How to Convert Documents to PDF Using GroupDocs Viewer for .NET

Introduction

Transforming documents into PDF format is a common task in .NET applications. Whether you’re working with DOCX files or other document types, using GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET simplifies this process by offering seamless conversion and stream handling capabilities. This guide will walk you through converting documents to PDFs and retrieving them as streams.

What You’ll Learn:

• Converting documents to PDF format with GroupDocs.Viewer
• Implementing custom MemoryStream in C# using GroupDocs interfaces
• Writing PDF files from streams

Prerequisites

Before starting the conversion process, ensure you have:

Required Libraries and Dependencies:

• GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET: Essential for document viewing and conversion.

Environment Setup Requirements:

• A C# development environment (.NET Framework or .NET Core/5+).
• Visual Studio installed on your machine.

Knowledge Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of C# programming.
• Familiarity with file I/O operations in .NET.

Setting Up GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET

Install the GroupDocs.Viewer package via NuGet or .NET CLI:

NuGet Package Manager Console:

Install-Package GroupDocs.Viewer -Version 25.3.0

.NET CLI:

dotnet add package GroupDocs.Viewer --version 25.3.0

License Acquisition Steps:

1. Free Trial: Start with a free trial to explore features.
2. Temporary License: Apply for extended access if needed.
3. Purchase: Consider purchasing for full feature access.

Initialize GroupDocs.Viewer like this:

using GroupDocs.Viewer;

// Initialize the Viewer object with your document path
using (Viewer viewer = new Viewer("YOUR_DOCUMENT_DIRECTORY\sample.docx"))
{
    // Your conversion logic will go here
}

Implementation Guide

Convert Document to PDF and Retrieve Stream

Overview

This feature demonstrates converting a document into PDF format and retrieving the resulting file as a stream, ideal for dynamic content delivery.

Step 1: Initialize Viewer with Document Path

Create an instance of Viewer using your document’s path:

using (Viewer viewer = new Viewer("YOUR_DOCUMENT_DIRECTORY\sample.docx"))
{
    // Conversion logic follows
}

Step 2: Implement Custom MemoryStream Factory

Implement the MemoryStream factory to capture output as a stream:

class MemoryFileStreamFactory : IFileStreamFactory
{
    public MemoryStream Stream { get; }

    public MemoryFileStreamFactory()
    {
        Stream = new MemoryStream();
    }

    public Stream CreateFileStream()
    	=> Stream;

    public void ReleaseFileStream(Stream fileStream)
    {
        // Do not dispose to retain stream data until explicit disposal
    }
}

Step 3: Set Up PDF Rendering Options

Configure PdfViewOptions with the custom stream factory:

MemoryFileStreamFactory streamFactory = new MemoryFileStreamFactory();
PdfViewOptions options = new PdfViewOptions(streamFactory);
viewer.View(options);

Step 4: Retrieve and Save the PDF Stream

Access the resulting PDF stream and optionally save it to a file:

MemoryStream pdfStream = streamFactory.Stream;
using (FileStream outputFileStream = new FileStream("YOUR_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY\output.pdf\