PDF

QPDF – command-line program that does structural, content-preserving transformations on PDF files

QPDF is a C++ library and set of programs that inspect and manipulate the structure of PDF files. It can encrypt and linearize files, expose the internals of a PDF file, and do many other operations useful to end users and PDF developers.

This software performs structural, content-preserving transformations on PDF files. It could have been called something like pdf-to-pdf. It also provides many useful capabilities to developers of PDF-producing software or for people who just want to look at the innards of a PDF file to learn more about how they work.

QPDF is not a PDF content creation library, a PDF viewer, or a program capable of converting PDF into other formats.

Features include:

  • Linearization (web optimization).
  • Encrypt PDF files.
  • Decrypt PDF files.
  • Inspect PDF files.
  • Provides many useful capabilities to developers of PDF-producing software.
  • Understands and converts PDF files that use compressed object streams.
  • Checks for structural errors.
  • Inspecting stream contents.
  • Extracts objects from PDF files.

Website: qpdf.sourceforge.io
Support: Manual
Developer: Sid Steward
License: GNU GPL v2

QPDF is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.

Return to PDF Development Libraries


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