VB.NET Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Remove the Restrictions from a PDF

See more PDF Protection Examples

Demonstrates the removeRestrictions operation, which grants every permission. A PDF that needs a password to open stays encrypted and keeps that password. A PDF with no user password, like the one here, has nothing left to protect and is saved unencrypted, the same as removeEncryption. The operation needs owner rights, so the PDF is loaded with its owner password. VB.NET

Dim success As Boolean = False

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

'  The PDF used in this example is available at no_copy_permission.pdf

Dim pdf As New Chilkat.Pdf

'  This PDF opens without a password, but copying text from it is not permitted.
'  Removing the restrictions needs owner rights: load with the owner password.
pdf.OwnerPassword = "owner-secret"
success = pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/no_copy_permission.pdf")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


Dim json As New Chilkat.JsonObject
Dim jsonOut As New Chilkat.JsonObject
success = pdf.Protection("getInfo",json,jsonOut)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If

Debug.WriteLine("may copy, before: " & jsonOut.BoolOf("loaded.permissions.copy"))
Debug.WriteLine("password needed to open: " & jsonOut.BoolOf("loaded.userPasswordRequired"))

success = pdf.Protection("removeRestrictions",json,jsonOut)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


'  With no user password and nothing restricted there is nothing left to protect, so the PDF
'  will be saved unencrypted.  A PDF that needs a password to open would stay encrypted and
'  keep its password.
Debug.WriteLine("will be saved encrypted: " & jsonOut.BoolOf("pending.encrypted"))

success = pdf.WriteFile("qa_output/leaflet_unrestricted.pdf")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


'  Anyone can now extract the text.
Dim reader As New Chilkat.Pdf
success = reader.LoadFile("qa_output/leaflet_unrestricted.pdf")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(reader.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If

Dim opts As New Chilkat.JsonObject
Dim extractOut As New Chilkat.JsonObject
Dim sb As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
success = reader.ExtractTextSb("text",opts,sb,extractOut)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(reader.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If

Debug.WriteLine("characters extracted: " & sb.Length)

'  Sample output:

'  may copy, before: False
'  password needed to open: False
'  will be saved encrypted: False
'  characters extracted: 216