Can we use PDF library with AEM 6.5.18

[stiegjo22]

Hi all,

I'm trying to use Apache PDFBox for a workflow step (version 3.0.1) and the maven build runs in my local. However I see that my bundle fails to install and the org.apache.pdfbox cannot resolve in the AEM author.

[SureshDhulipudi]

can you please provide you pom.xml entry for pdfbox

<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.pdfbox</groupId>
<artifactId>pdfbox</artifactId>
<version>3.0.1</version>
<scope>compile</scope>
</dependency>

or you can try embed explicitly to the maven-bundle-plugin

<Embed-Dependency>
pdfbox;scope=compile|runtime
</Embed-Dependency>

[stiegjo22]

Here's my entry for pdfbox in the pom:

            <!-- Apache PDF Box -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.apache.pdfbox</groupId>
                <artifactId>pdfbox</artifactId>
                <version>3.0.1</version>
                <scope>compile</scope>
            </dependency>

[Jagadeesh_Prakash]

Hi @stiegjo22 

AEM works with very lower versions of PDFBOX only. Might be this the limitation while you are working in AEM, so keep these things in mind.

[stiegjo22]

I went down to version 2.0.9 and it still failed. Does anyone know what is the lowest version that works with AEM? Thanks.

[SureshDhulipudi]

try 1.8.0 below

in some threads, it worked with 1.6.0

https://experienceleaguecommunities.adobe.com/t5/adobe-experience-manager/generate-a-pdf-in-cq5-with...

[stiegjo22]

I tried with lower versions of PDFBOX - 1.8.0 and 1.6.0. Both show the same error message after running a maven build and deploying to AEM author 6.5.18.

[Imran__Khan]

Do you see pdfbox as part of your /system/cobsole/bundles...

if not, can you please download jar and try uploading one manually just for quick verification or download in local have this as part of code and upload as external jar through code.

[arunpatidar]

Hi @stiegjo22 
Please check the correct dependency using dependency finder.

http://localhost:4502/system/console/depfinder

If dependency does not exists then you need to installed the pdfbox bundle in AEM, using embedded; Example

Also In your POM you added dependency scope as compile, thats means dependency will only be available for compile time.

[stiegjo22]

Now I'm trying to use a different PDF library - https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.itextpdf/kernel

I've added the Maven Bundle Plugin to my project's pom.xml file and specified instructions such as Export-Package.

     <!-- Maven Bundle Plugin -->
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.felix</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-bundle-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>4.1.0</version>
                <extensions>true</extensions>
       <configuration>
                    <instructions>
                        <Import-Package>
                            com.itextpdf.kernel.*;version="[8.0,9)",
                            com.itextpdf.io.*;version="[8.0,9)", *
                        </Import-Package>
                        <Export-Package>
                            com.itextpdf.bundle;version="1.0.0"
                        </Export-Package>
                        <Embed-Dependency>
                            itext.kernel;version="[8.0,9)",scope=compile|runtime
                        </Embed-Dependency>
                        <Embed-Transitive>true</Embed-Transitive>
                        <Bundle-SymbolicName>${project.groupId}.${project.artifactId}</Bundle-SymbolicName>
                        <Bundle-Version>${project.version}</Bundle-Version>
                    </instructions>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>

However I can't find the com.itextpdf.bundle in the 'Target" directory after running maven clean install.

[SureshDhulipudi]

did you add itextpdf kernel dependency ?

<!-- iText PDF library -->

<dependency>

<groupId>com.itextpdf</groupId>

<artifactId>kernel</artifactId>

<version>7.1.15</version> --- Check the version correct or not

</dependency>

[stiegjo22]

          <!-- iText Kernal -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>com.itextpdf</groupId>
                <artifactId>kernel</artifactId>
                <version>8.0.3</version>
            </dependency>

[SureshDhulipudi]

is it downloading the dependencies ?

try (force) mvn clean install 

check your .m2 folder for the libraries (settings.xml)

[stiegjo22 · Accepted solution]

To get this working, I used version 5.5.13 of IText Core on our AEM author and included it in both my parent pom and core pom.

            <!-- iTextPDF -->
            <dependency>
                <groupId>com.itextpdf</groupId>
                <artifactId>itextpdf</artifactId>
                <version>5.5.13</version>
            </dependency>

https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.itextpdf/itextpdf/5.5.13.3