How to Retrieve Document Information Using GroupDocs.Signature

Introduction

Have you ever struggled with extracting crucial information from your documents programmatically? If so, you’re not alone. In today’s digital world, document management is a critical aspect of many business workflows, and getting accurate document information can save you hours of manual work.

GroupDocs.Signature for .NET provides a powerful solution that makes this process straightforward. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to retrieve comprehensive document information—from basic properties to detailed signature data—all with just a few lines of code.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the code, let’s make sure you have everything you need:

  1. GroupDocs.Signature Installation: Download and install the package from GroupDocs releases.
  2. .NET Environment: Ensure you have a working .NET development environment set up.
  3. Sample Document: Have a test document ready (we’ll use “sample_multiple_signatures.docx” in our examples).

Importing Required Namespaces

First things first—let’s import the necessary namespaces to access all the functionality we need:

using System;
using System.IO;
using GroupDocs.Signature;
using GroupDocs.Signature.Domain;

How Do You Extract Document Information?

Let’s break this down into simple steps:

Step 1: Define Your Document Path

Start by specifying where your document is located:

string filePath = "sample_multiple_signatures.docx";

Step 2: Create a Signature Instance

Now, let’s initialize the Signature object with our document:

using (Signature signature = new Signature(filePath))
{
    // We'll add more code here in the next steps
}

Step 3: Retrieve the Document Information

This is where the magic happens—with just one line of code, you can access all the document’s details:

IDocumentInfo documentInfo = signature.GetDocumentInfo();

Step 4: Display Document Properties

Let’s output the information we’ve retrieved to see what we’re working with:

Console.WriteLine($"Document properties {Path.GetFileName(filePath)}:");
Console.WriteLine($" - format : {documentInfo.FileType.FileFormat}");
Console.WriteLine($" - extension : {documentInfo.FileType.Extension}");
Console.WriteLine($" - size : {documentInfo.Size}");
Console.WriteLine($" - page count : {documentInfo.PageCount}");

Step 5: Explore Signature Details

One of the most valuable features is the ability to count various signature types in your document:

Console.WriteLine($" - Form Fields count : {documentInfo.FormFields.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($" - Text signatures count : {documentInfo.TextSignatures.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($" - Image signatures count : {documentInfo.ImageSignatures.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($" - Digital signatures count : {documentInfo.DigitalSignatures.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($" - Barcode signatures count : {documentInfo.BarcodeSignatures.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($" - QrCode signatures count : {documentInfo.QrCodeSignatures.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($" - FormField signatures count : {documentInfo.FormFieldSignatures.Count}");

Step 6: Get Page-Specific Information

Need details about individual pages? You can easily access those too:

foreach (PageInfo pageInfo in documentInfo.Pages)
{
   Console.WriteLine($" - page-{pageInfo.PageNumber} Width {pageInfo.Width}, Height {pageInfo.Height}");
}

Real-World Applications

Think about how this functionality could help in your projects:

  • Document Management Systems: Automatically catalog and organize documents based on their properties
  • Workflow Automation: Trigger different processes based on signature presence or document type
  • Compliance Verification: Ensure documents have the required signatures before proceeding with business processes
  • Content Indexing: Extract document information for searchable databases

Conclusion

Retrieving document information with GroupDocs.Signature for .NET is surprisingly simple yet incredibly powerful. Whether you’re building a document management system or just need to extract metadata occasionally, these few lines of code can save you countless hours of manual work.

Ready to take your document processing to the next level? Start implementing these techniques in your .NET applications today, and experience the efficiency that comes with automated document information retrieval.

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats does GroupDocs.Signature support?

GroupDocs.Signature works with a wide range of formats including DOCX, PDF, XLSX, PPTX, PNG, JPEG, and many more. Your document management needs are covered regardless of the file types you work with.

Can I try GroupDocs.Signature before purchasing?

Absolutely! You can download a free trial version from the GroupDocs website to test the functionality in your own environment.

How does GroupDocs.Signature ensure document security?

The library supports robust digital signature functionality, which helps verify document authenticity and integrity—crucial for sensitive business documents.

Where can I find more examples and documentation?

For comprehensive documentation and code examples, visit the GroupDocs.Signature tutorials page. If you need help, the GroupDocs forum is an excellent resource.

Are temporary licenses available for short-term projects?

Yes, you can purchase temporary licenses for short-term needs at GroupDocs temporary license page, making it flexible for project-based work.