nb2pdf - VS Code Extension

Convert Jupyter Notebooks to beautiful, professional PDFs directly from VS Code!

Features

• 📄 One-Click Conversion - Right-click any .ipynb file and convert to PDF
• 🎨 Syntax Highlighting - VS Code Dark+ color scheme for code
• 📊 DataFrames - Pandas DataFrames rendered as beautiful tables
• 📈 Graphs - Matplotlib figures embedded in PDF
• 👤 Custom Headers - Add your name, roll number, and course info
• ⚡ Fast - Executes and converts in seconds
• 🎓 Student-Friendly - Perfect for assignment submissions

Quick Start

1. Install the Extension

Search for "nb2pdf" in VS Code Extensions marketplace and click Install.

2. Configure Your Info

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run nb2pdf: Configure Student Information
3. Enter your details (name, roll number, course, assignment)

Or set in VS Code Settings:

{
  "nb2pdf.studentName": "Your Full Name",
  "nb2pdf.rollNumber": "21f1234567",
  "nb2pdf.course": "IITM BS Degree - Data Science",
  "nb2pdf.assignment": "Assignment Title"
}

3. Convert a Notebook

Method 1: Right-Click

• Right-click any .ipynb file in Explorer
• Select "Convert Notebook to PDF"

Method 2: Editor Button

• Open a notebook in VS Code
• Click the PDF icon in the top-right toolbar

Method 3: Command Palette

• Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
• Run nb2pdf: Convert Notebook to PDF

Requirements

Python Dependencies

Required:

pip install reportlab

Optional (for DataFrames and graphs):

pip install pandas matplotlib numpy

✨ NEW in v1.1.0: The extension now checks dependencies before converting and offers to install them automatically!

That's it! The nb2pdf.py script is bundled with the extension - no manual setup needed!

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• nb2pdf.studentName: Your full name for PDF header
• nb2pdf.rollNumber: Your roll number for PDF header
• nb2pdf.course: Your course name for PDF header
• nb2pdf.assignment: Assignment title for PDF header
• nb2pdf.pythonPath: Custom Python executable path (optional)
• nb2pdf.autoOpenPdf: Automatically open PDF after generation (default: true)

Commands

• nb2pdf: Convert Notebook to PDF - Convert current/selected notebook
• nb2pdf: Convert to PDF with Custom Name - Specify custom output filename
• nb2pdf: Configure Student Information - Set up your student details
• nb2pdf: Check Dependencies - ✨ NEW! Verify Python and reportlab installation

How It Works

1. Executes all notebook cells (top to bottom)
2. Captures code, outputs, DataFrames, and graphs
3. Generates professional PDF with:
   • Syntax-highlighted code
   • Formatted outputs
   • DataFrame tables
   • Embedded graphs
   • Custom headers
   • Page numbers

Troubleshooting

🚨 Getting "script error" message?

Don't reinstall the extension! The issue is likely a missing Python library.

Quick fix:

pip install reportlab

Then reload VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Reload Window"

✨ Tip: Run nb2pdf: Check Dependencies command to verify your setup!

Common Issues

"Missing required library: reportlab"

pip install reportlab

"No module named 'matplotlib'" or "pandas"

pip install matplotlib pandas

"Python not found"

• Set nb2pdf.pythonPath in VS Code settings
• Or ensure Python is in your system PATH
• Download Python 3.8+: https://www.python.org/downloads/

Permission denied when installing

pip install --user reportlab

Still not working?

• Check full troubleshooting guide: EXTENSION_ERROR_FIX.md
• Run nb2pdf: Check Dependencies to see detailed status
• Check VS Code Output panel for errors

What's Included in PDFs

✅ Syntax-highlighted Python code (VS Code Dark+ theme)
✅ All print statements and cell outputs
✅ Pandas DataFrames as formatted tables
✅ Matplotlib/pyplot graphs and charts
✅ Custom student information header
✅ Professional page numbering
✅ Error messages (if any cells fail)

Known Limitations

• Interactive widgets (ipywidgets) are not supported
• Only matplotlib graphs (plotly requires additional setup)
• Very large outputs are truncated at 1MB

Release Notes

1.1.0 - Improved Error Handling 🔧

Fixed the confusing "script error" message!

• ✅ Proactive dependency checking before conversion
• ✅ New command: "Check Dependencies" to verify setup
• ✅ Auto-install option for missing libraries
• ✅ Interactive installation guide with step-by-step instructions
• ✅ Better error messages that tell you exactly what's wrong
• ✅ Links to troubleshooting documentation
• ✅ Automatic temp file cleanup
• ✅ 60-second timeout protection

What changed? Previously, if reportlab wasn't installed, you'd see a confusing "script error! Please reinstall" message. Now, the extension checks dependencies FIRST and shows helpful messages like "Missing required library: reportlab" with an "Install Now" button!

See full changelog: CHANGELOG.md

1.0.0

Initial release of nb2pdf extension:

• Right-click context menu
• Command palette integration
• Settings UI for student info
• Automatic dependency detection
• PDF preview integration

Contributing

Found a bug? Have a feature request?
https://github.com/ganesh250684/nb2pdf/issues

💖 Support This Extension

If nb2pdf saved you hours of manual formatting and helped you submit professional-looking assignments, consider supporting its development:

☕ Buy Me a Coffee

Creating and maintaining this extension takes time and effort. Your support helps keep it:

• ✅ Free forever
• ✅ Actively maintained with bug fixes
• ✅ Improved with new features
• ✅ Compatible with latest VS Code versions

Can't donate? No problem! You can still help by:

• ⭐ Giving this extension a 5-star rating
• 🌟 Starring the GitHub repo
• 📢 Sharing it with classmates and colleagues
• 💬 Leaving a review on the marketplace

Every bit of support (financial or otherwise) motivates me to keep improving this tool for students everywhere! 🙏

License

MIT License - Free to use and share!

Enjoy creating beautiful PDFs! 🎉

If this extension helped you, please ⭐ star the repo and leave a review!