VB.NET

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.

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.

Dim pdf As New Chilkat.Pdf

' 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 = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


' 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.
Dim json As New Chilkat.JsonObject
json.EmitCompact = False

Dim i As Integer = 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.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.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.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.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 = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


' You can alternatively write the PDF file with attachments to a Chilkat BinData object..
Dim bd As New Chilkat.BinData
success = pdf.AddEmbeddedFilesBd(json,bd)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If

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

Debug.WriteLine("Success.")