Determining Whether Documents Are PDF/A- Compliant

You can determine whether a PDF document is PDF/A-compliant by using the Assembler service. A PDF/A document exists as an archival format meant for long-term preservation of the document’s content. The fonts are embedded within the document, and the file is uncompressed. As a result, a PDF/A document is typically larger than a standard PDF document. Also, a PDF/A document does not contain audio and video content.

The PDF/A-1 specification consists of two levels of conformance, namely A and B. The major difference between the two levels is the logical structure (accessibility) support, which is not required for conformance level B. Regardless of the conformance level, PDF/A-1 dictates that all fonts are embedded within the generated PDF/A document. At this time, only PDF/A-1b is supported in validation (and conversion).

For the purpose of this discussion, assume that the following DDX document is used. 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<DDX xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/DDX/1.0/"> 
        <DocumentInformation source="Loan.pdf" result="Loan_result.xml"> 
        <PDFAValidation compliance="PDF/A-1b" resultLevel="Detailed"                       ignoreUnusedResources="true" allowCertificationSignatures="true" /> 
    </DocumentInformation> 
</DDX>

Within this DDX document, the DocumentInformation element instructs the Assembler service to return information about the input PDF document. Within the DocumentInformation element, the PDFAValidation element instructs the Assembler service to indicate whether the input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant.

The Assembler service returns information that specifies whether the input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant within an XML document that contains a PDFAConformance element. If the input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant, the value of the PDFAConformance element’s isCompliant attribute is true . If the PDF document is not PDF/A-compliant, the value of the PDFAConformance element’s isCompliant attribute is false .

Note: Because the DDX document specified in this section contains a DocumentInformation element, the Assembler service returns XML data instead of a PDF document. That is, the Assembler service does not assemble or disassemble a PDF document; it returns information about the input PDF document within an XML document.
Note: For more information about the Assembler service, see Services Reference for LiveCycle .
Note: For more information about a DDX document, see Assembler Service and DDX Reference .

Summary of steps

To determine whether a PDF document is PDF/A-compliant, perform the following tasks:

  1. Include project files.

  2. Create a PDF Assembler client.

  3. Reference an existing DDX document.

  4. Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy.

  5. Set run-time options.

  6. Retrieve information about the PDF document.

  7. Save the returned XML document.

Include project files

Include the necessary files in your development project. If you are creating a client application by using Java, include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, ensure that you include the proxy files.

The following JAR files must be added to your project’s class path:

  • adobe-livecycle-client.jar

  • adobe-usermanager-client.jar

  • adobe-assembler-client.jar

  • adobe-utilities.jar (required if LiveCycle is deployed on JBoss)

  • jbossall-client.jar (required if LiveCycle is deployed on JBoss)

if LiveCycle is deployed on a supported J2EE application server other than JBoss, you must replace the adobe-utilities.jar and jbossall-client.jar files with JAR files that are specific to the J2EE application server that LiveCycle is deployed on. For information about the location of all LiveCycle JAR files, see Including LiveCycle Java library files .

Create a PDF Assembler client

Before you can programmatically perform an Assembler operation, you must create an Assembler service client.

Reference an existing DDX document

A DDX document must be referenced to perform an Assembler service operation. To determine whether an input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant, ensure that the DDX document contains the PDFAValidation element within a DocumentInformation element. The PDFAValidation element instructs the Assembler service to return an XML document that specifies whether the input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant.

Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy

A PDF document must be referenced and passed to the Assembler service to determine whether the PDF document is PDF/A-compliant.

Set run-time options

You can set run-time options that control the behaviour of the Assembler service while it performs a job. For example, you can set an option that instructs the Assembler service to continue processing a job if an error is encountered. For information about the run-time options that you can set, see the AssemblerOptionSpec class reference in LiveCycle API Reference .

Retrieve information about the PDF document

After you create the Assembler service client, reference the DDX document, reference an interactive PDF document, and set run-time options, you can invoke the invokeDDX operation. Because the DDX document contains the DocumentInformation element, the Assembler service returns XML data instead of a PDF document.

