Building PDF Portfolios with C# and .NET

A PDF portfolio is a powerful way to organize and present multiple files within a single PDF document. Using the Sautinsoft PDF.NET library developers can effectively create it. In this article, we will tell you about the process of creating a PDF portfolio using C# and .NET.

A PDF portfolio is a set of files assembled into a single PDF module. These files can be in various formats, such as PDF files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, images, and others. Each file in the portfolio can be opened, viewed, and edited independently of the others.

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Add SautinSoft.PDF from NuGet.
  2. Load the document and convert it to a PDF portfolio.
  3. Extract files from the ZIP archive to a directory.
  4. Add files and folders from the directory to the portfolio.
  5. Delete the extracted directory.
  6. Set the initial file for display and configure portfolio fields.
  7. Add a new portfolio field "Full Name".
  8. Save the document.

Input file:

Output result:

Complete code

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;
using System.Linq;
using SautinSoft;
using SautinSoft.Pdf;
using SautinSoft.Pdf.Content;
using SautinSoft.Pdf.Portfolios;

namespace Sample
{
    class Sample
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Create PDF Portfolios.
        /// </summary>
        /// <remarks>
        /// Details: https://sautinsoft.com/products/pdf/help/net/developer-guide/create-pdf-portfolios-from-files.php
        /// </remarks>
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Before starting this example, please get a free 100-day trial key:
            // https://sautinsoft.com/start-for-free/

            // Apply the key here:
            // PdfDocument.SetLicense("...");

            string pdfFile = Path.GetFullPath(@"..\..\..\PortfolioTemplate.pdf");

            using (var document = PdfDocument.Load(pdfFile))
            {
                // Make the document a PDF portfolio (a collection of file attachments).
                var portfolio = document.SetPortfolio();

                // Extract all the files in the zip archive to a directory on the file system.
                ZipFile.ExtractToDirectory(@"..\..\..\Attachments.zip", "Attachments");

                // Add files contained directly in the 'Attachments' directory to the portfolio files.
                foreach (var filePath in Directory.GetFiles("Attachments", "*", SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly))
                    portfolio.Files.Add(filePath);

                // Recursively add directories and their files contained in the 'Attachments' directory to the portfolio folders.
                foreach (var folderPath in Directory.GetDirectories("Attachments", "*", SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly))
                    portfolio.Folders.Add(folderPath, recursive: true);

                // Delete the directory where zip archive files were extracted to.
                Directory.Delete("Attachments", recursive: true);

                // Set the first PDF file contained in the portfolio to be initially presented in the user interface.
                // Note that all files contained in the portfolio are also contained in the PdfDocument.EmbeddedFiles.
                portfolio.InitialFile = document.EmbeddedFiles.Select(entry => entry.Value).FirstOrDefault(fileSpec => fileSpec.Name.EndsWith(".pdf", StringComparison.Ordinal));

                // Hide all existing portfolio fields except 'Size'.
                foreach (var portfolioFieldEntry in portfolio.Fields)
                    portfolioFieldEntry.Value.Hidden = portfolioFieldEntry.Value.Name != "Size";

                // Add a new portfolio field with display name 'Full Name' and it should be in the first column.
                var portfolioFieldKeyAndValue = portfolio.Fields.Add(PdfPortfolioFieldDataType.Name, "FullName");
                var portfolioField = portfolioFieldKeyAndValue.Value;
                portfolioField.Name = "Full Name";
                portfolioField.Order = 0;

                document.Save("Portfolio from file system.pdf");
            }

            System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("Portfolio from file system.pdf") { UseShellExecute = true });
        }
    }
}

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Option Infer On

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.IO.Compression
Imports System.Linq
Imports SautinSoft
Imports SautinSoft.Pdf
Imports SautinSoft.Pdf.Content
Imports SautinSoft.Pdf.Portfolios

Namespace Sample
	Friend Class Sample
		''' <summary>
		''' Create PDF Portfolios.
		''' </summary>
		''' <remarks>
		''' Details: https://sautinsoft.com/products/pdf/help/net/developer-guide/create-pdf-portfolios-from-files.php
		''' </remarks>
		Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
			' Before starting this example, please get a free 100-day trial key:
			' https://sautinsoft.com/start-for-free/

			' Apply the key here:
			' PdfDocument.SetLicense("...");

			Dim pdfFile As String = Path.GetFullPath("..\..\..\PortfolioTemplate.pdf")

			Using document = PdfDocument.Load(pdfFile)
				' Make the document a PDF portfolio (a collection of file attachments).
				Dim portfolio = document.SetPortfolio()

				' Extract all the files in the zip archive to a directory on the file system.
				ZipFile.ExtractToDirectory("..\..\..\Attachments.zip", "Attachments")

				' Add files contained directly in the 'Attachments' directory to the portfolio files.
				For Each filePath In Directory.GetFiles("Attachments", "*", SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly)
					portfolio.Files.Add(filePath)
				Next filePath

				' Recursively add directories and their files contained in the 'Attachments' directory to the portfolio folders.
				For Each folderPath In Directory.GetDirectories("Attachments", "*", SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly)
					portfolio.Folders.Add(folderPath, recursive:= True)
				Next folderPath

				' Delete the directory where zip archive files were extracted to.
				Directory.Delete("Attachments", recursive:= True)

				' Set the first PDF file contained in the portfolio to be initially presented in the user interface.
				' Note that all files contained in the portfolio are also contained in the PdfDocument.EmbeddedFiles.
				portfolio.InitialFile = document.EmbeddedFiles.Select(Function(entry) entry.Value).FirstOrDefault(Function(fileSpec) fileSpec.Name.EndsWith(".pdf", StringComparison.Ordinal))

				' Hide all existing portfolio fields except 'Size'.
				For Each portfolioFieldEntry In portfolio.Fields
					portfolioFieldEntry.Value.Hidden = portfolioFieldEntry.Value.Name <> "Size"
				Next portfolioFieldEntry

				' Add a new portfolio field with display name 'Full Name' and it should be in the first column.
				Dim portfolioFieldKeyAndValue = portfolio.Fields.Add(PdfPortfolioFieldDataType.Name, "FullName")
				Dim portfolioField = portfolioFieldKeyAndValue.Value
				portfolioField.Name = "Full Name"
				portfolioField.Order = 0

				document.Save("Portfolio from file system.pdf")
			End Using

			System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("Portfolio from file system.pdf") With {.UseShellExecute = True})
		End Sub
	End Class
End Namespace

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