(Perl) Add File Attachments to a PDF

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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.

Chilkat Perl Downloads Perl Module for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Alpine Linux, Solaris

use chilkat();

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

$pdf = chilkat::CkPdf->new();

# 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.
$success = $pdf->LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/helloWorld.pdf");
if ($success == 0) {
    print $pdf->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# 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.
$json = chilkat::CkJsonObject->new();
$json->put_EmitCompact(0);

$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.
$json->put_I($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.
$json->put_I($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.
$json->put_I($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.
$json->put_I($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.
$success = $pdf->AddEmbeddedFiles($json,"qa_output/helloWorld_withAttachments.pdf");
if ($success == 0) {
    print $pdf->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

# You can alternatively write the PDF file with attachments to a Chilkat BinData object..
$bd = chilkat::CkBinData->new();
$success = $pdf->AddEmbeddedFilesBd($json,$bd);
if ($success == 0) {
    print $pdf->lastErrorText() . "\r\n";
    exit;
}

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

print "Success." . "\r\n";