Save the returned XML document

The XML document that the Assembler service returns specifies whether the input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant. For example, if the input PDF document is not PDF/A-compliant, the Assembler service returns an XML document that contains the following element: 

<PDFAConformance isCompliant="false" compliance="PDF/A-1b" resultLevel="Detailed" ignoreUnusedResources="true" allowCertificationSignatures="true">

Save the XML document as an XML file so that you can open the file and view the results.

See also

Determine whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the Java API

Determine whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the web service API

Including LiveCycle Java library files

Setting connection properties

Programmatically Assembling PDF Documents

Determine whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the Java API

Determine whether a PDF document is PDF/A-compliant by using the Assembler Service API (Java):

  1. Include project files.

    Include client JAR files, such as adobe-assembler-client.jar, in your Java project’s class path.

  2. Create a PDF Assembler client.

    • Create a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.

    • Create an AssemblerServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing the ServiceClientFactory object.

  3. Reference an existing DDX document.

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represents the DDX document by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the DDX file. To determine whether the PDF document is PDF/A-compliant, ensure that the DDX document contains the PDFAValidation element that is contained within a DocumentInformation element.

    • Create a com.adobe.idp.Document object by using its constructor and passing the java.io.FileInputStream object.

  4. Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy.

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object by using its constructor and passing the location of a PDF document that is used to determine PDF/A compliancy.

    • Create a com.adobe.idp.Document object by using its constructor and passing the java.io.FileInputStream object that contains the PDF document.

    • Create a java.util.Map object that is used to store the input PDF document by using a HashMap constructor.

    • Add an entry to the java.util.Map object by invoking its put method and passing the following arguments:

      • A string value that represents the key name. This value must match the value of the source element specified in the DDX document. For example, the value of the source element located in the DDX document that is introduced in this section is Loan.pdf.

      • A com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the input PDF document.

  5. Set run-time options.

    • Create an AssemblerOptionSpec object that stores run-time options by using its constructor.

    • Set run-time options to meet your business requirements by invoking a method that belongs to the AssemblerOptionSpec object. For example, to instruct the Assembler service to continue processing a job when an error occurs, invoke the AssemblerOptionSpec object’s setFailOnError method and pass false .

  6. Retrieve information about the PDF document.

    Invoke the AssemblerServiceClient object’s invokeDDX method and pass the following required values:

    • A com.adobe.idp.Document object that represents the DDX document to use

    • A java.util.Map object that contains the input PDF file that is used to determine PDF/A compliancy

    • A com.adobe.livecycle.assembler.client.AssemblerOptionSpec object that specifies the run-time options

    The invokeDDX method returns a com.adobe.livecycle.assembler.client.AssemblerResult object that contains XML data that specifies whether the input PDF document is PDF/A-compliant.

  7. Save the returned XML document.

    To obtain XML data that specifies whether the input PDF document is a PDF/A document, perform the following actions:

    • Invoke the AssemblerResult object’s getDocuments method. This returns a java.util.Map object.

    • Iterate through the java.util.Map object until you find the resultant com.adobe.idp.Document object.

    • Invoke the com.adobe.idp.Document object’s copyToFile method to extract the XML document. Ensure that you save the XML data as an XML file.

See also

Determining Whether Documents Are PDF/A- Compliant

Quick Start (EJB mode): Determining whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the Java API (EJB mode)

Quick Start (SOAP mode): Determining whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the Java API (SOAP mode)

Including LiveCycle Java library files

Setting connection properties

Determine whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the web service API

Determine whether a PDF document is PDF/A-compliant by using the Assembler Service API (web service):

  1. Include project files.

    Create a Microsoft .NET project that uses MTOM. Ensure that you use the following WSDL definition: http://localhost:8080/soap/services/AssemblerService?WSDL&lc_version=9.0.1 .

    Note: Replace localhost with the IP address of the server hosting LiveCycle.

