PDF SDK 15: ZUGFeRD 2.1.1/2.0, Factur-X and XRechnung

Development Tool: Integration in Applications

PDF Xpansion SDK Version 15

The PDF Developer Tool provides powerful APIs to help you develop PDF/XPS-enabled applications and/or software solutions. Among other things, it offers you a wide range of options for creating and editing PDF, PDF/A or XPS documents, for displaying and printing them on paper, for converting between these formats, exporting and/or importing from/to other file formats. With this API, you can easily integrate PDF functions into both Windows desktop applications for the PC and Windows Apps.
A ZUGFeRD, Factur-X and XRechnung API was added to the PDF SDK for Eu-compliant invoicing according to standard 16931.

Download the trial version of PDF SDK

The trial version is available for you in your personal account.

PDF Presentation

A new version of the PDF Xpansion SDK is available!

What’s New?

Compare text (diff procedure) in two PDF documents, mark changes to show in the viewer or to save as text markup
Improved rendering of PDF content
Support of all current formats/specifications for sending and receiving eInvoices: ZUGFeRD 1.0 to 2.1.1 (all profiles) and Factur-X, XRechnung up to and including version 2.1.1(valid from February 1, 2022)
Support of UBL syntax for import of data from XRechnung (to UN/CEFACT)
Visualize XML invoices (generate PDF using XML invoice and design template): convert content of XML to PDF, and place the content in a predefined invoice layout design
Reformat invoice from one standard to another: open a format standard, convert & save
Extended features for electronic signatures: Certification signatures, document time stamps
PAdES signatures: verification of all conformance levels, signing with B (Basic) & T (Time) conformance levels; signing with LT (Long-Term-Validation) & LTA (Long-Term Availability and Integrity of Validation) conformance levels
Embedding of time stamps according to ISO 32000-2 and to RFC 3161 protocol into electronic signatures

Environmental awareness with PDF Xpansion SDK

Environmental awareness & efficiency:
Electronic invoices instead of paper!

Well-known companies rely on PDF Xpansion Technology

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Functional Scope of PDF Xpansion SDK 15

Detailed information can be found at bottom of this page.

Support of Windows 10 and of UWP (Universal Windows Platform) for applications for all Windows 10 devices
– API: comprehensive validation of incoming ZUGFeRD files (electronic invoices), read structured und unstructured invoice data, display and / or print PDF part of invoice in viewer, save outgoing invoices as ZUGFeRD compliant files (including conversion of visual part of invoice to PDF/A-3 format and invoice data to embedded XML attachment), Support of all ZUGFeRD profiles

API for Factur-X and XRechnung
Fully adequate Page Content Editor Tool in PDF viewer: enables end user to edit content of pages
Conversion from/to several formats: XPS/OXPS, TXT, raster images, SVG, EMF, HTML, MathML, DOCX
Support of nearly all world languages
Display and process dynamic forms (XFA format) for applications created with C++ and .NET: preview in viewer (without filling possibility), printing.
Usage of API for access to form data (read & fill)

The PDF Xpansion SDK 15 enables you to implement all current PDF/A standards (1, 2 and 3) and all conformity levels (a, b, u) into your applications. In contrast to PDF/A-1, files that comply with the PDF/A-2 standard may use JPG2000 compression, transparencies and layers. And they are allowed to have PDF/A files embedded. On the other hand, the PDF/A-3 standard allows embedding files of any type, not just PDF/A files. This liberalization of the standard has several implications: for example, you may now enable the users of document archiving and DMS solutions to embed the source documents into the PDF/A archive files. PDF/A-3 files may be used to carry XML files which include the billing data for e-invoicing solutions. In this way, the PDF/A-3 file holds both a visual representation of the invoice (in the PDF part of the file), and a part that may be read and processed directly by e-billing/e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD) applications.

Create new page content in PDF-files
Determine page content, texts, images or vectors for free editing
Create and edit form fields
Site Management: enlarge the site, rotate, add, delete etc.
Split or merge documents, arrange the sites or the content
Structuring of documents, levels, embedded files, meta data, tagged PDF, article (sections), portfolio

Basic Functionality: render, display pages, zoom, navigation, display modes
Search in documents, including advanced search
Links, bookmarks (table of contents, structure), named destinations
Interactive end user tools, magnifier and snapshot; Tracker tool (including insertion of notes, stamps, water marks); rectangle tool (insertion of fields, hyperlinks etc.), text selection and text marking, text boxes, stylus, eraser, vector forms
Management of PDF annotations
Dynamic notes: text-mark up, annotations, stylus, forms
Fill in and save forms
Digital signatures: validate, sign, timestamp
Media Player API

