java.lang.Object
- com.itextpdf.text.pdf.PdfObject

Direct Known Subclasses:

PdfArray, PdfBoolean, PdfDictionary, PdfIndirectReference, PdfLiteral, PdfName, PdfNull, PdfNumber, PdfString
```
public abstract class PdfObject
extends java.lang.Object
```
PdfObject is the abstract superclass of all PDF objects.
PDF supports seven basic types of objects: Booleans, numbers, strings, names, arrays, dictionaries and streams. In addition, PDF provides a null object. Objects may be labeled so that they can be referred to by other objects.
All these basic PDF objects are described in the 'Portable Document Format Reference Manual version 1.3' Chapter 4 (pages 37-54).

See Also:

PdfNull, PdfBoolean, PdfNumber, PdfString, PdfName, PdfArray, PdfDictionary, PdfStream, PdfIndirectReference

Field Summary

Fields
Modifier and Type	Field	Description
`static int`	`ARRAY`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static int`	`BOOLEAN`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`protected byte[]`	`bytes`	The content of this `PdfObject`
`static int`	`DICTIONARY`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static int`	`INDIRECT`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`protected PRIndirectReference`	`indRef`	Holds the indirect reference.
`static int`	`NAME`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static java.lang.String`	`NOTHING`	An empty string used for the `PdfNull`-object and for an empty `PdfString`-object.
`static int`	`NULL`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static int`	`NUMBER`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static int`	`STREAM`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static int`	`STRING`	A possible type of `PdfObject`
`static java.lang.String`	`TEXT_PDFDOCENCODING`	This is the default encoding to be used for converting Strings into bytes and vice versa.
`static java.lang.String`	`TEXT_UNICODE`	This is the encoding to be used to output text in Unicode.
`protected int`	`type`	The type of this `PdfObject`

Constructor Summary

Constructors
Modifier	Constructor	Description
`protected`	`PdfObject(int type)`	Constructs a `PdfObject` of a certain `type` without any `content`.
`protected`	`PdfObject(int type, byte[] bytes)`	Constructs a `PdfObject` of a certain `type` with a certain `content`.
`protected`	`PdfObject(int type, java.lang.String content)`	Constructs a `PdfObject` of a certain `type` with a certain `content`.

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`boolean`	`canBeInObjStm()`	Whether this object can be contained in an object stream.
`byte[]`	`getBytes()`	Gets the presentation of this object in a byte array
`PRIndirectReference`	`getIndRef()`	Get the indirect reference
`boolean`	`isArray()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfArray`.
`boolean`	`isBoolean()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfBoolean`.
`boolean`	`isDictionary()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfDictionary`.
`boolean`	`isIndirect()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfIndirectObject`.
`boolean`	`isName()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfName`.
`boolean`	`isNull()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfNull`.
`boolean`	`isNumber()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfNumber`.
`boolean`	`isStream()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfStream`.
`boolean`	`isString()`	Checks if this `PdfObject` is of the type `PdfString`.
`int`	`length()`	Returns the length of the actual content of the `PdfObject`.
`protected void`	`setContent(java.lang.String content)`	Changes the content of this `PdfObject`.
`void`	`setIndRef(PRIndirectReference indRef)`	Set the indirect reference
`void`	`toPdf(PdfWriter writer, java.io.OutputStream os)`	Writes the PDF representation of this `PdfObject` as an array of `byte`s to the writer.
`java.lang.String`	`toString()`	Returns the `String`-representation of this `PdfObject`.
`int`	`type()`	Returns the type of this `PdfObject`.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

- Field Detail
  - BOOLEAN
```
public static final int BOOLEAN
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - NUMBER
```
public static final int NUMBER
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - STRING
```
public static final int STRING
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - NAME
```
public static final int NAME
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - ARRAY
```
public static final int ARRAY
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - DICTIONARY
```
public static final int DICTIONARY
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - STREAM
```
public static final int STREAM
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - NULL
```
public static final int NULL
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - INDIRECT
```
public static final int INDIRECT
```
    A possible type of PdfObject
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - NOTHING
```
public static final java.lang.String NOTHING
```
    An empty string used for the PdfNull-object and for an empty PdfString-object.
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - TEXT_PDFDOCENCODING
```
public static final java.lang.String TEXT_PDFDOCENCODING
```
    This is the default encoding to be used for converting Strings into bytes and vice versa. The default encoding is PdfDocEncoding.
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - TEXT_UNICODE
```
public static final java.lang.String TEXT_UNICODE
```
    This is the encoding to be used to output text in Unicode.
    
