# How can i append to PDF file in Node-Red?

**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-can-i-append-to-pdf-file-in-node-red/5162
**Category:** General
**Created:** [24 November 2018 08:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-can-i-append-to-pdf-file-in-node-red/5162 "2018-11-24T08:17:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 20

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### Author: ![drmibell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/drmibell/32/8424_2.png) [@drmibell](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/drmibell)
#### Post date: [25 November 2018 23:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-can-i-append-to-pdf-file-in-node-red/5162/20 "2018-11-25T23:43:34Z")

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> [@hathemi](#):
>
> So i did what @Colin said. i use a function to store the data in array

> [@hathemi](#):
>
> tried to read and add from an existant pdf file but nothing works for me and i don't think there's a solution for that..🙄

> [@TotallyInformation](#):
>
> As I said in your other post, PDF is poorly suited to this purpose.

I don't think you are quite following @Colin's logic or understanding why PDF is a bad idea here. As I said in a previous post, [Make a PDF file - #3 by drmibell](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/make-a-pdf-file/2810/3), PDF is a document format, and (with perhaps a very minor exception) it cannot be read or written except as a complete file. @Colin is advising you to save ALL your data and write it as a complete file file for each update. In general, you cannot simply append to a PDF file. Alternatively, you could read the file, extract the content you want, add the new content, and write out the new file. Either way, it's a lot of effort, and I don't see why you would want to do it often.

[EDIT] Apologies for getting "cross-threaded." I just noticed the more recent postings.

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