Sample code for 30+ languages & platforms
Perl

Extract Metadata XML from PDF

See more PDF Signatures Examples

Demonstrates how to extract the metadata XML from a PDF.

Chilkat Perl Downloads

Chilkat2 Perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use Chilkat2;

# This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
# See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

my $pdf = Chilkat2::Pdf->new;

my $success = $pdf->LoadFile('qa_data/pdf/blank_with_metadata.pdf');
if (!$success) {
    print $pdf->LastErrorText, "\n";
    exit;
}

my $sbXml = Chilkat2::StringBuilder->new;
# Note: Not all PDF files have metadata.  Metadata is optional.
$success = $pdf->GetMetadata($sbXml);
if (!$success) {
    print $pdf->LastErrorText, "\n";
    exit;
}

my $xml = Chilkat2::Xml->new;
$xml->LoadSb($sbXml, 1);

print $xml->GetXml(), "\n";

# Sample PDF metadata XML:
# (Code for parsing follows)

# Use this online tool to generate parsing code from sample XML:
# Generate Parsing Code from XML

# <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
# <x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="Adobe XMP Core 9.1-c001 79.675d0f7, 2023/06/11-19:21:16        ">
#     <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
#         <rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/" xmlns:pdf="http://ns.adobe.com/pdf/1.3/" xmlns:xmpRights="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/rights/">
#             <xmp:ModifyDate>2024-11-27T11:33:12-06:00</xmp:ModifyDate>
#             <xmp:CreateDate>2024-11-27T11:28:23-06:00</xmp:CreateDate>
#             <xmp:MetadataDate>2024-11-27T11:33:12-06:00</xmp:MetadataDate>
#             <xmp:CreatorTool>Adobe Acrobat Pro (32-bit) 24.3.20112</xmp:CreatorTool>
#             <dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
#             <dc:title>
#                 <rdf:Alt>
#                     <rdf:li xml:lang="x-default">Blank</rdf:li>
#                 </rdf:Alt>
#             </dc:title>
#             <dc:creator>
#                 <rdf:Bag>
#                     <rdf:li>Chilkat Software</rdf:li>
#                 </rdf:Bag>
#             </dc:creator>
#             <dc:description>
#                 <rdf:Alt>
#                     <rdf:li xml:lang="x-default">Blank Document</rdf:li>
#                 </rdf:Alt>
#             </dc:description>
#             <dc:subject>
#                 <rdf:Bag>
#                     <rdf:li>blank</rdf:li>
#                     <rdf:li>metadata</rdf:li>
#                     <rdf:li>document</rdf:li>
#                 </rdf:Bag>
#             </dc:subject>
#             <xmpMM:DocumentID>uuid:34535ffa-b632-43f1-b1fd-80cea6fdc351</xmpMM:DocumentID>
#             <xmpMM:InstanceID>uuid:69ace620-4c54-407f-8d45-6eebc90f34c2</xmpMM:InstanceID>
#             <pdf:Producer>Adobe Acrobat Pro (32-bit) 24.3.20112</pdf:Producer>
#             <pdf:Keywords>blank; metadata; document</pdf:Keywords>
#             <xmpRights:WebStatement>https://www.chilkatsoft.com/</xmpRights:WebStatement>
#         </rdf:Description>
#     </rdf:RDF>
# </x:xmpmeta>

my $x_xmpmeta_xmlns_x = $xml->GetAttrValue('xmlns:x');
my $x_xmpmeta_x_xmptk = $xml->GetAttrValue('x:xmptk');
my $rdf_RDF_xmlns_rdf = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|(xmlns:rdf)');
my $rdf_Description_rdf_about = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|(rdf:about)');
my $rdf_Description_xmlns_xmp = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|(xmlns:xmp)');
my $rdf_Description_xmlns_dc = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|(xmlns:dc)');
my $rdf_Description_xmlns_xmpMM = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|(xmlns:xmpMM)');
my $rdf_Description_xmlns_pdf = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|(xmlns:pdf)');
my $rdf_Description_xmlns_xmpRights = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|(xmlns:xmpRights)');
my $xmp_ModifyDate = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmp:ModifyDate');
my $xmp_CreateDate = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmp:CreateDate');
my $xmp_MetadataDate = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmp:MetadataDate');
my $xmp_CreatorTool = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmp:CreatorTool');
my $dc_format = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:format');
my $rdf_li_xml_lang = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:title|rdf:Alt|rdf:li|(xml:lang)');
my $rdf_li = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:title|rdf:Alt|rdf:li');
$rdf_li = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:creator|rdf:Bag|rdf:li');
$rdf_li_xml_lang = $xml->ChilkatPath('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:description|rdf:Alt|rdf:li|(xml:lang)');
$rdf_li = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:description|rdf:Alt|rdf:li');
my $i = 0;
my $count_i = $xml->NumChildrenHavingTag('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:subject|rdf:Bag|rdf:li');
while ($i < $count_i) {
    $xml->I($i);
    $rdf_li = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|dc:subject|rdf:Bag|rdf:li[i]');
    $i = $i + 1;
}

my $xmpMM_DocumentID = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmpMM:DocumentID');
my $xmpMM_InstanceID = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmpMM:InstanceID');
my $pdf_Producer = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|pdf:Producer');
my $pdf_Keywords = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|pdf:Keywords');
my $xmpRights_WebStatement = $xml->GetChildContent('rdf:RDF|rdf:Description|xmpRights:WebStatement');