    See Also:
    
    Constant Field Values
  - bytes
```
protected byte[] bytes
```
    The content of this PdfObject
  - type
```
protected int type
```
    The type of this PdfObject
  - indRef
```
protected PRIndirectReference indRef
```
    Holds the indirect reference.
- Constructor Detail
  - PdfObject
```
protected PdfObject(int type)
```
    Constructs a PdfObject of a certain type without any content.
    
    Parameters:
    
    type - type of the new PdfObject
  - PdfObject
```
protected PdfObject(int type,
                    java.lang.String content)
```
    Constructs a PdfObject of a certain type with a certain content.
    
    Parameters:
    
    type - type of the new PdfObject
    
    content - content of the new PdfObject as a String.
  - PdfObject
```
protected PdfObject(int type,
                    byte[] bytes)
```
    Constructs a PdfObject of a certain type with a certain content.
    
    Parameters:
    
    type - type of the new PdfObject
    
    bytes - content of the new PdfObject as an array of byte.
- Method Detail
  - toPdf
```
public void toPdf(PdfWriter writer,
                  java.io.OutputStream os)
           throws java.io.IOException
```
    Writes the PDF representation of this PdfObject as an array of bytes to the writer.
    
    Parameters:
    
    writer - for backwards compatibility
    
    os - The OutputStream to write the bytes to.
    
    Throws:
    
    java.io.IOException
  - toString
```
public java.lang.String toString()
```
    Returns the String-representation of this PdfObject.
    
    Overrides:
    
    toString in class java.lang.Object
    
    Returns:
    
    a String
  - getBytes
```
public byte[] getBytes()
```
    Gets the presentation of this object in a byte array
    
    Returns:
    
    a byte array
  - canBeInObjStm
```
public boolean canBeInObjStm()
```
    Whether this object can be contained in an object stream. PdfObjects of type STREAM OR INDIRECT can not be contained in an object stream.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if this object can be in an object stream. Otherwise false
  - length
```
public int length()
```
    Returns the length of the actual content of the PdfObject.
    In some cases, namely for PdfString and PdfStream, this method differs from the method pdfLength because pdfLength returns the length of the PDF representation of the object, not of the actual content as does the method length.
    
    Remark: the actual content of an object is in some cases identical to its representation. The following statement is always true: length() >= pdfLength().
    
    Returns:
    
    The length as int
  - setContent
```
protected void setContent(java.lang.String content)
```
    Changes the content of this PdfObject.
    
    Parameters:
    
    content - the new content of this PdfObject
  - type
```
public int type()
```
    Returns the type of this PdfObject. May be either of: - NULL: A PdfNull - BOOLEAN: A PdfBoolean - NUMBER: A PdfNumber - STRING: A PdfString - NAME: A PdfName - ARRAY: A PdfArray - DICTIONARY: A PdfDictionary - STREAM: A PdfStream - INDIRECT: >PdfIndirectObject
    
    Returns:
    
    The type
  - isNull
```
public boolean isNull()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfNull.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isBoolean
```
public boolean isBoolean()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfBoolean.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isNumber
```
public boolean isNumber()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfNumber.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isString
```
public boolean isString()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfString.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isName
```
public boolean isName()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfName.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isArray
```
public boolean isArray()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfArray.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isDictionary
```
public boolean isDictionary()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfDictionary.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isStream
```
public boolean isStream()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfStream.
    
    Returns:
    
    true or false
  - isIndirect
```
public boolean isIndirect()
```
    Checks if this PdfObject is of the type PdfIndirectObject.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if this is an indirect object, otherwise false
  - getIndRef
```
public PRIndirectReference getIndRef()
```
    Get the indirect reference
    
    Returns:
    
    A PdfIndirectReference
  - setIndRef
```
public void setIndRef(PRIndirectReference indRef)
```
    Set the indirect reference
    
    Parameters:
    
    indRef - New value as a PdfIndirectReference

Class PdfObject

Field Summary

Constructor Summary

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Field Detail

BOOLEAN

NUMBER

STRING

NAME

ARRAY

DICTIONARY

STREAM

NULL

INDIRECT

NOTHING

TEXT_PDFDOCENCODING

TEXT_UNICODE

bytes

type

indRef

Constructor Detail

PdfObject

PdfObject

PdfObject

Method Detail

toPdf

toString

getBytes

canBeInObjStm

length

setContent

type

isNull

isBoolean

isNumber

isString

isName

isArray

isDictionary

isStream

isIndirect

getIndRef

setIndRef