Reader Extensions

Reader Extensions allows you to manipulate usage rights on PDF documents. Usage rights pertain to functionality that is available in Acrobat but not in Adobe Reader. Functionality controlled by Reader Extensions includes the ability to add comments to a document, fill forms, and save the document. PDF documents that have usage rights added are called rights-enabled documents. A user who opens a rights-enabled PDF document in Adobe Reader can perform the operations that are enabled for that document.

In addition to PDF documents, you can use Reader Extensions operations to manipulate usage rights for PDF forms.

Important: When you use Reader Extensions to add usage rights to a static PDF form for use with Workspace, save the form by clicking Take Offline. This step preserves the usage rights. Clicking the Save button in Adobe Reader causes the usage rights to be unavailable to the user.

For information about using the Reader Extensions service, see Services Reference for Adobe LiveCycle ES4.

    Apply Usage Rights operation

    Applies usage rights to a PDF document. Before you use the Apply Usage Rights operation, import and configure a Reader Extensions Credential. (See Configuring credentials for use with Reader Extensions inLiveCycle Administration Help.)

    If you are applying usage rights to a PDF form for use in Workspace, inject the Form Bridge library as well. Perform the steps in the following order:

    1. Create the PDF using, for example, renderPDFForm operation (Forms service).

    2. Use Inject Form Bridge operation (Form Augmenter service) to add the Form Bridge library.

    3. Apply usage rights.

      If you inject the Form Bridge libraries after applying usage rights, the usage rights are invalidated. Any combination of encrypting, certifying, and applying usage rights to the same document must occur in the following order. These services must be invoked within a short-lived process:

    4. Encrypt (Encryption service or Protect Document operation operation of the Rights Management service)

    5. Certify (Signature service)

    6. Apply usage rights

    For information about the General and Route Evaluation property groups, see Common operation properties.

    Input properties

    Properties to specify the PDF document, the credential alias, and usage rights to apply to the PDF document.

    Input PDF Document

    A document value that represents the PDF document for which to apply usage rights.

    If you provide a literal value, clicking the ellipsis button opens the Select Asset dialog box. (See About Select Asset.)

    Credential Alias

    A string value that represents the alias of the credential to grant usage rights.

    If you provide a literal value, from the Credential Alias list, select the identifier of a credential in the trust store.

    Apply Usage Rights Options

    (Optional) A ReaderExtensionsOptionSpec value that represents the usage rights to apply to the PDF document.

    If you provide a literal value, you can apply any of the following usage rights to the PDF document.

    Basic Form Fill-in:
    Select to permit basic form fill-in capabilities in the PDF document.

    Import and Export Form Data:
    Select to permit users to import or export form data.

    Submit Outside Web Browser:
    Select to permit users to submit form data by email or offline.

    Database and Web Service Connectivity:
    Select to permit a user to access to the database or call the web service that is defined within the PDF document.

    Add, Delete, And Change Form Fields:
    Select to permit users to edit existing filled form fields in the PDF document.

    Create Pages From Templates:
    Select to permit users to add new pages generated by existing templates in the PDF document.

    2D Barcode Decoding:
    Select to permit two-dimensional (2D) barcode decoding in the PDF document.

    Digital Signatures:
    Select to permit users to add digital signatures to the PDF document.

    Commenting:
    Select to permit offline commenting of the PDF document.

    Online Commenting:
    Select to permit online commenting of the PDF document.

    Embedded File Attachments:
    Select to permit users to add attachments to the PDF document.

    Count Credential Usage:
    Select Yes to create a count of how many times the credential is used to enable usage rights. The count appears in the Reader Extensions web application.

    Reader Message:
    A message you type that represents the text displayed within Adobe Reader to inform users that the PDF document contains usage rights.

    Output properties

    Property to specify the PDF document with usage rights applied.

    Output PDF Document

    (Optional) The location to store the PDF document with usage rights applied. The data type is document.

    Exceptions

    This operation can throw a ReaderExtensionsException exception.

    Get Document Usage Rights operation

    Retrieves information about usage rights that are applied to a PDF document.

    For information about the General and Route Evaluation property groups, see Common operation properties.

    Input properties

    Property to specify the PDF document for which to retrieve usage rights information.

    Input PDF

    A document value that specifies the PDF document for which to retrieve usage rights information.

    Output properties

    Property to specify the destination for the usage rights information.

    Document Usage Rights

    (Optional) The location to store usage rights information for the specified PDF document. The data type is GetUsageRightsResult.

    Exceptions

    This operation can throw a ReaderExtensionsException exception.

    Get Credential Usage Rights operation

    Retrieves information about the specified credential, including the usage rights it extends to a document.

    For information about the General and Route Evaluation property groups, see Common operation properties.

    Input properties

    Property to specify the credential for which to retrieve usage rights information.

    Credential Alias

    A string value that specifies the credential for which to retrieve usage rights information.

    If you provide a literal value, from the Credential Alias list, select the identifier of a credential in the trust store.

    Output properties

    Property to specify the destination for the usage rights information.

    Credential Usage Rights

    (Optional) The location to store the usage rights information for the specified credential. The data type is GetUsageRightsResult.

    Exceptions

    This operation can throw a ReaderExtensionsException exception.

    Remove Usage Rights operation

    Removes usage rights from the specified PDF document.

    For information about the General and Route Evaluation property groups, see Common operation properties.

    Input properties

    Property to specify the rights-enabled PDF document.

    Input PDF Document

    A document value that specifies the PDF document from which to remove usage rights.

    If you provide a literal value, clicking the ellipsis button opens the Select Asset dialog box. (See About Select Asset.)

    Output properties

    Property to specify the PDF document without usage rights.

    Output PDF Document

    (Optional) The location to store the PDF document without usage rights. The data type is document.

    Exceptions

    This operation can throw a ReaderExtensionsException exception.

    Reader Extensions exceptions

    The Reader Extensions service provides the following exception for throwing exception events.

    ReaderExtensionsException

    Thrown when an error occurs while adding usage rights to or removing usage rights from a PDF document.

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