Suggestion: Option to save document as PDF built into Open XML

[tauheedul]

I am looking at implementing a feature of saving an XLSX document as PDF and have discovered Open XML does not have this ability.

To achieve this currently, there is a need to implement an additional third party library that will save the XLSX as a PDF file.
They vary a lot in quality and reliability.

There would be value in Open XML by having a native ability to save the document as a read only PDF document.

Information

• .NET Target: .NET Framework 4.5
• DocumentFormat.OpenXml Version: 2.11.3

Repro
Add option to change Workbook type to PDF and save

Observed
Does not have feature.

Expected

Save docx or xlsx as PDF option

[softboy99]

we also need it, Thanks a lot

[ashahabov]

Agree, it would be good to have some API for creating PDF. I think, then creating an image should be easier. I tried to implement for ShapeCrawler (wrapper for Open-XML-SDK) API to generate an image from a slide, but I haven't even to start :( No idea how proprietary library does it.

[twsouthwick]

I am not sure we would want to include that in this project. That feels like a project that could build on top of the SDK, though

[tomjebo]

I agree that it wouldn't make sense to have a "save as PDF" in this API set.

[softboy99]

Hi,
@twsouthwick,@tomjebo, It's very useful if it's possible to build on top of the SDK, currently, if no it, we have to turn back to Office PIA to do that.

[zchhaenngg]

Hi,

'Save docx or xlsx as PDF' is a very useful feature, we also need it.

[ThomasBarnekow]

The Open XML SDK is all about three very particular document formats:

• WordprocessingDocument, e.g., for Word documents (.docx) and templates (.dotx);
• SpreadsheetDocument, e.g., for Excel workbooks (.xlsx) and templates (.xltx); and
• PresentationDocument, e.g., for PowerPoint presentations (.pptx) and templates (.potx).

It does not support other file formats such as PDF.

There are several commercial products out there that can transform Open XML documents to PDF. There might also be Open Source solutions.

However, there is also the Microsoft Graph. The beta endpoint can convert DriveItems stored in several file formats into PDF.

[softboy99]

Hi,@ThomasBarnekow :
which commercial products are your recommendations?
If use the Microsoft Graph beta endpoint, the file must be stored in onedirve?

[ThomasBarnekow]

@softboy99 I looked at this several years ago, so any view would be outdated. One leading candidate, though, would be Aspose. However, they also tend to be on the expensive end of the spectrum.

[softboy99]

Hi,@ThomasBarnekow : no,Aspose，has tried. There're still many formatting issue causing the pdf different with docx

[ThomasBarnekow]

@softboy Unfortunately, I can't provide any further guidance. You'd need to donyour own market research and evaluate the options. If you wanted to contribute something back to this project, consider sharing your findings. That way, we may point people to those other options.

[softboy99]

Hi，
@ThomasBarnekow ，If use the Microsoft Graph beta endpoint, the file must be stored in onedirve?

[softboy99]

Hi，
@ThomasBarnekow ，If use the Microsoft Graph beta endpoint, the file must be stored in onedirve?

[Varorbc]

@twsouthwick Please reconsider this issue