Working with JavaScript

5 Dec 202411 minutes to read

A JavaScript action allows execution of JavaScript code embedded in the PDF document. Essential® PDF supports adding JavaScript action to the PDF document in the following:

  • Document level JavaScript action
  • JavaScript action to the form fields
  • JavaScript in 3D Annotation

Document level JavaScript action

You can add the JavaScript action to the PDF document by using PdfJavaScriptAction class. The following code sample illustrates this.

//Create a new document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Add a page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();

//Create JavaScript action
PdfJavaScriptAction scriptAction = new PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(\"Hello World!!!\")");
//Add the JavaScript action
document.Actions.AfterOpen = scriptAction;

//Save the document into stream
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
document.Save(stream);
stream.Position = 0;
//Close the document
document.Close(true);
//Defining the content type for PDF file
string contentType = "application/pdf";
//Define the file name
string fileName = "Output.pdf";
//Creates a FileContentResult object by using the file contents, content type, and file name
return File(stream, contentType, fileName);
//Create a new document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Add a page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();

//Create JavaScript action
PdfJavaScriptAction scriptAction = new PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(\"Hello World!!!\")");
//Add the JavaScript action
document.Actions.AfterOpen = scriptAction;

//Save and close the PDF document
document.Save("Output.pdf");
document.Close(true);
'Create a new document
Dim document As New PdfDocument()
'Add a page
Dim page As PdfPage = document.Pages.Add()

'Create JavaScript action
Dim scriptAction As New PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(""Hello World!!!"")")
'Add the JavaScript action
document.Actions.AfterOpen = scriptAction

'Save and close the PDF document
document.Save("Output.pdf")
document.Close(True)

You can download a complete working sample from GitHub.

JavaScript action to the form fields

You can add the JavaScript actions to various form fields using PdfJavaScriptAction instance. The PdfFieldActions class is used to create form field actions.

The following code snippet illustrate this.

//Create a new PDF document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Creates a new page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();

//Create a new PdfButtonField
PdfButtonField submitButton = new PdfButtonField(page, "submitButton");
submitButton.Bounds = new RectangleF(25, 160, 100, 20);
submitButton.Text = "Apply";
submitButton.BackColor = new PdfColor(181, 191, 203);

//Create a new PdfJavaScriptAction
PdfJavaScriptAction scriptAction = new PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(\"You are looking at Form field action of PDF \")");
//Set the scriptAction to submitButton
submitButton.Actions.MouseDown = scriptAction;

//Add the submit button to the new document
document.Form.Fields.Add(submitButton);

//Save the document into stream
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
document.Save(stream);
stream.Position = 0;
//Close the document
document.Close(true);
//Defining the ContentType for PDF file
string contentType = "application/pdf";
//Define the file name
string fileName = "Output.pdf";
//Creates a FileContentResult object by using the file contents, content type, and file name
return File(stream, contentType, fileName);
//Create a new PDF document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Creates a new page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();

//Create a new PdfButtonField
PdfButtonField submitButton = new PdfButtonField(page, "submitButton");
submitButton.Bounds = new RectangleF(25, 160, 100, 20);
submitButton.Text = "Apply";
submitButton.BackColor = new PdfColor(181, 191, 203);

//Create a new PdfJavaScriptAction
PdfJavaScriptAction scriptAction = new PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(\"You are looking at Form field action of PDF \")");
//Set the script action to submitButton
submitButton.Actions.MouseDown = scriptAction;

//Add the submit button to the new document
document.Form.Fields.Add(submitButton);

//Save document to disk
document.Save("fieldAction.pdf");
//Save document to disk
document.Close(true);
'Create a new PDF document
Dim document As New PdfDocument()
'Creates a new page
Dim page As PdfPage = document.Pages.Add()

'Create a new PdfButtonField
Dim submitButton As New PdfButtonField(page, "submitButton")
submitButton.Bounds = New RectangleF(25, 160, 100, 20)
submitButton.Text = "Apply"
submitButton.BackColor = New PdfColor(181, 191, 203)

'Create a new PdfJavaScriptAction
Dim scriptAction As New PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(""You are looking at Form field action of PDF "")")
'Set the scriptAction to submitButton
submitButton.Actions.MouseDown = scriptAction

'Add the submit button to the new document
document.Form.Fields.Add(submitButton)

'Save document to disk
document.Save("fieldAction.pdf")
'Close the document
document.Close(True)

You can download a complete working sample from GitHub.

JavaScript in 3D Annotation

The 3D Annotations are used to represent 3D artworks in a PDF document. You can add a JavaScript code to 3D annotation using the OnInstantiate property in Pdf3DAnnotation instance. The JavaScript script is executed when the 3D artwork is instantiated. The following code snippet illustrate this.

