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1. How can I apply the license key?

The license key must be applied with the function SetLicenseKey(). Once the key was passed to the library, the demo string is no longer drawn. Please note that the license key must be applied to every instance separately.

2. How is DynaPDF licensed?

DynaPDF is licensed per developer workplace (except Internet Service Provider (ISPs)). The number of applications, or the number of users who use DynaPDF with the software of the licensee, or whether DynaPDF is used on client or server systems is irrelevant.

Only the number of development workplaces is taken into account. A developer workplace refers to an employee who develops applications on the basis of DynaPDF. One employee can use multiple computers for testing and development purposes, but every employee needs his/her own license.

Internet Service Provider can provide DynaPDF as an extension or separate service for their users. For the license fee, the number of CPUs is taken into account while the numbers of users is irrelevant.

3. Why is the usage in SDKs prohibited by default?

In the past we had problems with certain companies who simply enclosed certain main features of DynaPDF into a wrapper DLL or executable and sold it then as their own product. We don't want to compete with our own software. The software that uses DynaPDF should not be an alternate solution for our own library.

The usage in SDKs where PDF processing is just one part of another main functionality is generally no problem.

For example, DynaPDF is often used in components which output reports, invoices, or comparable documents as PDF. This is of course no problem and should be possible independent of whether the software is distributed as SDK.

If you want to use DynaPDF in a software development kit then please send us an email with a short description about the SDK. If the usage is possible (this is mostly the case) then you'll get an amendment to the license agreement that explicitly permits the usage in your products. Such an amendment is free of charge and applies also to all future versions of DynaPDF.

4. Are all DynaPDF versions binary compatible?

Yes. All DynaPDF versions can be replaced without recompiling your applications. Unsupported functions are disabled, but still included in the DLL.

5. What is Font Subsetting?

Most TrueType and OpenType fonts are too large to be fully embedded in a PDF file. To reduce the amount of data that must be embedded it is possible to remove unused characters.

This technique enables also the usage of very large CJK fonts which require often more than 20 MB disk space. The size of a font subset depends on the number of characters which were used in the document.  If only a few characters are used, the resulting font subset can be very small.

6. Can DynaPDF edit text in an existing PDF file?

Yes. DynaPDF offers a content parser that enables searching and changing of existing text strings within an existing PDF file. Strings can be changed or deleted. It is also possible to change the font, font size or font color.

7. How secure is PDF encryption?

40 bit encryption is definitely not safe. Modern tools can decrypt those files within seconds, independent of the used passwords.

128 or 256 bit encryption is safer as long as both passwords are set and if long passwords were used. Most available decryption tools are only able to decrypt a file by applying a brute force attack. This takes considerable processing time if long and cryptic passwords are used, but it is still not impossible to decrypt those files.

If you need more security, then use additional encryption software.

8. Which font formats are supported?

DynaPDF supports TrueType, TrueType Collection, OpenType fonts with TrueType or Postscript outlines, as well as Type1 fonts in the formats PFA and PFB. Metric files are not required for Type1 fonts. CJK character sets and Unicode are not supported in combination with Type1 fonts.

9. Is DynaPDF available as COM Object?

DynaPDF is no longer available as an ActiveX component. Due to the limited available data types in COM objects, this technology is more suitable for small components. Many features of DynaPDF require a reliable handling of structures which is not possible with Variant data types.

Standard DLLs are more flexible, faster, just as thread-safe, and there is no need to store data in the Registry before they can be used on the target system.

10. Is it possible to view PDF files with DynaPDF?

Yes. DynaPDF 3.0 contains a very powerful rendering engine that is able to render PDF pages or entire PDF files into several popular image formats.

DynaPDF is also delivered with ready viewer components which simplify the integration of a PDF viewer a lot.

11. Is it possible to print PDF files with DynaPDF?

Yes and no. It is of course possible to render the pages and to send the images to the printer. Such a print spool is large and more suitable for simple applications.

A real print solution will probably available later, but it can take more than 12 months until such a solution will be available.

12. For which operating systems is DynaPDF available?

DynaPDF is available for Windows 9x, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Windows 7, IBM AIX 4.3 or higher, HP-UX 11 (PA-RISK and Itanium), Linux for x86, Mac OS X 10.3 or higher, and Sun Solaris 8 or higher. The Windows version is available as 32 bit and 64 bit library. The Mac OS X version is delivered as universal binary for the CPU targets i386, PPC, and x86_64.

13. A 32 bit version is available for my OS but I need a 64 bit version. What can I do?

Most Linux and UNIX OS are already available for 32 bit and 64 bit CPUs. Due to the many CPU and operating systems types, it is almost impossible to provide pre-compiled binaries for all possible variations of supported operating systems.

The Enterprise license of DynaPDF includes the source codes and make files for all supported operating systems. All you need is a properly installed GCC compiler so that you can compile your 64 bit variant by yourself. We guarantee that DynaPDF runs on 64 bit variations of all currently supported operating systems.

14. Is DynaPDF available for Mac OS/X?

Yes. DynaPDF can be used on Mac OS X 10.3 or higher. Precompiled universal binaries are available for for Power PC and Intel CPU targets.

15. When I convert EMF files under Linux/UNIX text strings appear wrong and misplaced. What I am doing wrong?

If the conversion result is ok under Windows, check whether all fonts which are used by the EMF file are available. DynaPDF replaces unavailable fonts with standard fonts so that the EMF file can still be processed. Font replacements can cause unpredictable results.

Copy all required fonts into a directory and add this directory to the list of font search paths with AddFontSearchPath().

Note that the Windows TrueType fonts Symbol and and Wingdings are often used for list symbols.

16. With some EMF files a question mark appears instead of a special character. Is that a bug in DynaPDF?

No. Strings are always stored in Unicode format inside of EMF files, even if they only contain ANSI characters.

DynaPDF uses the character set, which was used in the ExtCreateFont() record, to determine whether the string can be printed in ANSI or Unicode format. The character set is often wrongly set, e.g. Unicode is required but ANSI_CHARSET is set, that is why a question mark appears then instead of the special character.

Conversion of strings to ANSI can be disabled with the flag mfUseUnicode (see SetMetaConvFlags() in the help file), this enables printing of special characters even if a incorrect character set was used.

However, it is better to set character set correctly instead of printing all strings in Unicode format, because the ANSI format is more compact.

BTW - GDI uses the character set for font selection only, it is not used to display characters on screen.