Java

Add File Attachments to a PDF

See more PDF Signatures Examples

Demonstrates how to attach files to a PDF. This is also known as embedding a file within a PDF.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.97 or greater.

Chilkat2 Java

import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.BinData;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.ChilkatException;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.JsonObject;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.Pdf;

public class ChilkatExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
        // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

        Pdf pdf = new Pdf();

        // We'll be adding attachments to this PDF file..
        // Note: We are loading the PDF file into memory.  The PDF file is not kept open at this point.
        try {
            pdf.loadFile("qa_data/pdf/helloWorld.pdf");
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        // Note: The ability to attach files to a PDF was added in Chilkat v9.5.0.97

        // Build JSON to provide information about the files to be embedded in the PDF.
        JsonObject json = new JsonObject();
        json.setEmitCompact(false);

        int i = 0;

        // We can attach multiple files in one operation.

        // Here we specify the local relative file path of the 1st file to be embedded.
        json.setI(i);
        json.updateString("files[i].description", "Hello World");
        json.updateString("files[i].localFilePath", "qa_data/xml/helloWorld.xml");
        i = i + 1;

        // Specify the 2nd file to be attached.
        json.setI(i);
        json.updateString("files[i].description", "Image of starfish");
        json.updateString("files[i].localFilePath", "qa_data/jpg/starfish.jpg");
        // You can explicitly specify the subType (i.e. MIME type) of the file.
        // Otherwise Chilkat will use the default MIME type based on the filename extension.
        // If no default MIME type exists, then "application/octet-stream" is used.
        json.updateString("files[i].subType", "image/jpeg");
        i = i + 1;

        // You can alternatively provide the file data from base64 encoded data rather than from a local file.
        json.setI(i);
        json.updateString("files[i].description", "Hello World from Data");
        json.updateString("files[i].fileData", "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQsIEhlbGxvIFdvcmxkLCBIZWxsbyBXb3JsZCwgSGVsbG8gV29ybGQsIEhlbGxvIFdvcmxk");
        json.updateString("files[i].embeddedFilename", "abc.txt");
        i = i + 1;

        // By default, the filename used within the PDF is the filename part of the local file path.
        // You can change it by specifying the embeddedFilename.
        json.setI(i);
        json.updateString("files[i].description", "Invoice");
        json.updateString("files[i].localFilePath", "qa_data/xml/invoice.xml");
        json.updateString("files[i].embeddedFilename", "invoice_1234.xml");
        json.updateString("files[i].subType", "application/xml");

        // The above JSON provides instructions for attaching 4 files to the PDF.
        // Let's attach the files..
        // It is perfectly acceptable to write over the PDF file that was loaded,
        // but in this example we'll write the PDF with attachments to a new PDF file.
        try {
            pdf.addEmbeddedFiles(json, "qa_output/helloWorld_withAttachments.pdf");
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        // You can alternatively write the PDF file with attachments to a Chilkat BinData object..
        BinData bd = new BinData();
        try {
            pdf.addEmbeddedFilesBd(json, bd);
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        // Then you can do what you want with the BinData, which contains the binary image of the PDF with attachments.

        System.out.println("Success.");
    }
}