//Creates a new PDF document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Creates a new page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();

//Load 3D annotation as stream
FileStream inputStream = new FileStream("3DAnnotation.U3D", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
//Creates a new PDF 3D annotation
Pdf3DAnnotation pdf3dAnnotation = new Pdf3DAnnotation(new RectangleF(10, 50, 300, 150), inputStream);
//Assign JavaScript script
pdf3dAnnotation.OnInstantiate = "host.getURL(\"http://www.google.com\")";
//Handles the activation of the 3D annotation
Pdf3DActivation activation = new Pdf3DActivation();
activation.ActivationMode = Pdf3DActivationMode.ExplicitActivation;
activation.ShowToolbar = true;
pdf3dAnnotation.Activation = activation;
//Adds annotation to page
page.Annotations.Add(pdf3dAnnotation);

//Save the document into stream
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
document.Save(stream);
stream.Position = 0;
//Closes the document
document.Close(true);
//Defining the content type for PDF file
string contentType = "application/pdf";
//Define the file name
string fileName = "3DAnnotation.pdf";
//Creates a FileContentResult object by using the file contents, content type, and file name
return File(stream, contentType, fileName);
//Creates a new PDF document
PdfDocument document = new PdfDocument();
//Creates a new page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();

//Create a new PDF 3D annotation
Pdf3DAnnotation pdf3dAnnotation = new Pdf3DAnnotation(new RectangleF(10, 50, 300, 150), @"Input.u3d");
//Assign JavaScript script
pdf3dAnnotation.OnInstantiate = "host.getURL(\"http://www.google.com\")";
//Handles the activation of the 3D annotation
Pdf3DActivation activation = new Pdf3DActivation();
activation.ActivationMode = Pdf3DActivationMode.ExplicitActivation;
activation.ShowToolbar = true;
pdf3dAnnotation.Activation = activation;
//Adds annotation to page
page.Annotations.Add(pdf3dAnnotation);

//Save the document to disk
document.Save("Output.pdf");
//Close the document
document.Close(true);
'Creates a new PDF document
Dim document As New PdfDocument()
'Creates a new page
Dim page As PdfPage = document.Pages.Add()

'Create a new PDF 3D annotation
Dim pdf3dAnnotation As New Pdf3DAnnotation(New RectangleF(10, 50, 300, 150), "Input.u3d")
'Assign JavaScript script
pdf3dAnnotation.OnInstantiate = "host.getURL(""http://www.google.com"")"
'Handles the activation of the 3D annotation
Dim activation As New Pdf3DActivation()
activation.ActivationMode = Pdf3DActivationMode.ExplicitActivation
activation.ShowToolbar = True
pdf3dAnnotation.Activation = activation
'Adds annotation to page
page.Annotations.Add(pdf3dAnnotation)

'Save the document to disk
document.Save("Output.pdf")
'Close the document
document.Close(True)

You can download a complete working sample from GitHub.

Add/Modify JavaScript actions to the PDF

Add or modify the JavaScript action in a PdfLoadedDocument. The below code example shows how to add/modify JavaScript code using PdfJavaScriptAction class to an existing PDF document.

//Load an existing PDF document.
PdfLoadedDocument loadedDocument = new PdfLoadedDocument("Input.pdf");

//Change the javascript action in a pdf document.
loadedDocument.Actions.AfterOpen= new PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(\"Modified Script!\")");

//Save the document.
loadedDocument.Save("Output.pdf");
//Close the document.
loadedDocument.Close(true);
'Load the PDF document.
Dim loadedDocument As PdfLoadedDocument = New PdfLoadedDocument("Input.pdf")
 
'Change the javascript Action in a pdf document.
loadedDocument.Actions.AfterOpen = new PdfJavaScriptAction("app.alert(\"Modified Script!\")")

'Save the document.
loadedDocument.Save("Output.pdf")

'Close the document.
loadedDocument.Close(True)

You can download a complete working sample from GitHub.

Types of JavaScript actions

The pdf will generate trigger with the javascript actions in the following places.

Action Type Description
document.Actions.AfterOpen A JavaScript action will be performed after opening the document
document.Actions.BeforeClose A JavaScript action will be performed before closing the document
document.Actions.AfterSave A JavaScript action will be performed after saving the document
document.Actions.BeforeSave A JavaScript action will be performed before saving the document
document.Actions.AfterPrint A JavaScript action will be performed after printing the document
document.Actions.BeforePrint A JavaScript action will be performed before printing the document

Types of Mouseover actions

The pdf will generate trigger with the javascript actions on the form fields in the places listed below.

Action Type Description
submitButton.Actions.MouseDown Gets or sets the action to be performed when the mouse button is pressed inside the annotation’s active area.
submitButton.Actions.MouseUp Gets or sets the action to be performed when the mouse button is released inside the annotation’s active area.
submitButton.Actions.MouseEnter Gets or sets the action to be performed when the cursor enters the annotation’s active area.
submitButton.Actions.MouseLeave Gets or sets the action to be performed when the cursor exits the annotation’s active area.
submitButton.Actions.GotFocus Gets or sets the action to be performed when the annotation receives the input focus.
submitButton.Actions.LostFocus Gets or sets the action to be performed when the annotation loses the input focus.