmatically.
How to link header/footer templates via code instead of using the UI.

Here’s an example screenshot of what I see in the playground, but I can’t map it back to code:

Playground UI

🛠️ Problem: Extension Compatibility Error

Even installing the jsreport-pdf-utils package leads to this error:

Extension “pdf-utils” is not compatible with “core” extension. Missing “.requires” information in “pdf-utils” definition

There’s zero documentation or references online regarding this "requires" field and what needs to be set up to resolve this issue.

🙏 Request

Could you please provide:

A working Node.js example using pdf-utils.
Clarification on how to:
- add headers and footer. Bonus if the example adds a different header for the first page and no header and footer on the last page
- Attach template headers and footers programmatically. Bonus if the header and footer can be in the same html as the main content
Any tips on fixing the "requires" compatibility error when installing jsreport-pdf-utils.