Merge Options
When merging PDFs, often information such as JavaScript, a PDF's properties, metadata, form fields, and other content wish to be excluded from an existing PDF to be merged. Use the MergeOptions class to customize what is merged from an existing PDF.
MergeOptions
The MergeOptions class customizes how documents are merged. The MergeOptions class has numerous properties that customize which content from a PDF is merged.
Properties
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| All | Gets a MergeOptions object with all options set to true. |
| AllOtherData | Gets or sets a value indicating if all other document data should be imported. |
| Append | Gets a MergeOptions object that you would typically use when appending documents. |
| DocumentInfo | Gets or sets a value indicating if document information should be imported. |
| DocumentJavaScript | Gets or sets a value indicating if document level JavaScript should be imported. |
| DocumentProperties | Gets or sets a value indicating if document properties should be imported. |
| EmbeddedFiles | Gets or sets a value indicating if the Embedded files should be imported. |
| FormFields | Gets or sets a value indicating if form fields should be imported. |
| FormsXfaData | Gets or sets a value indicating if form XFA data should be imported. |
| LogicalStructure | Gets or Sets the value indicating if logical structure should be imported. |
| None | Gets a MergeOptions object with all options set to false. |
| OpenAction | Gets or sets a value indicating if the documents opening action (initial page and zoom settings) should be imported. |
| OptionalContentInfo | Gets or sets the Output Content should be imported. |
| Outlines | Gets or sets a value indicating if outlines and bookmarks should be imported. |
| OutputIntent | Gets or Sets a value indication if OutputIntent should be imported. |
| PageAnnotations | Gets or sets a value indicating if annotations should be imported. |
| PageLabelsAndSections | Gets or sets a value indicating if page labels and sections should be imported. |
| RootFormField | Gets or sets the root form field for imported form fields. |
| RootOutline | Gets or sets the root outline for imported outlines. |
| XmpMetadata | Gets or sets a value indicating if Xmp Metadata should be imported. |
Using MergeOptions Statically
To simplify merging, there are three defined static MergeOptions properties that do not require a user to specify numerous properties needlessly when merging.
- MergeOptions.All - Used when propagating all merge options from the PDF being merged or appended.
- MergeOptions.Append - Used when appending PDF documents.
- MergeOptions.None - Used when excluding all merge options when merging or appending.
By default, if a MergeDocument instance's constructor omits specifying MergeOptions, then it uses the MergeOptions.All as the merge options. When using a MergeDocument instance's Append method, if the method omits specifying merge options, then it uses MergeOptions.Append as the merge options.
The following example illustrates using MergeOptions statically.
MergeDocument document = new MergeDocument( pdfFilePath, MergeOptions.All );
document.Append( pdfFilePath, MergeOptions.Append );
document.Draw(pdfFilePath);
Dim MyDocument As MergeDocument = New MergeDocument( pdfFilePath, MergeOptions.All )
MyDocument.Append( pdfFilePath, MergeOptions.Append )
MyDocument.Draw(pdfFilePath)
Using MergeOptions
Instantiate a MergeOptions instance - rather than use one of its static methods - for complete control over the document parts that are merged into the final PDF.
A MergeOptions instance sets all properties as true by default.
The following example illustrates creating a MergeOptions instance and defining several of its properties.
MergeOptions options = new MergeOptions( false );
options.PageAnnotations = false;
options.Outlines = false;
options.DocumentInfo = false;
MergeDocument document = new MergeDocument( pdfFilePath, MergeOptions.All );
document.Append( pdfFilePath, options );
document.Draw(pdfFilePath);
Dim options As MergeOptions = New MergeOptions( False )
options.PageAnnotations = False
options.Outlines = False
options.DocumentInfo = False
Dim MyDocument As MergeDocument = New MergeDocument( pdfFilePath, MergeOptions.All )
MyDocument.Append( pdfFilePath, options )
MyDocument.Draw(pdfFilePath)
Refer to the MergeOptions API documentation for a complete example.