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How to Create TOC in Merging PDF using C# and VB.NET in WinForms PDF?
5 mins read
The Syncfusion Essential PDF is a .NET PDF library used to create, read, and edit PDF documents. Using this library, you can create a table of contents when merging PDF documents using C# and VB.NET.
Steps to create TOC when merging PDF documents programmatically:
- Create a new C# Windows Forms application project.
- Install the Syncfusion.Pdf.WinForms NuGet package as a reference to your .NET Framework application from NuGet.org.
- Include the following namespaces in the Form.cs file.
C#
using Syncfusion.Pdf; using Syncfusion.Pdf.Parsing; using Syncfusion.Pdf.Graphics; using Syncfusion.Pdf.Interactive; using System.Drawing; using System.IO;
VB.NET
Imports Syncfusion.Pdf Imports Syncfusion.Pdf.Parsing Imports Syncfusion.Pdf.Graphics Imports Syncfusion.Pdf.Interactive Imports System.Drawing Imports System.IO
- Use the following code snippet to create a TOC when merging PDF documents.
C#
PdfDocument document;
PdfFont font;
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// File streams to merge
Stream stream1 = new FileStream("F# Succinctly.pdf", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
Stream stream2 = new FileStream("HTTP Succinctly.pdf", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
Stream stream3 = new FileStream("Windows Store Apps Succinctly.pdf", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read);
// Load the documents as streams
PdfLoadedDocument doc1 = new PdfLoadedDocument(stream1);
PdfLoadedDocument doc2 = new PdfLoadedDocument(stream2);
PdfLoadedDocument doc3 = new PdfLoadedDocument(stream3);
object[] dobj = { doc1, doc2, doc3 };
// Initialize a new instance of PDF document
document = new PdfDocument();
// Set page size
document.PageSettings.Size = doc1.Pages[0].Graphics.Size;
// Add a new PDF page
PdfPage page = document.Pages.Add();
// Set font for TOC and bookmark contents
font = new PdfStandardFont(PdfFontFamily.Helvetica, 10f);
// Create a new instance of string format to set text layout information
PdfStringFormat format = new PdfStringFormat(PdfTextAlignment.Center, PdfVerticalAlignment.Middle);
page.Graphics.DrawString("Table Of Contents", font, PdfBrushes.Black, new RectangleF(PointF.Empty, new SizeF(page.Graphics.ClientSize.Width, 20)), format);
// Merge PDF documents
PdfDocument.Merge(document, dobj);
// Draw table of contents
AddBookmark(document.Pages[1], page, "F# Succinctly", new PointF(10, 30));
AddBookmark(document.Pages[doc1.Pages.Count + 1], page, "HTTP Succinctly", new PointF(10, 45));
AddBookmark(document.Pages[doc1.Pages.Count + doc2.Pages.Count + 1], page, "Windows Store Apps Succinctly", new PointF(10, 60));
// Save and close PDF document
document.Save("TableOfContent.pdf");
document.Close(true);
}
// Add bookmarks and table of contents in the newly added page
private void AddBookmark(PdfPage page, PdfPage toc, string content, PointF point)
{
PdfGraphics graphics = page.Graphics;
// Add bookmark in PDF document
PdfBookmark bookmarks = document.Bookmarks.Add(content);
// Add table of contents
AddTableOfContent(page, toc, content, point);
// Adding bookmark with named destination
PdfNamedDestination namedDestination = new PdfNamedDestination(content);
namedDestination.Destination = new PdfDestination(page, new PointF(point.X, point.Y));
namedDestination.Destination.Mode = PdfDestinationMode.FitToPage;
document.NamedDestinationCollection.Add(namedDestination);
bookmarks.NamedDestination = namedDestination;
}
// Add table of contents with page number and document link annotations
private void AddTableOfContent(PdfPage page, PdfPage toc, string content, PointF point)
{
// Draw title in TOC
PdfTextElement element = new PdfTextElement(content, font, PdfBrushes.Blue);
// Set layout format for pagination of TOC
PdfLayoutFormat format = new PdfLayoutFormat();
format.Break = PdfLayoutBreakType.FitPage;
format.Layout = PdfLayoutType.Paginate;
PdfLayoutResult result = element.Draw(toc, point, format);
// Draw page number in TOC
PdfTextElement pageNumber = new PdfTextElement(document.Pages.IndexOf(page).ToString(), font, PdfBrushes.Black);
pageNumber.Draw(toc, new PointF(toc.Graphics.ClientSize.Width - 40, point.Y));
// Creates a new document link annotation
RectangleF bounds = result.Bounds;
bounds.Width = toc.Graphics.ClientSize.Width - point.X;
PdfDocumentLinkAnnotation documentLinkAnnotation = new PdfDocumentLinkAnnotation(bounds);
documentLinkAnnotation.AnnotationFlags = PdfAnnotationFlags.NoRotate;
documentLinkAnnotation.Text = content;
documentLinkAnnotation.Color = Color.Transparent;
// Sets the destination
documentLinkAnnotation.Destination = new PdfDestination(page);
documentLinkAnnotation.Destination.Location = point;
// Adds this annotation to a new page
toc.Annotations.Add(documentLinkAnnotation);
}VB.NET
Dim document As PdfDocument
Dim font As PdfFont
Sub Main()
' File streams to merge
Dim stream1 As Stream = New FileStream("..\..\Data\F# Succinctly.pdf", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
Dim stream2 As Stream = New FileStream("..\..\Data\HTTP Succinctly.pdf", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
Dim stream3 As Stream = New FileStream("..\..\Data\Windows Store Apps Succinctly.pdf", FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