  2. Create a PDF Assembler client.

    • Create an AssemblerServiceClient object by using its default constructor.

    • Create an AssemblerServiceClient.Endpoint.Address object by using the System.ServiceModel.EndpointAddress constructor. Pass a string value that specifies the WSDL to the LiveCycle service (for example, http://localhost:8080/soap/services/AssemblerService?blob=mtom ). You do not need to use the lc_version attribute. This attribute is used when you create a service reference.)

    • Create a System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpBinding object by getting the value of the AssemblerServiceClient.Endpoint.Binding field. Cast the return value to BasicHttpBinding .

    • Set the System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpBinding object’s MessageEncoding field to WSMessageEncoding.Mtom . This value ensures that MTOM is used.

    • Enable basic HTTP authentication by performing the following tasks:

      • Assign the AEM forms user name to the field AssemblerServiceClient.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName .

      • Assign the corresponding password value to the field AssemblerServiceClient.ClientCredentials.UserName.Password .

      • Assign the constant value HttpClientCredentialType.Basic to the field BasicHttpBindingSecurity.Transport.ClientCredentialType .

      • Assign the constant value BasicHttpSecurityMode.TransportCredentialOnly to the field BasicHttpBindingSecurity.Security.Mode .

  3. Reference an existing DDX document.

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the DDX document.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the DDX document and the mode to open the file in.

    • Create a byte array that stores the content of the System.IO.FileStream object. You can determine the size of the byte array by getting the System.IO.FileStream object’s Length property.

    • Populate the byte array with stream data by invoking the System.IO.FileStream object’s Read method and passing the byte array, the starting position, and the stream length to read.

    • Populate the BLOB object by assigning its MTOM field with the contents of the byte array.

  4. Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy.

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the input PDF document.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the input PDF document and the mode in which to open the file.

    • Create a byte array that stores the content of the System.IO.FileStream object. You can determine the size of the byte array by getting the System.IO.FileStream object’s Length property.

    • Populate the byte array with stream data by invoking the System.IO.FileStream object’s Read method and passing the byte array, the starting position, and the stream length to read.

    • Populate the BLOB object by assigning its MTOM property with the contents of the byte array.

    • Create a MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object. This collection object is used to store the PDF document.

    • Create a MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object.

    • Assign a string value that represents the key name to the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object's key field. This value must match the value of the PDF source element specified in the DDX document.

    • Assign the BLOB object that stores the PDF document to the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object's value field.

    • Add the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object to the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object. Invoke the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object' Add method and pass the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object.

  5. Set run-time options.

    • Create an AssemblerOptionSpec object that stores run-time options by using its constructor.

    • Set run-time options to meet your business requirements by assigning a value to a data member that belongs to the AssemblerOptionSpec object. For example, to instruct the Assembler service to continue processing a job when an error occurs, assign false to the AssemblerOptionSpec object’s failOnError data member.

  6. Retrieve information about the PDF document.

    Invoke the AssemblerServiceService object’s invoke method and pass the following values:

    • A BLOB object that represents the DDX document.

    • The MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object that contains the input PDF document. Its keys must match the names of the PDF source files, and its values must be the BLOB object that corresponds to the input PDF file.

    • An AssemblerOptionSpec object that specifies run-time options.

    The invoke method returns an AssemblerResult object that contains XML data that specifies whether the input PDF document is a PDF/A document.

  7. Save the returned XML document.

    To obtain XML data that specifies whether the input PDF document is a PDF/A document, perform the following actions:

    • Access the AssemblerResult object's documents field, which is a Map object that contains the XML data that specifies whether the input PDF document is a PDF/A document.

    • Iterate through the Map object to obtain each resultant document. Then, cast that array member's value to a BLOB .

    • Extract the binary data that represents the XML data by accessing its BLOB object's MTOM field. This field stores an array of bytes that you can write out to as a XML file.

See also

Determining Whether Documents Are PDF/A- Compliant

Quick Start (MTOM): Determining whether a document is PDF/A compliant using the web service API

Invoking LiveCycle using MTOM

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