inputs

Specifying input files and passwords

Details

The general syntax for providing input to an operation is:

<inputs> [ input_pw <password>... ]

<inputs> is a space-separated list of one or more input PDF sources. Each source can be:

  • A file path: my_doc.pdf

  • A handle assignment (for referring to files in operations): A=my_doc.pdf

  • A single dash - to read from standard input (stdin).

  • The keyword PROMPT to be interactively asked for a file path.

[ input_pw <password>... ] is an optional block to provide owner passwords for encrypted files. The passwords in the <password>... list can be assigned in two ways:

  • By position: Passwords are applied sequentially to the encrypted input files in the order they appear, as in:

    enc1.pdf plain.pdf enc2.pdf input_pw pass1 pass2

  • By handle: If an input file has a handle (e.g., A=file.pdf), its password can be assigned using the same handle. This is the most reliable method when using multiple encrypted files. As in:

    A=enc1.pdf B=enc2.pdf input_pw B=pass2 A=pass1

The keyword PROMPT can be used in the list to be securely prompted for a password. This is recommended.

Source: pdftl.cli.pipeline

Read online: https://pdftl.readthedocs.io/en/stable/general/input.html

Type: HelpTopic