iTextPDF to OpenPDF Integration

Question

I've been trying to migrate from iText v5.5.11(License version) library to OpenPDF v1.2.8(Open Source) library.I think that both are having similar functionalities. But,the renderImage function from iText library is missing in OpenPDF library and I'm in need of an alternative function in OpenPDF library.

Please Help.

Thanks in Advance,

Lofty

OpenPDF currently doesn't have the function you are looking for, but we would be happy to help you implement this in a new version. Can you please add more information about this feature, to help us implement it in OpenPDF? What are you trying to do? What is your use-case? github.com/LibrePDF/OpenPDF/issues/183 – Evora

Answer 1

OpenPDF is a fork of iText release 2.1.7 (or the internal tag 4.2.0 which in spite of the large gap is merely 2.1.7 plus a handful of fixes). In particular it does not contain all the new features and fixes of the iText 5.x releases. On the other hand OpenPDF contains a few own changes.

Thus, you cannot simply take OpenPDF as a replacement for itext 5.5.x and expect everything to run out of the box.

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According to your question and a comment here, you foremost are looking for a pendant of the iText renderImage function. I assume you mean the RenderListener method of that name.

In iText that method has been introduced in version 5.0.1, i.e. after the fork. Actually the whole parsing framework has been overhauled in the early 5.0.x versions. Prior versions were focused on only text extraction, and even that limited code was in a proof-of-concept state only.

As far as I can see this has not changed much in OpenPDF between the fork point and the current state.

To get a pendant of the iText renderImage function, therefore, you'll have to do quite a bit of implementation work.

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As an aside, you call iText v5.5.11 "License version" and OpenPDF v1.2.8 "Open Source". This is weird. Both are open source. And both are subject to a license. Merely the OpenPDF license appears to grant more freedom of use than the iText license.

Autopilot

I totally agree with your view.But,I just want to know Is there any alternate function available for renderImage function in OpenPdf. – Lofty

One could rightfully argue that the OpenPDF license gives less freedom to the end users of software that makes use of OpenPDF. Open Source Licenses are not about the freedoms of intermediate developers, but about the freedoms of the End Users, the people who actually use the software. – Dovetail

And to answer your question "Is there any alternate function available for renderImage function in OpenPdf", the answer is no. Unless Andreas Rosdal drops by to correct me. – Dovetail

@Autopilot Great Explanation +1 :) – Painty