Assembling Documents Using Bates Numbering

Last update: June 24, 2024

CREATED FOR:

  • Developer

Samples and examples in this document are only for AEM Forms on JEE environment.

You can assemble PDF documents that contain unique page identifiers by using Bates numbering. Bates numbering is a method of applying unique identifies to a batch of related documents. Each page in the document (or set of documents) is assigned a Bates number that uniquely identifies the page. For example, manufacturing documents that contain bill of material information and are associated with the production of an assembly can contain an identifier. A Bates number contains a sequentially incremented numeric value and an optional prefix and suffix. The prefix + numeric + suffix is referred to as a bates pattern.

The following illustration shows a PDF document that contains a unique identifier in the document’s header.

au_au_batesnumber

For the purpose of this discussion, the unique page identifier is placed in a document’s header. Assume that the following DDX document is used.

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <DDX xmlns="https://ns.adobe.com/DDX/1.0/">
        <PDF result="out.pdf">
        <Header>
         <Center>
             <StyledText>
                 <p font-size="20pt"><BatesNumber/></p>
             </StyledText>
         </Center>
     </Header>
           <PDF source="map.pdf" />
          <PDF source="directions.pdf" />
          </PDF>
 </DDX>

This DDX document merges two PDF documents named map.pdf and directions.pdf into a single PDF document. The resultant PDF document contains a header that consists of a unique page identifier. For example, the document in the above illustration shows 000016.

NOTE
Before reading this section, it is recommended that you are familiar with assembling PDF documents using the Assembler service. This section does not discuss the concepts, such as creating a collection object that contains input documents, or extracting the results from the returned collection object. (See Programmatically Assembling PDF Documents.)
NOTE
For more information about the Assembler service, see Services Reference for AEM Forms.
NOTE
For more information about a DDX document, see Assembler Service and DDX Reference.

Summary of steps

To assemble a PDF document that contains a unique page identifier (Bates numbering), perform the following tasks:

  1. Include project files.
  2. Create a PDF Assembler client.
  3. Reference an existing DDX document.
  4. Reference input PDF documents.
  5. Set the initial Bates number value.
  6. Assemble the input PDF documents.
  7. Extract the results.

Include project files

Include the necessary files in your development project. If you are creating a client application by using Java, include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, ensure that you include the proxy files.

The following JAR files must be added to your project’s class path:

  • adobe-livecycle-client.jar
  • adobe-usermanager-client.jar
  • adobe-assembler-client.jar
  • adobe-utilities.jar (required if AEM Forms is deployed on JBoss)
  • jbossall-client.jar (required if AEM Forms is deployed on JBoss)

If AEM Forms is deployed on a supported J2EE application server other than JBoss, you must replace the adobe-utilities.jar and jbossall-client.jar files with JAR files that are specific to the J2EE application server on which AEM Forms is deployed. For information about the location of all AEM Forms JAR files, see Including AEM Forms Java library files.

Create a PDF Assembler client

Before you can programmatically perform an Assembler operation, you must create an Assembler service client.

Reference an existing DDX document

A DDX document must be referenced to assemble a PDF document. For example, consider the DDX document that was introduced in this section. To assemble a PDF document that contains unique page identifiers, the DDX document must contain the BatesNumber element.

Reference input PDF documents

Input PDF documents must be referenced to assemble a PDF document. For example, the map.pdf and directions.pdf documents must be referenced to assemble these PDF documents into a single PDF document.

Set the initial Bates number value

You can set the initial Bates number value to meet your business requirements. For example, assume that it is a requirement to set the initial value to 000100. If you do not set the initial value, the value of the first page is 000000.

Assemble the input PDF documents

After you create the Assembler service client, reference the DDX document that contains BatesNumber element information, reference an input PDF document, and set run-time options, you can invoke the invokeDDX operation that results in the Assembler service assembling a PDF document that contains unique page identifiers.

Extract the results

The Assembler service returns a collection object that contains the job results. You can extract the resultant PDF document and any exceptions that are thrown. In this situation, an encrypted PDF document is located within the collection object.

NOTE
A collection object is returned if you invoke the invokeDDX operation. This operation is used when passing two or more input PDF documents to the Assembler service. However if you pass only one input PDF document to the Assembler service, you should invoke the invokeOneDocument operation. For information about using this operation, see Assembling Encrypted PDF Documents.

See also

Including AEM Forms Java library files

Setting connection properties

Programmatically Assembling PDF Documents

Assemble documents with Bates numbering using the Java API

Assemble a PDF document that uses unique page identifiers (Bates numbering) by using the Assembler Service API (Java):

  1. Include project files.

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

  2. Create a PDF Assembler client.

    • Create a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.
    • Create an AssemblerServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing the ServiceClientFactory object.

  3. Reference an existing DDX document.

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represents the DDX document by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the DDX file.
    • Create a com.adobe.idp.Document object by using its constructor and passing the java.io.FileInputStream object.