' Load the documents as streams
Dim doc1 As PdfLoadedDocument = New PdfLoadedDocument(stream1)
Dim doc2 As PdfLoadedDocument = New PdfLoadedDocument(stream2)
Dim doc3 As PdfLoadedDocument = New PdfLoadedDocument(stream3)
Dim dobj As Object() = {doc1, doc2, doc3}
' Initialize a new instance of PDF document
document = New PdfDocument()
' Set page size
document.PageSettings.Size = doc1.Pages.Item(0).Graphics.Size
' Add a new PDF page
Dim Page As PdfPage = document.Pages.Add()
' Set font for TOC and bookmark contents
font = New PdfStandardFont(PdfFontFamily.Helvetica, 10.0F)
' Create a new instance of string format to set text layout information
Dim Format As PdfStringFormat = New PdfStringFormat(PdfTextAlignment.Center, PdfVerticalAlignment.Middle)
Page.Graphics.DrawString("Table Of Contents", font, PdfBrushes.Black, New RectangleF(PointF.Empty, New SizeF(Page.Graphics.ClientSize.Width, 20)), Format)
' Merge PDF documents
PdfDocument.Merge(document, dobj)
' Draw table of contents
AddBookmark(document.Pages.Item(1), Page, "F# Succinctly", New PointF(10, 30))
AddBookmark(document.Pages.Item(doc1.Pages.Count + 1), Page, "HTTP Succinctly", New PointF(10, 45))
AddBookmark(document.Pages.Item(doc1.Pages.Count + doc2.Pages.Count + 1), Page, "Windows Store Apps Succinctly", New PointF(10, 60))
' Save and close PDF document
document.Save("TableOfContent.pdf")
document.Close(True)
End Sub
' Add bookmarks and table of contents in the newly added page
Private Sub AddBookmark(ByVal page As PdfPage, ByVal toc As PdfPage, ByVal content As String, ByVal point As PointF)
Dim graphics As PdfGraphics = page.Graphics
' Add bookmark in PDF document
Dim bookmarks As PdfBookmark = document.Bookmarks.Add(content)
' Add table of contents
AddTableOfContent(page, toc, content, point)
' Adding bookmark with named destination
Dim namedDestination As PdfNamedDestination = New PdfNamedDestination(content)
namedDestination.Destination = New PdfDestination(page, New PointF(point.X, point.Y))
namedDestination.Destination.Mode = PdfDestinationMode.FitToPage
document.NamedDestinationCollection.Add(namedDestination)
bookmarks.NamedDestination = namedDestination
End Sub
' Add table of contents with page number and document link annotations
Private Sub AddTableOfContent(ByVal page As PdfPage, ByVal toc As PdfPage, ByVal content As String, ByVal point As PointF)
' Draw title in TOC
Dim element As PdfTextElement = New PdfTextElement(content, font, PdfBrushes.Blue)
' Set layout format for pagination of TOC
Dim format As PdfLayoutFormat = New PdfLayoutFormat()
format.Break = PdfLayoutBreakType.FitPage
format.Layout = PdfLayoutType.Paginate
Dim result As PdfLayoutResult = element.Draw(toc, point, format)
' Draw page number in TOC
Dim pageNumber As PdfTextElement = New PdfTextElement(document.Pages.IndexOf(page).ToString(), font, PdfBrushes.Black)
pageNumber.Draw(toc, New PointF(toc.Graphics.ClientSize.Width - 40, point.Y))
' Creates a new document link annotation
Dim bounds As RectangleF = result.Bounds
bounds.Width = toc.Graphics.ClientSize.Width - point.X
Dim documentLinkAnnotation As PdfDocumentLinkAnnotation = New PdfDocumentLinkAnnotation(bounds)
documentLinkAnnotation.AnnotationFlags = PdfAnnotationFlags.NoRotate
documentLinkAnnotation.Text = content
documentLinkAnnotation.Color = Color.Transparent
' Sets the destination
documentLinkAnnotation.Destination = New PdfDestination(page)
documentLinkAnnotation.Destination.Location = point
' Adds this annotation to a new page
toc.Annotations.Add(documentLinkAnnotation)
End SubBy executing the program, you will get the PDF document as follows. 
Take a moment to peruse the documentation for working with bookmarks, merge documents and working with named destination, where you can find other options like insert, remove, and modify bookmarks and named destinations from the PDF document and merge multiple PDF documents from disk and stream.
Refer here to explore the rich set of Syncfusion Essential PDF features.
An online sample link to merge documents.
An online sample link to add bookmarks.
An online sample link to add named destinations.
Note:
Starting with v16.2.0.x, if you reference Syncfusion® assemblies from the trial setup or the NuGet feed, include a license key in your projects. Refer to the link to learn about generating and registering the Syncfusion® license key in your application to use the components without a trial message.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning about how to create a TOC when merging PDFs using C# and VB.NET in WinForms PDF.
You can refer to our WinForms PDF feature tour page to learn about its other groundbreaking features and documentation, and how to quickly get started with configuration specifications. You can also explore our
WinForms PDF example to understand how to create and manipulate data.
For current customers, you can check out our components from the License and Downloads page. If you are new to Syncfusion, you can try our 30-day free trial to check out our other controls.
If you have any queries or require clarifications, please let us know in the comments section below. You can also contact us through our support forums or feedback portal. We are always happy to assist you!