PDF Xpansion SDK supports all types of annotations (comments) which are defined in the PDF specification, including:

Text marks, notes, stamps, water marks
Text box and marking, stylus, eraser, forms (lines, square, circle, etc.)
Media- and 3D-annotations
Forms and digital signatures
Annexes as annotations, feedback & status displays for annotations
Interactive tools to add all type of annotations

Generation 15 of the SDK provides several API sets with similar structure and functionality:

Windows – applications and services written in C++ like the classic Windows x86/x64 programs
DotNET – .NET Framework applications
COM platform (Embarcadero environment and OLE Automation languages)
UWP – applications for all Windows 10 devices
Windows Store applications for Windows 8.1

Please read more about the system requirements for the applications developed with PDF Xpansion SDK.

The PDF Xpansion SDK functionality consists of three main parts:

PDF functionality: creating and processing of PDF documents. Covert PDF documents from other formats, open, save, encode, and digitally sign PDF documents. Manage document pages, create and edit annotations, convert, merge and split files, create and process forms and much more. An especially important functionality: the creation of new documents and editing existing ones with the PDF editor. PDF/A-1, -2, -3 are supported as well.
XPS functionality: processing of XPS documents. For the XPS format, there are many functions available as well: first of all, the conversion of XPS to PDF and vice versa. You can also change the document structure, render pages and much more.
Viewer functionality: The viewer is a window or control (depending the development platform) that displays PDF, XPS or other documents and processes for end user activity (touchscreen, mouse and keyboard input). The viewer supports different layouts of displayed document, free zooming and several fit modes.Interactive tools for annotations and forms processing, page content editor tool are available as well.
Other functionality: e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD documents), JavaScript support, text recognition (OCR), XFA forms (preview, print, access form data), etc.

Trial version

To test the performance and the functions, you can download the PDF Library here. Make full use of the SDK functions, with a test watermark applied to the PDF pages. Numerous examples will help you get started quickly. In the “Getting started” chapter of the reference document included within the trial version, you will also find an introduction.

The trial version is available for you in your personal account.

Trial version

System requirements

Learn more about the system requirements for the applications developed with PDF Xpansion SDK.

System requirements

Maintenance

Find out now about the support conditions.

Support conditions

PDF Xpansion SDK 14

PDF SDK version 14 is still available. Informationen & Trial version can be found on the corresponding page.

SDK Version 14

Presentation

As video

As PDF document

Technical Details

PDF Functionality

Import or conversion from / print ouput from any printable programs via a virtual printer in the formats:

EMF/EMF+ format
XPS or OXPS documents
Plain text
Raster images: BMP, TIF, JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.
Vector images: SVG

Open, Save
Print
The SDK enables the printing of PDF documents – individual pages, content, comments, forms, etc.
View/Render Pages
The SDK provides a draw procedure for displaying pages or rendering pages as raster images. This procedure uses the Direct2D API. This functionality can be used as a basis for programming your own PDF viewer.
Combine (Merge) Pages
The content of different pages can be combined into a new page. You can use different methods and layouts to combine the content into one page. Copying selected pages from one document to another is also supported.
Manage Document Pages
The pages in a document can be added, removed, copied, moved within the document structure, resized and rotated without changing their content.
Search in Text, Export Text
The SDK can search within a document’s text. It is also possible to export plain text.
Encryption (Document Security)
The SDK loads not only non-encrypted PDF files but also files encrypted using a password security handler and a public-key security handler. The algorithms RC4 and AES are supported, as are different key lengths that are declared in ISO 32000. Additionally, the SDK supports the encryption algorithm specified in ISO 32000-2 and used in Adobe Acrobat X or higher.
The SDK allows you to encrypt documents using these two security handlers and any combination of supported algorithms and key lengths. You can specify user permissions for the encrypted documents.
Support for custom encryption algorithms or security models is available upon request.
Digital Signatures
The SDK provides an API for signing documents and validating signatures according to all the signature and digest formats declared in the PDF specification. The SDK also supports timestamping signatures.
Form Fields
The SDK provides access to data from form fields. It is possible read or write field values. The SDK also allows you to modify forms: add, remove or edit form fields. It enables use of the FDF (Forms Data Format – a file format for representing form data and annotations that are contained in a PDF form) and XFDF (XML Forms Data Format) formats for saving and exchanging form field content.
Dynamic Forms – XFA Format
Previewing forms in a PDF viewer
Printing XFA forms
API for access to form data
Combine and Split Documents
Revisions (Incremental Updates)
If a document contains several document versions (revisions), the SDK loads the document in the state of the last version. You can switch to any other revision before you begin editing the document. You can save any changes to the currently loaded document as a new version (revision, incremental update).
Document Properties and Metadata
The SDK provides an API for accessing different document properties and metadata.
Metadata in XML format (eXtensible Metadata Platform) is supported via the XMP API. All standard XMP schemes are available.
Document Outline (Bookmarks), Links and Named Destinations
The SDK allows you to use and/or edit the table of contents within a document as well as hyperlinks and named destinations.
Layers (Optional Content)
The SDK provides an API for using or managing document layers.
Embedded Files and Portfolio
Insert and explore other files that are embedded in the PDF file. Support for portfolio functionality according to the PDF specification.
Annotations
The SDK supports most common types of PDF annotations and design elements: text markup, forms, notes, textboxes, stamps, watermarks, pen, eraser, media and 3D annotations, embedded files as comments and replies in comments. It provides an API for managing annotation properties and allows you to generate appearances after changes in properties. It its possible to create and edit annotations and to display them in Viewer (Viewer functionality) as well as to create end user tools for working with annotations in your application.
Rich Content Functionality
Convert to PDF/A
The SDK converts PDF documents to make them compliant with the PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 formats. A, B and U levels of conformity are supported.

