Create PDF file attachment annotations in C# and VB.NET

A file attachment annotation contains a reference to a file that is typically embedded in the PDF document.

For example, a data table might use a file attachment annotation to link to a spreadsheet file based on that data; activating the annotation extracts the embedded file and allows the user to view it or store it in the file system.

In GemBox.Pdf you can represent file attachment annotations by a PdfFileAttachmentAnnotation class. To add or remove them, use the Annotations property of the PdfPage class.

GemBox.Pdf supports adding file attachment annotations to a PDF page from either a file system or Streams, as shown in the following examples.

PDF page with file attachment annotations added using GemBox.Pdf
Screenshot of PDF page with file attachment annotations added using GemBox.Pdf

Create file attachment annotations from a file system

Adding file attachment annotations to a PDF page from a file system is convenient and easy.

The following example shows how to add file attachment annotations to an existing PDF page from an extracted zip archive.

Upload your file (Drag file here)
using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Annotations;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        using (var document = PdfDocument.Load("%InputFileName%"))
        {
            // Extract all the files in the zip archive to a directory on the file system.
            ZipFile.ExtractToDirectory("%#Attachments.zip%", "Attachments");

            var page = document.Pages[0];
            int rowCount = 0;
            double spacing = page.CropBox.Width / 5,
                left = spacing,
                bottom = page.CropBox.Height - 200;

            // Add file attachment annotations to the PDF page from all the files extracted from the zip archive.
            foreach (var filePath in Directory.GetFiles("Attachments", "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories))
            {
                var fileAttachmentAnnotation = page.Annotations.AddFileAttachment(left - 10, bottom - 10, filePath);

                // Set a different icon for each file attachment annotation in a row.
                fileAttachmentAnnotation.Appearance.Icon = (PdfFileAttachmentIcon)(rowCount + 1);

                // Set attachment description to the relative path of the file in the zip archive.
                fileAttachmentAnnotation.Description = filePath.Substring(filePath.IndexOf('\\') + 1).Replace('\\', '/');

                // There are, at most, 4 file attachment annotations in a row.
                ++rowCount;
                if (rowCount < 4)
                    left += spacing;
                else
                {
                    rowCount = 0;
                    left = spacing;
                    bottom -= spacing;
                }
            }

            // Delete the directory where zip archive files were extracted to.
            Directory.Delete("Attachments", recursive: true);

            document.Save("File Attachment Annotations from file system.pdf");
        }
    }
}
Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Annotations
Imports System.IO
Imports System.IO.Compression

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Using document = PdfDocument.Load("%InputFileName%")

            ' Extract all the files in the zip archive to a directory on the file system.
            ZipFile.ExtractToDirectory("%#Attachments.zip%", "Attachments")

            Dim page = document.Pages(0)
            Dim rowCount As Integer = 0
            Dim spacing As Double = page.CropBox.Width / 5,
                left As Double = spacing,
                bottom As Double = page.CropBox.Height - 200

            ' Add file attachment annotations to the PDF page from all the files extracted from the zip archive.
            For Each filePath In Directory.GetFiles("Attachments", "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories)

                Dim fileAttachmentAnnotation = page.Annotations.AddFileAttachment(left - 10, bottom - 10, filePath)

                ' Set a different icon for each file attachment annotation in a row.
                fileAttachmentAnnotation.Appearance.Icon = CType((rowCount + 1), PdfFileAttachmentIcon)

                ' Set attachment description to the relative path of the file in the zip archive.
                fileAttachmentAnnotation.Description = filePath.Substring(filePath.IndexOf("\"c) + 1).Replace("\"c, "/"c)

                ' There are, at most, 4 file attachment annotations in a row.
                rowCount += 1
                If rowCount < 4 Then
                    left += spacing
                Else
                    rowCount = 0
                    left = spacing
                    bottom -= spacing
                End If
            Next

            ' Delete the directory where zip archive files were extracted to.
            Directory.Delete("Attachments", recursive:=True)

            document.Save("File Attachment Annotations from file system.pdf")
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module

The next example shows how to add file attachment annotations to a PDF page if your application doesn't have access to a file system or uses some other source of attachment files, such as dynamically created streams or streams embedded in an assembly.

Create file attachment annotations from Streams

If your application doesn't have access to a file system or uses some other source of embedded files such as dynamically created streams or streams embedded in an assembly, you can still add file attachment annotations to a PDF page using GemBox.Pdf.

