Basic Usage

Install the Package

Let's start by adding node-zugferd to your project:

npm install node-zugferd

Create a new Instance

Create a file named invoicer.ts in preferably one of those locations:

• Project root
• lib/ folder
• utils/ folder

In this file, import node-zugferd and create your instance. Make sure to export the instance.

import { zugferd } from "node-zugferd";

export const invoicer = zugferd({
  //...
});

Select a Profile

node-zugferd requires a profile to generate the invoice. You can easily configure node-zugferd to use these built-in profiles:

• MINIMUM
• BASIC WL
• BASIC
• EN16931 (COMFORT)
• EXTENDED

import { zugferd } from "node-zugferd"; 
import { BASIC } from "node-zugferd/profile/basic"; 

export const invoicer = zugferd({
  profile: BASIC, 
});

Your first invoice

Once the necessary setup is complete, it's time to create your first invoice. This involves defining the invoice data and embedding it into a PDF to ensure it meets electronic invoicing standards.

Define the data

Invoices contain essential details like transaction information, participant details, and line items. This data will be structured in a way that allows it to be processed electronically and integrated seamlessly into business workflows.

import { invoicer } from "./your/path/invoicer";

const data: typeof invoicer.$Infer.Schema = {
  //...
};

const invoice = invoicer.create(data); 

Save the document

After creating the invoice, it needs to be saved in a format that meets the necessary standards for distribution and compliance. This ensures the document is both human-readable and machine-readable, allowing for automated processing within business workflows.

const pdf = fs.readFileSync("./your/invoice.pdf");

const pdfA = await invoice.embedInPdf(pdf, {
  metadata: {
    title: "New Invoice",
  },
});

const xml = await invoice.toXML();

🎉 That's it

That's it! You've successfully set up node-zugferd, generated your first invoice, and learned how to save it as a PDF/A-3b file or XML. You can now automate the generation of invoices with structured data in the format that fits your needs.