How can I merge two PDF, including their outlines?

[sant527]

I have two pdfs

I want to combine them into single pdf including their outlines.

I can do this using other tools but i want to specifically do it using pypdf2

    import PyPDF2 
     
    # Open the files that have to be merged one by one
    pdf1File = open('FirstInputFile.pdf', 'rb')
    pdf2File = open('SecondInputFile.pdf', 'rb')
     
    # Read the files that you have opened
    pdf1Reader = PyPDF2.PdfFileReader(pdf1File)
    pdf2Reader = PyPDF2.PdfFileReader(pdf2File)
     
    # Create a new PdfFileWriter object which represents a blank PDF document
    pdfWriter = PyPDF2.PdfFileWriter()
     
    # Loop through all the pagenumbers for the first document
    for pageNum in range(pdf1Reader.numPages):
        pageObj = pdf1Reader.getPage(pageNum)
        pdfWriter.addPage(pageObj)
     
    # Loop through all the pagenumbers for the second document
    for pageNum in range(pdf2Reader.numPages):
        pageObj = pdf2Reader.getPage(pageNum)
        pdfWriter.addPage(pageObj)
    
    #GET THE OUTLINES
    outline1 = pdf1Reader.outlines
    outline2 = pdf2Reader.outlines
    total_outlines = outline1+outline2
    
    #ADDING THE OUTLINE TO pdfWriter
    pdfWriter.addBookmarkDestination(total_outlines)
    
    
    # Now that you have copied all the pages in both the documents, write them into the a new document
    pdfOutputFile = open('MergedFiles.pdf', 'wb')
    pdfWriter.write(pdfOutputFile)
    
    # Close all the files - Created as well as opened
    pdfOutputFile.close()
    pdf1File.close()
    pdf2File.close()

Here I am trying to add outlines using

    #GET THE OUTLINES
    outline1 = pdf1Reader.outlines
    outline2 = pdf2Reader.outlines
    total_outlines = outline1+outline2'

    #ADDING THE OUTLINE TO pdfWriter
    pdfWriter.addBookmarkDestination(total_outlines)

But it gives error

    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "test100.py", line 15, in <module>
        output.addBookmarkDestination(reader1.outlines+reader2.outlines)
      File "/usr/lib/python3.7/site-packages/PyPDF2/pdf.py", line 661, in addBookmarkDestination
        parent.addChild(destRef, self)
      File "/usr/lib/python3.7/site-packages/PyPDF2/generic.py", line 666, in addChild
        childObj = child.getObject()
      File "/usr/lib/python3.7/site-packages/PyPDF2/generic.py", line 178, in getObject
        return self.pdf.getObject(self).getObject()
    AttributeError: 'list' object has no attribute 'getObject'

What is the right way to get this done?

[livizy]

so do I,I realize that the official doc url here may out of date

[MartinThoma]

What exactly in the docs is out of date? Do you want to make a PR to fix it?

[MartinThoma]

The docs are now at https://pypdf2.readthedocs.io/en/latest/modules/PdfWriter.html

[MartinThoma]

See #1156

[mtd91429]

In my humble opinion, this post more appropriately belongs on a forum such as StackOverflow rather than an issue on GitHub.

Nonetheless, the functionality the poster is seeking is best accomplished using the PdfMerger class. Using the updated nomenclature (#1156)

from PyPDF2 import PdfReader, PdfMerger

doc1 = PdfReader("'first.pdf')
doc2 = PdfReader("second.pdf")

merger = PdfMerger()
merger.append(doc1, import_outline=True)
merger.append(doc2, import_outline=True)

merger.write("first_then_second.pdf")

Verify the output by opening the new document in your favorite commercial PDF rendering software. Or, you can inspect the results directly via PyPDF2:

print(merger.outline)

or

combined_doc = PdfReader("first_then_second.pdf")

print(combined_doc.outline)

[MartinThoma]

Thank you 🤗

[fhg-isi]

Does not work for me to append pdf with singel page including outline item. Outlines are lost due to line
outline = self._trim_outline(reader, outline, pages)
in _merger.py

[stefan6419846]

Please provide the complete code and reproducing files in a dedicated issue/discussion.

[fhg-isi]

#2597