How to print legend using GeoServer Print plugin?

Question

I am using Geoserver 2.4.2 on windows. The print plugin works properly without the legend block. However if I include the legend block in my spec file, it throws an error.

Following is my spec file:

{
    "units" : "degrees",
    "srs" : "EPSG:4326",
    "layout" : "A4 Landscape",
    "dpi" : 150,
    "mapTitle" : "Map Title",
    "comment" : "Map Comment",
    "resourcesUrl" : "http://localhost/portal/img",
    "layers" : [{
            "baseURL" : "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/wms/",
            "opacity" : 1,
            "singleTile" : false,
            "type" : "WMS",
            "layer" : "portal:geo",
            "tileSize" : [256, 256],
            "format" : "png"
        }
    ],
    "pages" : [{
            "center" : [78.800618943104, 23.871591352951],
            "scale" : 100000,
            "rotation" : 0
        }
    ],
    "legends" : [{
            "name" : "Geo",
            "classes" : [{
                    "name" : "",
                    "icon" : "http://localhost:8080/geoserver/wms?version=1.3.0&TRANSPARENT=TRUE&SERVICE=WMS&REQUEST=GetLegendGraphic&EXCEPTIONS=application/vnd.ogc.se_xml&LAYER=portal:geo&FORMAT=image/png"]}]}]"
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}

I feel the configuration for config.yaml is correct, since it works without the legend block definition in my spec file. This is my legend block definition on the yaml file:

lastPage:
      pageSize: A4
      landscape: true
      rotation: true
      items:
        - !columns
          absoluteX: 60
          absoluteY: 570
          width: 800
          items:
            - !text
              align: left
              font: Arial
              fontSize: 16
              text: 'Map Legend'
        - !columns
          absoluteX: 60
          absoluteY: 515
          width: 720
          items:
            - !legends
                backgroundColor: #FFFFFF
                borders: true
                horizontalAlignment: left
                inline: true
                maxHeight: 700
                maxWidth: 550
                defaultScale: 0.5
                iconMaxWidth: 80
                iconMaxHeight: 80
                iconPadding: 3 0 0 0
                columnMargin: 10
                classIndentation: 3
                classSpace: 5
                backgroundColor: white
                layerFontSize: 9

If I exclude the legend part in my spec file, it is producing the desired pdf file, with a blank second page. Otherwise it is giving the following error:

Error while generating PDF:

java.lang.RuntimeException: Cannot parse the spec file

Answer 1

This error is caused by ampersand not being properly escaped. All you need to do is replacing & with %26.

Answer 2

You have syntax error, check json in http://jsonformatter.curiousconcept.com/.