PDF, PDF / A-3 as well as the ZUGFeRD format make it possible to use PDF documents as containers to embed any files into the PDF. The recipient needs a way to extract the embedded files. This can be done interactively, eg. through the Adobe Reader. However, if you want to automate this process, you need an appropriate software component, which can be integrated into an application to read and save the attachments.
For the ZUGFeRD format, there is a free CommandLineTool – ExtractZUGFeRD-XML as well as a .NET / COM component with PDFAttex. This is now included as an extension in the eDocPrintPro SDK.
PDFAttex features:
- .NET / COM component
- C# Sample / test application with source code
- Read how many attachments are included in the PDF
- Read and save individual or all attachments (name, extension) from a PDF, PDF / A-3 or ZUGFeRD file
- Read out with which PDF / A level the file was created – PDF / A-1b, 2b, 3b
PDFAttex as a 32bit COM component:
VisualBasic6 (VB6) requires, for example, a 32bit component.By default, VB can not deal with .NET components created for a mixed-32 / 64bit environment. Therefore, we provide a 32bit variant of the DLL. To be able to be addressed, this DLL must first be registered with the 32bit RegAsm.exe from .NET 2.0. For this, the following command should be executed as an administrator via a CMD file: “C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\VB Sample\RegAsm.exe” “C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\VB Sample\PDFAttex.dll” /codebase. Then, in VisualBasic, the component is available in the list of existing references and can be used.
PDFAttex is part of the eDocPrintPro SDK and requires .NET Runtime version 2.0.