Assigning Usage Rights

About the Reader Extensions Service

The Reader Extensions service enables your organization to easily share interactive PDF documents by extending the functionality of Adobe Reader. The Reader Extensions service fully supports any PDF document, up to and including PDF 1.7. It works with Adobe Reader 7.0 and later. The service adds usage rights to a PDF document, activating features that are not usually available when a PDF document is opened using Adobe Reader. Third party users do not require additional software or plug-ins to work with the rights-enabled documents.

You can accomplish these tasks using the Reader Extensions service:

Note: For more information about the Reader Extensions service, see Services Reference for LiveCycle.

Applying Usage Rights to PDF Documents

You can apply usage rights to PDF documents using the Reader Extensions Java Client API and web service. Usage rights pertain to functionality that is available by default in Acrobat but not in Adobe Reader, such as the ability to add comments to a form or to fill in form fields and save the form. PDF documents that have usage rights applied to them are called rights-enabled documents. A user who opens a rights-enabled document in Adobe Reader can perform operations that are enabled for that specific document.

Note: When applying usage rights to PDF documents using the applyUsageRights method, which is part of the Java API, you can set the isModeFinal parameter of the ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object to false. This results in the forms processed counter not being updated and an improvement in performance. If you are not concerned about updating the forms processed counter, it is recommended that you set the isModeFinal parameter to false.
Note: For more information about the Reader Extensions service, see Services Reference for LiveCycle.

Summary of steps

To apply usage rights to a PDF document, perform the following steps:

  1. Include project files.

  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

  3. Retrieve a PDF document.

  4. Specify usage rights to apply.

  5. Apply usage rights to the PDF document.

  6. Save the rights-enabled PDF document.

Include project files

Include necessary files into your development project. If you are creating a client application using Java, then include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, then make sure that you include the proxy files.

Create a Reader Extensions Client object

To programmatically perform a Reader Extensionsservice operation, you must create a Reader Extensions service client object. If you are using the Reader Extensions Java API, create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object. If you are using the Reader Extensions web service API, create a ReaderExtensionsServiceService object.

Retrieve a PDF document

You must retrieve a PDF document in order to apply usage rights. Rights-enabled PDF documents contain a usage rights dictionary. When Adobe Reader opens a document containing such a dictionary, it enables the usage rights specified in the dictionary for that document only. If the document does not contain a usage rights dictionary, the Reader Extensions service creates one. If it already contains a dictionary, the Reader Extensions service overwrites existing usage rights with the ones you specify. The dictionary specifies which usage rights are enabled. When a user opens the document in Adobe Reader, only the usage rights specified in the dictionary are permitted.

Specify usage rights to apply

The usage rights that you can set are determined by a credential that you purchase from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Credentials typically provide permission to set a group of related usage rights, such as those pertaining to interactive forms. Each credential provides the right to create a certain number of rights-enabled PDF documents. An evaluation credential gives the right to create an unlimited number of draft documents.

Note: If you attempt to assign a usage right that is not permitted by your credential, you will cause an exception.

Apply usage rights to the PDF document

To apply usage rights to a PDF document, you reference the alias of the credential that you are using to apply usage rights (a credential is typically installed during the installation of LiveCycle). Also you must specify the PDF document to which usage rights is applied. For information abut configuring a credential, see the installing and deploying guide for your application server.

Save the rights-enabled PDF document

After the Reader Extensions service applies usage rights to a PDF document, you can save the rights-enabled PDF document as a PDF file.

Apply usage rights using the Java API

Apply usage rights to a PDF document by using the Reader Extensions API (Java):

  1. Include project files

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

  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

    • Create a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing the ServiceClientFactory object.

  3. Retrieve a PDF document.

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represents the PDF document by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the PDF document.

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

  4. Specify usage rights to apply.

    • Create a UsageRights object that represents usage rights by using its constructor.

    • For each usage right to apply, invoke a corresponding method that belongs to the UsageRights object. For example, to add the enableFormFillIn usage right, invoke the UsageRights object’s enableFormFillIn method and pass true. (Repeat this step for each usage right to apply).

  5. Apply usage rights to the PDF document.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object by using its constructor. This object contains run-time options that are required by the Reader Extensions service. When invoking this constructor, you must specify the following values:

      • The UsageRights object that contains the usage rights to apply to the document.

      • A string value that specifies a message that a user sees when the rights-enabled PDF document is opened in Adobe Reader 7.x. This message is not displayed in Adobe Reader 8.0.

    • Apply usage rights to the PDF document by invoking the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object’s applyUsageRights method and passing the following values:

      • The com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the PDF document to which usage rights is applied.

      • A string value that specifies the alias of the credential that enables you to apply usage rights.

      • A string value that specifies the corresponding password value. (Currently this parameter is ignored. You can pass null.)

    • The ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object that contains run-time options.

    The applyUsageRights method returns a com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the rights-enabled PDF document.

  6. Save the rights-enabled PDF document.

    • Create a java.io.File object and ensure that the file extension is .pdf.