Viewer:

The SDK provides several platform-oriented implementations of our document viewer. Using these viewer implementations, you can quickly and easily integrate powerful PDF, XPS, text and image viewers into your application. You can also display your documents in your own structure and layout using these viewer implementations.

The viewer provides a wide spectrum of traditional document viewer functions. Using powerful and effective event mechanisms provided by the viewer, your application can extend the standard functionality of the viewer and implement custom tools for the visual processing of PDF or other documents.

Different layouts
Zooming
scrolling
Form filling
Popups, thumbnail view, snapshots (viewer state)
Media player API
WPF control
Interactive end user tools
Magnifying glass & snapshot (screenshot) tools
Tracker tool (supports creating notes, stamps & watermarks)
Rectangle zones tool (supports creating/editing form fields, links, etc.)
Text selection, text markup
Stylus
Management of PDF annotations (move, resize, delete, etc.)
PDF textbox & callout
PDF pen, eraser
PDF shapes (line, rectangle, circle, etc.)
Page content editor tool
Text Box editor
Dynamic notes
Text markup
Comments & pen
Shapes
Customization
You can customize and extend the viewer functionality using the viewer API and the flexible event model

The viewer is a window or control (according to the development platform) that displays PDF, XPS or other documents and processes for end user activity (touchscreen, mouse and keyboard input).

XPS File/Package/Document

- Import from XPS
  The SDK enables the quick, high-quality conversion of XPS documents to PDF documents.
- Open
  The SDK loads packages from any file or stream that conforms to the XPS specification.
- Save
  The SDK saves packages to files or streams conforming to the XPS specification.
- Properties
  The SDK provides package properties for reading and editing.
- Documents and Pages
  The SDK provides an API for managing documents within packages and pages within documents.
- Print
  The SDK makes it possible to print a single document or all the documents in a package.
- View/Render Pages
  The SDK provides a draw procedure for displaying pages or rendering pages as raster images. This procedure uses the Direct2D API.
- Search in Text, Export Text
  The SDK provides search functionality for text search within a document or package. Exporting plain text is possible.
- Outline, Links and Named Destinations
  The SDK provides an API for navigating within documents/packages and for editing outline structures, links and named destinations.
- Export to PDF
  The SDK enables the quick, high quality conversion of XPS documents to PDF documents.
- Rich Content Functionality for XPS
  Rich Content provides functionality for creating and editing XPS files similar to the functionality provided for PDFs.

ZUGFeRD API – Electronic Invoice Processing:
The ZUGFeRD (Zentraler User Guide des Forum elektronische Rechnung Deutschland) data format – a universal format for electronic invoice processing and interchange – is supported by the PDF Xpansion SDK. It requires PDF/A-3 and XMP metadata processing. All three ZUGFeRD profiles (Basic, Comfort and Extended) for version 2.0 & 1.0 can be used in the PDF Xpansion SDK. Using the API it is possible to read invoices with access to the metadata, verify them and create new ones according to the ZUGFeRD specification.

Perfect PDF^®: Windows Store Apps

As an additional test of the PDF Xpansion SDK, you can try our Windows Store apps. Up to now, we can look back on more than 500,000 downloads for these apps. They have been developed completely with the PDF Xpansion SDK.

Perfect PDF^®: Desktop programs

All PDF programs which can be bought in theOnline Shop were also completely developed with the PDF Xpansion SDK.

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News for Developers

Visualize XML Invoices
PDF creation from XML and design template

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PDF Xpansion SDK 15 with ZUGFeRD 2.1.1/2.0, Factur-X & XRechnung