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jCaltrans
Level 2
October 13, 2021
Solved

DDX converts attachments to PDF

  • October 13, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 3129 views

I have an issue where in a internal process based on an XFAPDF file needs to be converted into a standard PDF with attachments for eSign.  That part works great, but the attachments are all converting into PDF files and I need at least some of them to be maintained in their native format as this is a requirement of the deliverable to the partner.  I am using the invoke 'DDX' object to add the attachments, is there another method that I should be using?  Is there some setting that I am missing that would prevent the 'DDX' object from running the attachments through PDF Generator?

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Best answer by Kosta_Prokopiu1

Yes to the steps with the exception of using the generatePDFOutput object so that the dynamic PDF has its state preserved.

 

Here is the DDX generated from script using the list generated from extracting the attachments:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DDX xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/DDX/1.0/">
<PDF result="outDoc">
<FileAttachments source="0">
<File filename="testattach.docx" mimetype="application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document"/>
<FilenameEncoding encoding="UTF-8"/>
</FileAttachments>
<FileAttachments source="1">
<File filename="exceltest.xls" mimetype="application/excel"/>
<FilenameEncoding encoding="UTF-8"/>
</FileAttachments>
<FileAttachments source="2">
<File filename="attachTest.txt" mimetype="text/plain"/>
<FilenameEncoding encoding="UTF-8"/>
</FileAttachments>
<PDF source="3"/>
</PDF>
</DDX>


Hi @jcaltrans 

the DDX per se is ok, you would not even need the mimetype. I used a static PDF and added an xlxs file and it showed up allright.

I have a feeling that your extraction of those attachments already goes wrong. 

I did a quick DDX only approach which extracts and adds. The file types remain what they were.

 

<DDX xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/DDX/1.0/">

<FileAttachments result="attachmentInfo.xml" nameKeys="*" extract="true">
<PDF source="doc3.pdf"/>
<FilenameEncoding encoding="UTF-8"/>
</FileAttachments>

<PDF result="outDoc">
<FileAttachments source="doc3.pdf_attach.0000.0001">
<File filename="testattach.xlsx"/>
<FilenameEncoding encoding="UTF-8"/>
</FileAttachments>
<PDF source="3"/>
</PDF>

</DDX>

 

This pulls attachments from an XFA PDF and then I can use it to add to a static PDF.

The naming of the attachments source is generic. When you generate your DDX you can dynamically set it.

 

 

2 replies

Pulkit_Jain_
Adobe Employee
Pulkit_Jain_Adobe Employee
Adobe Employee
October 13, 2021

@jcaltrans 

Assembler service calls PDFG at the time of conversion, by default so not sure if its possible to bypass this step but you can explicitly specify the mimetype and encoding of the file attachment to ensure the filetype is intact after the conversion.

 

<PDF result="doc3.pdf">
<PDF source="doc1.pdf"/>
<PDF source="doc2.pdf"/>
<FileAttachments source="Testing.txt">
<File filename="Testing.txt" mimetype="text/plain"/>
<FilenameEncoding encoding="ISO-8859-1"/>
</FileAttachments>
</PDF>
</PDF>

Hope this helps!

    G
    GirishBedekar
    Level 8
    October 13, 2021

    So how will the assembly work?

    if there is a a combination of pdf and non pdf file types in the ddx?

      Kosta_Prokopiu1
      Adobe Employee
      Kosta_Prokopiu1Adobe Employee
      Adobe Employee
      October 14, 2021

      I am getting attachments from an XFA form and then applying those to the flattened version of the PDF file and they need to not all be converted to PDF's.  Here is an image of the process that I am using so far.  Is there another method for applying those attachments to the flat PDF file within a process workflow?


      Hi @jcaltrans ,

      what you want to do is perfectly possible, we do not automatically convert non-PDF to PDF if not told to do so. 

      The use case as I understand it:

      • You have an interactive, XFA based PDF form and you have users add attachments to the PDF by some means (e.g. like @mayank_tiwari's example).
      • When this PDF arrives at the server, you extract the attachments from the XFA PDF and place them in a map variable.
      • Then you use Assembler functionality to first flatten the XFA based PDF, making it a normal print PDF.
      • Then you use DDX commands to re-attach the extracted files to the new flattened PDF.

      Is that the correct description?

       

      Can you post the DDX that you apply with the Invoke DDX step here so we can have a look.

      Kosta

        Mayank_Tiwari
        Adobe Employee
        Mayank_TiwariAdobe Employee
        Adobe Employee
        October 14, 2021

        Please refer to the sample PDF[0] in which JavaScript has been used to add multiple attachments of different types. The PDF file needs to be reader extended to work in Acrobat DC Reader.

         

        [0]: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j2aK65Mk7eF_Bi2PoHf9CWc4ir5c58we/view?usp=sharing

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