The following example demonstrates how to add file attachment annotations to an existing PDF page from zip archive Streams.

Upload your file (Drag file here)
using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Annotations;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        using (var document = PdfDocument.Load("%InputFileName%"))
        {
            var page = document.Pages[0];
            int rowCount = 0;
            double spacing = page.CropBox.Width / 5,
                left = spacing,
                bottom = page.CropBox.Height - 200;

            // Add file attachment annotations to the PDF page from all the files from the zip archive.
            using (var archiveStream = File.OpenRead("%#Attachments.zip%"))
            using (var archive = new ZipArchive(archiveStream, ZipArchiveMode.Read, leaveOpen: true))
                foreach (var entry in archive.Entries)
                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(entry.Name))
                    {
                        var fileAttachmentAnnotation = page.Annotations.AddEmptyFileAttachment(left, bottom, entry.Name);

                        // Set a different icon for each file attachment annotation in a row.
                        fileAttachmentAnnotation.Appearance.Icon = (PdfFileAttachmentIcon)(rowCount + 1);

                        // Set attachment description to the relative path of the file in the zip archive.
                        fileAttachmentAnnotation.Description = entry.FullName;

                        var embeddedFile = fileAttachmentAnnotation.File.EmbeddedFile;

                        // Set the embedded file size and modification date.
                        if (entry.Length < int.MaxValue)
                            embeddedFile.Size = (int)entry.Length;
                        embeddedFile.ModificationDate = entry.LastWriteTime;

                        // Copy embedded file contents from the zip archive entry.
                        // Embedded file is compressed if its compressed size in the zip archive is less than its uncompressed size.
                        using (var entryStream = entry.Open())
                        using (var embeddedFileStream = embeddedFile.OpenWrite(compress: entry.CompressedLength < entry.Length))
                            entryStream.CopyTo(embeddedFileStream);

                        // There are, at most, 4 file attachment annotations in a row.
                        ++rowCount;
                        if (rowCount < 4)
                            left += spacing;
                        else
                        {
                            rowCount = 0;
                            left = spacing;
                            bottom -= spacing;
                        }
                    }

            document.Save("File Attachment Annotations from Streams.pdf");
        }
    }
}
Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Annotations
Imports System.IO
Imports System.IO.Compression

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Using document = PdfDocument.Load("%InputFileName%")

            Dim page = document.Pages(0)
            Dim rowCount As Integer = 0
            Dim spacing As Double = page.CropBox.Width / 5,
                left As Double = spacing,
                bottom As Double = page.CropBox.Height - 200

            ' Add file attachment annotations to the PDF page from all the files from the zip archive.
            Using archiveStream = File.OpenRead("%#Attachments.zip%")
                Using archive = New ZipArchive(archiveStream, ZipArchiveMode.Read, leaveOpen:=True)
                    For Each entry In archive.Entries
                        If Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(entry.Name) Then

                            Dim fileAttachmentAnnotation = page.Annotations.AddEmptyFileAttachment(left, bottom, entry.Name)

                            ' Set a different icon for each file attachment annotation in a row.
                            fileAttachmentAnnotation.Appearance.Icon = CType((rowCount + 1), PdfFileAttachmentIcon)

                            ' Set attachment description to the relative path of the file in the zip archive.
                            fileAttachmentAnnotation.Description = entry.FullName

                            Dim embeddedFile = fileAttachmentAnnotation.File.EmbeddedFile

                            ' Set the embedded file size and modification date.
                            If entry.Length < Integer.MaxValue Then embeddedFile.Size = CInt(entry.Length)
                            embeddedFile.ModificationDate = entry.LastWriteTime

                            ' Copy embedded file contents from the zip archive entry.
                            ' Embedded file is compressed if its compressed size in the zip archive is less than its uncompressed size.
                            Using entryStream = entry.Open()
                                Using embeddedFileStream = embeddedFile.OpenWrite(compress:=entry.CompressedLength < entry.Length)
                                    entryStream.CopyTo(embeddedFileStream)
                                End Using
                            End Using

                            ' There are, at most, 4 file attachment annotations in a row.
                            rowCount += 1
                            If rowCount < 4 Then
                                left += spacing
                            Else
                                rowCount = 0
                                left = spacing
                                bottom -= spacing
                            End If
                        End If
                    Next
                End Using
            End Using

            document.Save("File Attachment Annotations from Streams.pdf")
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module

Extract files from file attachment annotations

The example below shows how to extract files from file attachment annotations to a zip archive.

