Web Services
webPDF provides its PDF functions as SOAP or REST web services. The web services can be used by any platform that is able to communicate with web services. Moreover, the web services can be integrated into programming languages to utilize the webPDF functions there. The SOAP and REST web services form the SOAP and REST-API of the webPDF server, respectively.
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}
Independent of the interface used (SOAP or REST), the webPDF server provides seven web services so that the PDF functions of webPDF can be used to create or edit documents:
- "Converter" - File conversion to PDF format (API {REST} / API {SOAP})
- "Signature" - 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 PDF documents (e.g. splitting, security, graphic export or printing) (API {REST} / API {SOAP})
- "URLConverter" - Conversion of HTML content retrieved via URL to PDF documents (API {REST} / API {SOAP})
- "OCR" - Optical text recognition of documents that are available as graphics and conversion to resolved PDF documents (API {REST} / API {SOAP})
- "Barcode" - Recognition and generation of barcodes in PDF documents (API {REST} / API {SOAP})
Depending on the approach used, the SOAP web services or REST web services are called using different URLs or URIs.
The REST API provides a number of additional endpoints that are used for login and document management.
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.
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. The parameters are identical whether you use SOAP or REST web services.