CV_Creator — The Intelligent Resume Compiler

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The One-Page Resume Savior

CV_Creator is a solid, automated, and intelligent resume generator written in Python. It parses structured data and aesthetic layouts from human-readable YAML configuration files, and compiles them into a highly professional, pixel-perfect PDF.

Gone are the days of wrestling with Microsoft Word margins, misaligned bullet points, or having your resume awkwardly bleed onto a second page because of a single extra line. With its integrated dynamic auto-scaling engine, CV_Creator performs an iterative loop (binary search optimization) on font sizes and line heights to guarantee that your entire resume fits perfectly onto exactly one page, every single time.

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System Architecture

The following diagram illustrates how CV_Creator separates data from style, maps YAML configurations to native Python classes, and runs the iterative fitting loop to output a beautiful single-page PDF.

flowchart TD
    subgraph Input Configurations
        D[data_en.yaml / data_fr.yaml] -->|Data Fields| L[lib_config.py]
        S[style.yaml] -->|Styling Rules| L
    end

    subgraph Data Mapping
        L -->|Recursively Maps| CD[ConfigData Object]
        L -->|Recursively Maps| CS[ConfigStyle Object]
    end

    subgraph Compiler & Auto-Scaling Loop
        CD & CS -->|Inject| CC[CVCreator FPDF2]
        CC -->|1. Init scale=1.0| FL{Fitting Loop}
        FL -->|2. Render Probe| PB[Probe In-Memory PDF]
        PB -->|3. Check Page Count| PC{Pages > 1?}
        PC -->|Yes| SC[Scale down: scale * 0.95]
        SC --> FL
        PC -->|No or scale < 0.60| RO[Final Render]
    end

    subgraph Output
        RO -->|Save| PDF[generated_cv.pdf]
        PDF -->|Validate Text| VF[verify.py PDFMiner]
    end

    style CC fill:#c0504d,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style FL fill:#e1daee,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style PDF fill:#2ecc71,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

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Key Features

• Separated Concerns: Keep your content (data.yaml) completely separate from your styling rules (style.yaml). Update your job descriptions without breaking the layout!
• Intelligent Auto-Scaling: Built-in fit_to_one_page() method. If your resume exceeds one page, the generator automatically scales down font sizes and spacing recursively (down to a safety floor of 0.60) until everything fits beautifully on a single sheet.
• Premium Multi-Column Layout: Renders a gorgeous, asymmetrical layout featuring:
  • An elegant contact, links, and personal interests sidebar with a soft-filled background (#E1DAEE).
  • A clean main column for education and technical skills.
  • A dual-column bottom showcase for professional experiences, academic projects, and personal repositories.
• Language & Translation Ready: Built-in label mapping support (labels block) to seamlessly generate resumes in both English and French from separate data configs using the same core style engine.
• Built-In PDF Verification: An independent verification tool (verify.py) utilizing pdfminer to extract and print raw text from the compiled PDF, ensuring searchability and screen-reader compatibility (ATS optimization).

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Project Structure

cv_creator/
├── cv_creator.py       # Core PDF Compiler & Layout Generator (FPDF2)
├── verify.py           # PDF Parser to verify if the Generated PDF is valid and usable in automated systems
├── lib_config.py       # YAML parser, recursive mapper, and CLI handler
├── style.yaml          # Universal style settings (fonts, margins, layout ratios)
├── data_template.yaml  # English content (Profile, education, projects, skills)

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Installation & Setup

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/nath54/cv_creator.git
   cd cv_creator

2. Create and Activate a Virtual Environment:

   # Windows
   python -m venv .venv
   .venv\Scripts\activate
   
   # macOS/Linux
   python3 -m venv .venv
   source .venv/bin/activate

3. Install Required Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

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Usage Guide

You can run CV_Creator via the command line. The program accepts command-line arguments to specify custom data and style configurations.

1. Generate a CV (Default Auto-Fitting)

python cv_creator.py --data_config data_template.yaml --style_config style.yaml -o cv_template.pdf

2. Verify PDF Layout & ATS Compatibility

Extract the raw text from your compiled PDF to verify that all text is correctly indexed and fully searchable:

python verify.py cv_template.pdf

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Customizing Configurations

Content Configuration (data_template.yaml)

Add or edit your experiences, projects, and skills. Links are clickable in the generated PDF!

first_name: Jean
last_name: Dupont
tagline: IT Technician Student
email: [EMAIL_ADDRESS]
links:
  - name: GitHub
    url: https://github.com/jean_dupont
experience:
  - title: Internship
    organization: Big Bang
    dates: May - August 2026
    description: Software development for the Big Bang company.

Style Configuration (style.yaml)

Fine-tune margins, change page formats, or adjust column width ratios with absolute ease:

page:
  size: A4
  margin:
    top: 10.0
    bottom: 10.0
    left: 10.0
    right: 10.0
layout:
  columns: 2
  ratio: 0.35  # Left sidebar takes 35% of the total page width

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Feel free to fork, customize, and compile your way to your dream job!