Upload your file (Drag file here)
using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Annotations;
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        // Add to zip archive all files from file attachment annotations located on the first page.
        using (var document = PdfDocument.Load("%InputFileName%"))
        using (var archiveStream = File.Create("File Attachment Annotation Files.zip"))
        using (var archive = new ZipArchive(archiveStream, ZipArchiveMode.Create, leaveOpen: true))
            foreach (var annotation in document.Pages[0].Annotations)
                if (annotation.AnnotationType == PdfAnnotationType.FileAttachment)
                {
                    var fileAttachmentAnnotation = (PdfFileAttachmentAnnotation)annotation;

                    var fileSpecification = fileAttachmentAnnotation.File;

                    // Use the description or the file name as the relative path of the entry in the zip archive.
                    var entryFullName = fileAttachmentAnnotation.Description;
                    if (entryFullName == null || !entryFullName.EndsWith(fileSpecification.Name, StringComparison.Ordinal))
                        entryFullName = fileSpecification.Name;

                    var embeddedFile = fileSpecification.EmbeddedFile;

                    // Create zip archive entry.
                    // Zip archive entry is compressed if the embedded file's compressed size is less than its uncompressed size.
                    bool compress = embeddedFile.Size == null || embeddedFile.CompressedSize < embeddedFile.Size.GetValueOrDefault();
                    var entry = archive.CreateEntry(entryFullName, compress ? CompressionLevel.Optimal : CompressionLevel.NoCompression);

                    // Set the modification date, if it is specified in the embedded file.
                    var modificationDate = embeddedFile.ModificationDate;
                    if (modificationDate != null)
                        entry.LastWriteTime = modificationDate.GetValueOrDefault();

                    // Copy embedded file contents to the zip archive entry.
                    using (var embeddedFileStream = embeddedFile.OpenRead())
                    using (var entryStream = entry.Open())
                        embeddedFileStream.CopyTo(entryStream);
                }
    }
}
Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Annotations
Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.IO.Compression

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        ' Add to zip archive all files from file attachment annotations located on the first page.
        Using document = PdfDocument.Load("%InputFileName%")
            Using archiveStream = File.Create("File Attachment Annotation Files.zip")
                Using archive = New ZipArchive(archiveStream, ZipArchiveMode.Create, leaveOpen:=True)
                    For Each annotation In document.Pages(0).Annotations
                        If annotation.AnnotationType = PdfAnnotationType.FileAttachment Then

                            Dim fileAttachmentAnnotation = CType(annotation, PdfFileAttachmentAnnotation)

                            Dim fileSpecification = fileAttachmentAnnotation.File

                            ' Use the description or the file name as the relative path of the entry in the zip archive.
                            Dim entryFullName = fileAttachmentAnnotation.Description
                            If entryFullName Is Nothing OrElse Not entryFullName.EndsWith(fileSpecification.Name, StringComparison.Ordinal) Then entryFullName = fileSpecification.Name

                            Dim embeddedFile = fileSpecification.EmbeddedFile

                            ' Create zip archive entry.
                            ' Zip archive entry is compressed if the embedded file's compressed size is less than its uncompressed size.
                            Dim compress As Boolean = embeddedFile.Size Is Nothing OrElse embeddedFile.CompressedSize < embeddedFile.Size.GetValueOrDefault()
                            Dim entry = archive.CreateEntry(entryFullName, If(compress, CompressionLevel.Optimal, CompressionLevel.NoCompression))

                            ' Set the modification date, if it is specified in the embedded file.
                            Dim modificationDate = embeddedFile.ModificationDate
                            If modificationDate IsNot Nothing Then entry.LastWriteTime = modificationDate.GetValueOrDefault()

                            ' Copy embedded file contents to the zip archive entry.
                            Using embeddedFileStream = embeddedFile.OpenRead()
                                Using entryStream = entry.Open()
                                    embeddedFileStream.CopyTo(entryStream)
                                End Using
                            End Using
                        End If
                    Next
                End Using
            End Using
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module

See also


Next steps

GemBox.Pdf is a .NET component that enables developers to read, merge and split PDF files or execute low-level object manipulations from .NET applications in a simple and efficient way.

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