    • Invoke the com.adobe.idp.Document object’s copyToFile method to copy the contents of the com.adobe.idp.Document object to the file (ensure that you use the com.adobe.idp.Document object that was returned by the applyUsageRights method).

Apply usage rights using the web service API

Apply usage rights to a PDF document by using the Reader Extensions 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/ReaderExtensionsService?WSDL&lc_version=9.0.1.

    Note: Replace localhost with the IP address of the server hosting LiveCycle.
  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object by using its default constructor.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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/ReaderExtensionsService?blob=mtom. Ensure you specify ?blob=mtom.)

    • Create a System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpBinding object by getting the value of the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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 LiveCycle user name to the field ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName.

      • Assign the corresponding password value to the field ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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. Retrieve a PDF document.

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store a PDF document to which a usage rights is applied.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the 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. Pass 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.

  4. Specify usage rights to apply.

    • Create a UsageRights object that represents usage rights by using its constructor.

    • For each usage right to apply, assign the value true to the corresponding data member that belongs to the UsageRights object. For example, to add the enableFormFillIn usage right, assign true to the UsageRights object’s enableFormFillIn data member. (Repeat this step for each usage right to apply).

  5. Apply usage rights to the PDF document.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object by using its constructor. This object contains run-time options that are required by the Reader Extensions service.

    • Assign the UsageRights object to the ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object’s usageRights data member.

    • Assign a string value that specifies the message that a user sees when the rights-enabled PDF document is opened in Adobe Reader to the ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object’s message data member.

    • Apply usage rights to the PDF document by invoking the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object’s applyUsageRights method and passing the following values:

      • The BLOB object that contains the PDF document to which usage rights is applied.

      • A string value that specifies the alias of the credential that enables you to apply usage rights.

      • A string value that specifies the corresponding password value. (Currently this parameter is ignored. You can pass null.)

    • The ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec object that contains run-time options.

    The applyUsageRights method returns a BLOB object that contains the rights-enabled PDF document.

  6. Save the rights-enabled PDF document.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor. Pass a string value that represents the file location of the rights-enabled PDF document.

    • Create a byte array that stores the data content of the BLOB object that was returned by the applyUsageRights method. Populate the byte array by getting the value of the BLOB object’s MTOM data member.

    • Create a System.IO.BinaryWriter object by invoking its constructor and passing the System.IO.FileStream object.

    • Write the contents of the byte array to a PDF file by invoking the System.IO.BinaryWriter object’s Write method and passing the byte array.

Removing Usage Rights from PDF Documents

You can remove usage rights from a rights-enabled document. Removing usage-rights from a rights-enabled PDF document is also necessary in order to perform other LiveCycle operations on it. For example, you must digitally sign (or certify) a PDF document before you set usage rights. Therefore if you want to perform operations on a rights-enabled document, you must remove usage rights from the PDF document, perform the other operations, such as digitally signing the document, and then re-apply usage rights to the document.

Note: For more information about the Reader Extensions service, see Services Reference for LiveCycle.

Summary of steps

To remove usage rights from a rights-enabled PDF document, perform the following steps:

  1. Include project files.

  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

  3. Retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document.

  4. Remove usage rights from the PDF document.

  5. Save the PDF document.

Include project files

Include necessary files into your development project. If you are creating a client application using Java, then include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, then make sure that you include the proxy files.

Create a Reader Extensions Client object

Before you can programmatically perform a Reader Extensions service operation, you must create a Reader Extensions service client object. If you are using the Java API, create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object. If you are using the Reader Extensions web service API, create a ReaderExtensionsServiceService object.

Retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document

Retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document in order to remove usage rights.

Remove usage rights from the PDF document

After you retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document, you can remove usage rights. After you remove usage rights, the PDF document will not have any additional functionality while viewed within Adobe Reader.

Save the PDF document

You can save the PDF document that no longer contains usage-rights as a PDF file. Once saved as a PDF file, the PDF document can be viewed in Adobe Reader or Acrobat.

Remove usage rights using the Java API

Remove usage rights from a rights-enabled PDF document by using the Reader Extensions API (Java):

  1. Include project files.

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

  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

    Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.

  3. Retrieve a PDF document.

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represent the rights-enabled PDF document by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the PDF document.

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

  4. Remove usage rights from the PDF document.

    Remove usage rights from the PDF document by invoking the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object’s removeUsageRights method and passing the com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the rights-enabled PDF document. This method returns a com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains a PDF document that does not have usage rights.

  5. Apply usage rights to the PDF document.

    • Create a java.io.File object and ensure that the file extension is .PDF.

    • Invoke the Document object’s copyToFile method to copy the contents of the Document object to the file (ensure that you use the Document object that was returned by the removeUsageRights method).

Remove usage rights using the web service API

Remove usage rights from a rights-enabled PDF document by using the Reader Extensions 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/ReaderExtensionsService?WSDL&lc_version=9.0.1.

