How to import XFDF Annotations into PDF with PDFBox

Question

I have an XFDF files contain some Annotations but not Fields, I would like to know is it able to import those Annotations into PDF file with PDFBox

I have tried to import the XFDF into PDF in Acrobat Reader DC and it's successful to show the imported annotations. However it is not success to show the annotations via used the function importFDF in PDAcroForm. It only import the fields but not annotations.

below is my sample XFDF

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<xfdf xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/xfdf/" xml:space="preserve">
<fields />
<annots>
    <ink page="0" rect="414.755559,308.987191,564.755559,365.356617" color="#000000" flags="print" name="a74a6f8a-4149-d913-6ee6-34ba434bc254" title="annotationTest" subject="Signature" date="D:20190808175939+08'00'" creationdate="D:20190808175827+08'00'">
        <inklist>
            <gesture>415.23,342.9;415.23,342.9;417.62,345.77;422.4,349.11;441.98,357.24;456.79,361.53;470.17,364.88;471.12,364.88;471.6,362.97;468.74,355.8;464.44,346.25;456.79,333.35;440.07,314.72;432.91,310.9;429.56,309.46;429.09,309.46;427.65,312.81;427.65,316.15;429.09,319.02;432.91,322.36;445.81,324.27;454.41,323.8;463,320.45;472.56,317.11;488.32,315.2;499.31,315.68;505.52,318.06;509.82,320.45;514.12,322.36;514.6,322.36;515.55,322.36;517.94,322.36;526.06,322.36;530.36,322.36;535.14,322.36;539.44,322.36;541.83,322.36;542.78,322.36;543.26,322.36;544.69,322.36;546.6,322.84;548.51,322.84;549.47,322.84;550.42,323.8;552.34,325.23;553.29,325.71;554.25,326.66;554.72,327.14;556.63,328.1;559.98,329.05;564.28,330.48</gesture>
        </inklist>
    </ink>
    <circle page="0" rect="464.76803,505.088095,546.727124,576.052676" color="#FF8D00" flags="print" name="96f7f067-0811-a87f-3d94-0b654a720d7d" title="annotationTest" subject="Ellipse" date="D:20190808175825+08'00'" width="6" creationdate="D:20190808175813+08'00'"/>
    <polygon page="0" rect="184.107608,217.431165,445.578111,277.002438" color="#E44234" flags="print" name="8523798b-3d79-d612-40bb-bcdec2789dcd" title="annotationTest" subject="Polygon" date="D:20190808175810+08'00'" style="cloudy" interior-color="#92E8E8" width="9" opacity="0.58" creationdate="D:20190808175742+08'00'" intensity="2">
        <vertices>191.9,269.21;438.78,270.21;433.78,225.23;191.9,224.23;190.9,224.23;191.9,269.21</vertices>
    </polygon>
    <freetext page="0" rect="376.81193,778.184946,500.283994,807.936941" flags="print" name="373b558a-4892-5fb4-a9aa-b4d7175d3966" title="annotationTest" subject="Free text" date="D:20190808175721+08'00'" width="0" creationdate="D:20190808175700+08'00'" TextColor="#00CC63" FontSize="17">
        <contents>Some words...</contents>
        <defaultappearance>0 0 0 rg /Arial 17 Tf</defaultappearance>
        <defaultstyle>font: Arial 17pt; text-align: left; color: #00CC63</defaultstyle>
    </freetext>
    <square page="0" rect="196.901725,719.980841,436.781998,752.964378" color="#E44234" flags="print" name="31250d16-7ee0-c34e-027c-5e11e66cf2b1" title="annotationTest" subject="Rectangle" date="D:20190808175655+08'00'" interior-color="#FFC67B" opacity="0.23" creationdate="D:20190808175653+08'00'"/>
    <link page="0" rect="36.507,555.18,136.6,581.705" color="#000000" flags="print" name="null" title="null" subject="null" date="D:20190808175651+08'00'" width="0" style="solid"/>
</annots>
<pages>
    <defmtx matrix="1.3333333333333333,0,0,-1.3333333333333333,0,1122.559973" />
</pages>
</xfdf>

Or any other library recommended? Many thanks.

Answer 1

After loaded xfdf file, get the COSObject from FDAnnotation and then use it to create a PDAnnotation

PDAnnotation pdfannot = PDAnnotation.createAnnotation(fdfannot.getCOSObject());

And then add to page

List<PDAnnotation> pdfannots = new ArrayList<PDAnnotation>;
pdfannots.add(pdfannot);
page.setAnnotations(pdfannots);

Save it, and you will see the annotations on the PDF