  4. Reference input PDF documents.

    • Create a java.util.Map object used to store input PDF documents by using a HashMap constructor.

    • For each input PDF document, create a java.io.FileInputStream object by using its constructor and passing the location of the input PDF document. In this situation, pass the location of an unsecured PDF document.

    • For each input PDF document, create a com.adobe.idp.Document object and pass the java.io.FileInputStream object that contains the PDF document.

    • Add an entry to the java.util.Map object by invoking its put method and passing the following arguments:

      • A string value that represents the key name. This value must match the value of the PDF source element specified in the DDX document. For example, the name of the PDF source file specified in the DDX document that is introduced in this section is Loan.pdf.
      • A com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the unsecured PDF document.

  5. Set the initial Bates number value.

    • Create an AssemblerOptionSpec object that stores run-time options by using its constructor.
    • Set the initial Bates number by invoking the AssemblerOptionSpec object’s setFirstBatesNumber and passing a numeric value that specifies the initial value.

  6. Assemble the input PDF documents.

    Invoke the AssemblerServiceClient object’s invokeDDX method and pass the following required values:

    • A com.adobe.idp.Document object that represents the DDX document.
    • A java.util.Map object that contains the input unsecured PDF file.
    • A com.adobe.livecycle.assembler.client.AssemblerOptionSpec object that specifies the run-time options, including default font and job log level.

    The invokeDDX method returns a com.adobe.livecycle.assembler.client.AssemblerResult object that contains a password-encrypted PDF document.

  7. Extract the results.

    To obtain the newly created PDF document, perform the following actions:

    • Invoke the AssemblerResult object’s getDocuments method. This action returns a java.util.Map object.
    • Iterate through the java.util.Map object until you find the com.adobe.idp.Document object.
    • Invoke the com.adobe.idp.Document object’s copyToFile method to extract the PDF document.

See also

Quick Start (SOAP mode): Assembling a PDF document with bates numbering using the Java API

Including AEM Forms Java library files

Setting connection properties

Assemble documents with Bates numbering using the web service API

Assemble a PDF document that uses unique page identifiers (Bates numbering) by using the Assembler Service 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/AssemblerService?WSDL&lc_version=9.0.1.

    NOTE
    Replace localhost with the IP address of the server hosting AEM Forms.

  2. Create a PDF Assembler client.

    • Create an AssemblerServiceClient object by using its default constructor.

    • Create an AssemblerServiceClient.Endpoint.Address object by using the System.ServiceModel.EndpointAddress constructor. Pass a string value that specifies the WSDL to the AEM Forms service (for example, http://localhost:8080/soap/services/AssemblerService?blob=mtom). You do not need to use the lc_version attribute. This attribute is used when you create a service reference.

    • Create a System.ServiceModel.BasicHttpBinding object by getting the value of the AssemblerServiceClient.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 AEM forms user name to the field AssemblerServiceClient.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName.
      • Assign the corresponding password value to the field AssemblerServiceClient.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. Reference an existing DDX document.

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the DDX document.
    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the DDX document and the mode to open the file in.
    • 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 field with the contents of the byte array.

  4. Reference input PDF documents.

    • For each input PDF document, create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the input PDF document.
    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor. Pass a string value that represents the file location of the input 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.
    • Create a MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object. This collection object is used to store the input PDF documents.
    • For each input PDF document, create a MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object. For example, if two input PDF documents are used, create two MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item objects.
    • Assign a string value that represents the key name to the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object’s key field. This value must match the value of the PDF source element specified in the DDX document. (Perform this task for each input PDF document.)
    • Assign the BLOB object that stores the PDF document to the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object’s value field. (Perform this task for each input PDF document.)
    • Add the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType_Item object to the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object. Invoke the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object’s Add method and pass the MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object. (Perform this task for each input PDF document.)

  5. Set the initial Bates number value.

    • Create an AssemblerOptionSpec object that stores run-time options by using its constructor.
    • Set the initial Bates number by assigning a numeric value to the firstBatesNumber data member that belongs to the AssemblerOptionSpec object.

  6. Assemble the input PDF documents.

    Invoke the AssemblerServiceClient object’s invoke method and pass the following values:

    • A BLOB object that represents the DDX document.
    • The MyMapOf_xsd_string_To_xsd_anyType object that contains the input PDF documents. Its keys must match the names of the PDF source files, and its values must be the BLOB objects that corresponds to those files.
    • An AssemblerOptionSpec object that specifies run-time options.

    The invoke method returns an AssemblerResult object that contains the results of the job and any exceptions that occurred.

  7. Extract the results.

    To obtain the newly created PDF document, perform the following actions:

    • Access the AssemblerResult object’s documents field, which is a Map object that contains the result PDF documents.
    • Iterate through the Map object until you find the key that matches the name of the resultant document. Then cast that array member’s value to a BLOB.
    • Extract the binary data that represents the PDF document by accessing its BLOB object’s MTOM property. This returns an array of bytes that you can write out to a PDF file.

See also

Invoking AEM Forms using MTOM

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