    Note: Replace localhost with the IP address of the server hosting LiveCycle.
  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object by using its default constructor.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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/ReaderExtensionsService?blob=mtom. Ensure you specify ?blob=mtom.)

    • Create a System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpBinding object by getting the value of the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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 LiveCycle user name to the field ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName.

      • Assign the corresponding password value to the field ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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. Retrieve a PDF document.

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the rights-enabled PDF document from which usage rights are removed.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the 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.

  4. Remove usage rights from the PDF document.

    Remove usage rights from the PDF document by invoking the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object’s removeUsageRights method and passing the BLOB object that contains the rights-enabled PDF document. This method returns a BLOB object that contains a PDF document that does not have usage rights.

  5. Apply usage rights to the PDF document.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the PDF file location.

    • Create a byte array that stores the data content of the BLOB object that was returned by the removeUsageRights method. Populate the byte array by getting the value of the BLOB object’s MTOM data member.

    • Create a System.IO.BinaryWriter object by invoking its constructor and passing the System.IO.FileStream object.

Retrieving Credential Information

You can retrieve information about the credential that was used to apply usage rights to a rights-enabled PDF document. By retrieving information about a credential, you can obtain information such as the date after which the certificate is no longer valid.

Note: For more information about the Reader Extensions service, see Services Reference for LiveCycle.

Summary of steps

To retrieve information about the credential that was used to apply usage rights to a PDF document, perform the following steps:

  1. Include project files.

  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

  3. Retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document.

  4. Retrieve information about the credential.

Include project files

Include necessary files into your development project. If you are creating a client application using Java, then include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, then make sure that you include the proxy files.

Create a Reader Extensions Client object

Before you can programmatically perform a Reader Extensions service operation, you must create a Reader Extensions service client object. If you are using the Java API, create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object. If you are using the Reader Extensions web service API, create a ReaderExtensionsServiceService object.

Retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document

You must retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document in order to retrieve information about the credential. You can also retrieve information about a credential by specifying its alias; however, if you want to retrieve information about a credential that was used to apply usage rights to a specific rights-enabled PDF document, then you must retrieve the document.

Retrieve information about the credential

After you retrieve a rights-enabled PDF document, you can obtain information about the credential that was used to apply usage rights to it. You can obtain the following information about the credential:

  • The message that is displayed within Adobe Reader when the rights-enabled PDF document is opened.

  • The date after which the credential is no longer valid.

  • The date before which the credential is not valid.

  • The usage rights that were set for this rights-enabled PDF document.

  • The number of times that the credential has been used.

Retrieve credential information using the Java API

Retrieve credential information by using the Reader Extensions API (Java):

  1. Include project files.

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

  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

    Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.

  3. Retrieve a PDF document.

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represent the rights-enabled PDF document by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the rights-enabled PDF document.

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

  4. Remove usage rights from the PDF document.

    • Retrieve information about the credential used to apply usage-rights to the PDF document by invoking the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object’s getDocumentUsageRights method and passing the com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the rights-enabled PDF document. This method return a GetUsageRightsResult object that contains credential information.

    • Retrieve the date after which the credential is no longer valid by invoking the GetUsageRightsResult object’s getNotAfter method. This method returns a java.util.Date object that represents the date after which the credential is no longer valid.

    • Retrieve the message that is displayed in Adobe Reader when the rights-enabled PDF document is opened by invoking the GetUsageRightsResult object’s getMessage method. This method returns a string value that represents the message.

Retrieve credential information using the web service API

Retrieve credential information using the Reader Extensions 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/ReaderExtensionsService?WSDL&lc_version=9.0.1.

    Note: Replace localhost with the IP address of the server hosting LiveCycle.
  2. Create a Reader Extensions Client object.

    • Create an ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object by using its default constructor.

    • Create a ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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/ReaderExtensionsService?blob=mtom. Ensure you specify ?blob=mtom.)

    • Create a System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpBinding object by getting the value of the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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 LiveCycle user name to the field ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName.

      • Assign the corresponding password value to the field ReaderExtensionsServiceClient.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. Retrieve a PDF document.

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store a rights-enabled PDF document.

    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the rights-enabled 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.

  4. Remove usage rights from the PDF document.

    • Retrieve information about the credential used to apply usage-rights to the PDF document by invoking the ReaderExtensionsServiceClient object’s getDocumentUsageRights method and passing the com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the rights-enabled PDF document. This method returns a GetUsageRightsResult object that contains credential information.

    • Retrieve the date after which the credential is no longer valid by getting the value of the GetUsageRightsResult object’s notAfter data member. The data type of this data member is System.DateTime.

    • Retrieve the message that is displayed when the rights-enabled PDF document is opened in Adobe Reader by getting the value of the GetUsageRightsResult object’s message data member. The data type of this data member is a string.

    • Retrieve the number of times that the credential is used by getting the value of the GetUsageRightsResult object’s useCount data member. The data type of this data member is an integer.

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