Web Services

webPDF provides its PDF functions as SOAP or REST web services. These services can be used by any platform that can communicate with web services. Moreover, the web services can be integrated into programming languages to use the webPDF functions there. The SOAP and REST web services form the web service API of the webPDF server.

tip

A reference implementation of the web services is provided by the webPDF wsclient.

Web service API

The webPDF interface is described below:

• SOAP web services - Technical documentation: API {SOAP}
• REST web services - Technical documentation: API {REST}

PDF operations

Independent of the technical API interface used (SOAP or REST), the webPDF server provides seven web services that map the PDF operations for creating or editing PDF documents:

• Converter - Conversion of documents into PDF format ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

• Signature - Digitally sign PDF documents ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

• Pdfa - Convert PDF documents to PDF/A and validate existing PDF/A documents ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

• Toolbox - Processing of existing PDF documents with operations such as splitting, encryption, graphics export or printing ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

• URLConverter - Conversion of HTML content retrieved via a URL into PDF documents ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

• OCR - Optical character recognition (OCR) of documents that are available as graphics and conversion into resolved PDF documents ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

• Barcode - Recognition and generation of barcodes in PDF documents ( API {REST} / API {SOAP} )

Depending on the technical interface used, the SOAP web services or REST web services are accessed via different URLs or URIs.

note

The REST-API offers additional end points that are used for user authorization, document administration or server administration.

Controlling the web services

All web services are controlled by parameters that are defined as XML (for the SOAP API) or JSON structures (for the REST API). The parameters are passed as "payload" in the body of the HTTP request.

Example of a call for the Converter web service as a JSON and XML parameter

{
  "converter": {
    "compression": true,
    "dpi": 300,
    "embedFonts": false,
    "reduceResolution": true,
    "jpegQuality": 90,
    "pages": "*",
    "pdfa": {
      "convert": {
        "level": "3b"
      }
    }
  }
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<operation xmlns="http://schema.webpdf.de/1.0/operation">
    <converter compression="true" dpi="300" embedFonts="true" reduceResolution="true" jpegQuality="90" pages="*">
        <pdfa>
            <convert level="3b"/>
        </pdfa>
    </converter>
</operation>

Individual parameters exist for each web service and are documented in the respective API technical documentation.

• Technical documentation: API {SOAP}
• Technical documentation: API {REST}

The parameters can be used to control the behavior and execution of the web services.

note

The names of the parameters are identical, regardless of whether you are using SOAP or REST web services.