com.pd4ml 4.1.2 API Documentation

PD4ML converts HTML and CSS to PDF, DOCX, RTF and raster images from Java applications, servlets and JSP pages, and edits, merges, signs and optimizes existing PDF documents.

Getting started

PD4ML is the converter. Create an instance, set the page format and the other options, read the HTML with one of its readHTML(...) methods, then write the result with writePDF(...), writeDOCX(...), writeRTF(...) or renderAsImages(...):

PD4ML pd4ml = new PD4ML();
pd4ml.setPageSize(PageSize.A4);
pd4ml.setPageMargins(new PageMargins(36, 36, 36, 36)); // left, top, right, bottom in points
pd4ml.setHtmlWidth(950);                               // the virtual browser width in pixels

pd4ml.readHTML(new URL("https://example.com/page.html"));
try (OutputStream out = new FileOutputStream("result.pdf")) {
    pd4ml.writePDF(out);
}

A PD4ML instance converts one document at a time; use one instance per thread.

Main classes

PD4ML

The converter: page format and margins, fonts (PD4ML.useTTF(java.lang.String)), headers and footers, bookmarks, security, PDF/A and PDF/UA output, and the output to PDF, DOCX, RTF or images.

PageSize, PageMargins, Dimensions

Page formats, margins and units.

Constants

Permission flags, parameter names, error policies and the other constants the API takes.

PdfSpec

The PDF version and the standards (PDF/A, PDF/UA, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X) the output conforms to.

PdfDocument

An existing PDF document: merge, overlay, page operations and saving.

ResourceProvider

Loads the images, style sheets and fonts of a document from places PD4ML does not reach by itself (a database, an application's own storage).

ProgressListener

Receives progress messages of a conversion (PD4ML.monitorProgressWith(com.pd4ml.ProgressListener)).

CustomTag

Renders application-defined HTML tags; the built-in ones (SVG, MathML, QR codes) are in com.pd4ml.plugins.

PDF tools

The com.pd4ml.pdf packages work on existing PDF files, independently of the converter:

com.pd4ml.pdf.merge

Combines page ranges of several PDF files into one document (PdfMerger).

com.pd4ml.pdf.sign

Digital signatures (PAdES-compatible CMS), visible signature fields, remote signing keys, and long-term validation data (PdfSigner).

com.pd4ml.pdf.optimizer

Removes unreachable objects and rewrites a PDF compactly (PdfOptimizer).

com.pd4ml.pdf.xfdf

Exports and imports annotations and form field values as XFDF.

com.pd4ml.pdf.cos

The low-level PDF object model all of them are built on: parsing, COS path queries, encryption and incremental updates.

Command-line tools

Pd4Cmd is the Main-Class of pd4ml.jar (java -jar pd4ml.jar <url> <htmlWidth>); each PDF tool has a command-line entry point of its own in its cli package.

More documentation

• PD4ML Programmer's Manual
• Usage examples
• Pd4Cmd command-line reference
• PDF tools manuals
• PD4ML v3 API (the org.zefer.pd4ml API, still shipped for compatibility) and the v3 to v4 migration guide

Package	Description
com.pd4ml	The PD4ML converter API: PD4ML turns HTML and CSS into PDF, DOCX, RTF or raster images; PdfDocument works on existing PDF documents.
com.pd4ml.pdf	The base of PdfDocument: an existing PDF document that can be inspected, changed and saved.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos	The PDF object model (COS): arrays, dictionaries, names, numbers, strings, streams and indirect references, and COSDocument, the whole document.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.cli	The command-line entry point of the COS API: inspects PDF files, evaluates COS paths and edits objects.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.filter	Stream filters for reading PDF streams: FlateDecode, ASCIIHexDecode and ASCII85Decode.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.parser	Parses a PDF file into a COSDocument: its objects, cross-reference tables and streams.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.path	COS paths: a compact syntax for addressing an object in a PDF document, like /Root/Pages/Kids[0], and its evaluator.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.security	Decrypting and encrypting COS documents with the PDF standard security handler.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.util	Helpers for working with COS documents: page tree and outline navigation, inheritable page attributes, number trees, PDF dates, and copying objects between documents.
com.pd4ml.pdf.cos.writer	Writes COS documents: complete PDF files, and incremental updates appended to an existing file.
com.pd4ml.pdf.encryption	PDF encryption: the standard (password) and public-key security handlers, protection policies and access permissions.
com.pd4ml.pdf.merge	Merging PDF files: PdfMerger combines page ranges of several documents into one, keeping bookmarks, links and tagged structure.
com.pd4ml.pdf.merge.cli	The command-line entry point of the merge API.
com.pd4ml.pdf.optimizer	Optimizing PDF files: PdfOptimizer drops unreachable objects and rewrites a document compactly.
com.pd4ml.pdf.optimizer.cli	The command-line entry point of the optimizer API.
com.pd4ml.pdf.overlay	Overlay and underlay: places pages of one PDF document over or under pages of another (see PdfDocumentBase).
com.pd4ml.pdf.sign	Signing PDF files: PdfSigner applies PAdES-compatible digital signatures, visible or invisible, with local or remote (RemoteSigner) keys.
com.pd4ml.pdf.sign.cli	The command-line entry point of the signing API.
com.pd4ml.pdf.sign.ltv	Long-term validation (PAdES-LT): fetches OCSP responses and CRLs and adds them to a signed PDF.
com.pd4ml.pdf.sign.pdf	The low-level signing mechanics: a signature applied as an incremental update over the signed byte ranges.
com.pd4ml.pdf.xfdf	XFDF (ISO 19444-1): exports a PDF document's annotations and form field values to XFDF, and imports them from it.
com.pd4ml.pdf.xfdf.cli	The command-line entry point of the XFDF API.
com.pd4ml.plugins	Built-in custom tags: SVG (Batik and the built-in renderer), MathML and QR codes, registered with PD4ML.addCustomTagHandler(java.lang.String, com.pd4ml.CustomTag).
com.pd4ml.tools	Command-line tools: Pd4Cmd, the Main-Class of pd4ml.jar, converts documents, edits PDF files, indexes fonts and starts the previewer.