Tutorial: How to Convert PDF to XPS Format

Learning Objectives

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Convert PDF documents to XPS format using Aspose.PDF Cloud API
• Implement PDF to XPS conversion using different approaches (from storage and from request)
• Work with the API using cURL and various SDK examples
• Handle common conversion scenarios and troubleshoot issues

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, make sure you have:

• An Aspose Cloud account (sign up for a free trial if needed)
• Your Client ID and Client Secret credentials
• Basic understanding of REST APIs
• Familiarity with your preferred programming language (C#, Java, Python, etc.)
• A PDF document ready for conversion (you can use our sample)

What is XPS Format?

XPS (XML Paper Specification) is Microsoft’s alternative to PDF. It’s a fixed-document format that preserves document formatting and ensures that when the file is viewed online or printed, it retains the exact format that you intended. XPS documents can be opened with the XPS Viewer in Windows or other compatible applications.

Tutorial Overview

This tutorial will guide you through converting PDF documents to XPS format using three different approaches:

1. Converting a PDF document stored in cloud storage to XPS and getting the result in the response
2. Converting a PDF document stored in cloud storage to XPS and saving the result to storage
3. Uploading a PDF document in the request and converting it to XPS, then saving to storage

Let’s get started!

1. Authentication

Before making any API calls, you need to obtain an authentication token:

Try it yourself:

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/connect/token" \
-X POST \
-d "grant_type=client_credentials&client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET" \
-H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
-H "Accept: application/json"

Replace YOUR_CLIENT_ID and YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET with your actual credentials. The response will provide an access token that you’ll use in subsequent API calls.

2. Converting a PDF Document from Storage to XPS

In this approach, we’ll convert a PDF document that’s already uploaded to your Aspose Cloud Storage.

Step 1: Upload a PDF document to storage (if not already done)

curl -X PUT "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/storage/file/Sample.pdf" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
-T /path/to/your/Sample.pdf

Step 2: Convert the PDF to XPS and get the result in response

cURL Example:

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/Sample.pdf/convert/xps" \
-X GET \
-H "Accept: multipart/form-data" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
-o result.xps

Try it yourself:

1. Replace YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with the token you received during authentication
2. Run the command and check the resulting file

C# Example:

// For complete code example, see the GitHub Gist linked below

3. Converting a PDF Document from Storage to XPS and Saving to Storage

If you want to save the converted XPS directly to your cloud storage, use this approach:

cURL Example:

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/Sample.pdf/convert/xps?outPath=result.xps" \
-X PUT \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Try it yourself:

1. Replace YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with your token
2. Modify outPath parameter if you want to save the result to a specific folder
3. Run the command and verify in your storage dashboard that the file was created

4. Converting a PDF Document in Request to XPS

This approach allows you to upload and convert a PDF in a single API call:

cURL Example:

curl -v "https://api.aspose.cloud/v3.0/pdf/convert/xps?outPath=result.xps" \
-X PUT \
-T Sample.pdf \
-H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Try it yourself:

1. Replace YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with your token
2. Ensure that Sample.pdf is in your current directory or provide the full path
3. Run the command and check your storage for the result.xps file

SDK Examples

C# Example

// GitHub Gist reference will be placed here

Python Example

# Import the required modules
import asposepdfcloud
from asposepdfcloud.apis.pdf_api import PdfApi
from asposepdfcloud.api_client import ApiClient
from asposepdfcloud.configuration import Configuration

# Set up the API client
configuration = Configuration(client_id="YOUR_CLIENT_ID", client_secret="YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET")
api_client = ApiClient(configuration)
pdf_api = PdfApi(api_client)

# Convert PDF to XPS (from storage to response)
response = pdf_api.get_pdf_in_storage_to_xps("Sample.pdf")

# Save the response to a file
with open("result.xps", "wb") as file:
    file.write(response)

print("PDF converted to XPS successfully!")

Java Example

// Import required packages
import com.aspose.pdf.cloud.sdk.api.PdfApi;
import com.aspose.pdf.cloud.sdk.model.*;
import com.aspose.pdf.cloud.sdk.invoker.*;

public class PdfToXpsExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Setup API client
        ApiClient apiClient = new ApiClient("YOUR_CLIENT_ID", "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET");
        PdfApi pdfApi = new PdfApi(apiClient);
        
        try {
            // Convert PDF to XPS and save to storage
            AsposeResponse response = pdfApi.putPdfInStorageToXps(
                "Sample.pdf",  // PDF document name in storage
                "result.xps",  // Output XPS filename
                null,          // Storage name (default)
                null           // Folder (root)
            );
            
            System.out.println("PDF converted to XPS successfully! Status: " + response.getStatus());
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println("Error converting PDF to XPS: " + e.getMessage());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

1. Authentication Errors

   • Ensure your Client ID and Client Secret are correct
   • Check that your authentication token hasn’t expired (tokens typically last for 1 hour)

2. File Not Found Errors

   • Verify the PDF file exists in your storage with the exact name specified
   • Check the path and ensure it’s correct

3. Conversion Errors

   • Some complex PDF features might not convert properly to XPS
   • Try with a simpler PDF document to isolate the issue

4. Response Size Issues

   • Very large PDF documents might cause timeout errors when using the direct response method
   • For large documents, use the “save to storage” approach instead

What You’ve Learned

In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to:

• Authenticate with the Aspose.PDF Cloud API
• Convert PDF documents to XPS format using different approaches
• Implement PDF to XPS conversion in various programming languages
• Troubleshoot common conversion issues

Further Practice

To reinforce your learning, try these exercises:

1. Convert a multi-page PDF to XPS and verify all pages are preserved
2. Experiment with different PDF documents containing various elements (text, images, tables)
3. Build a simple application that allows users to upload PDFs and download them as XPS files

Next Tutorial

Ready to learn more? Check out our Tutorial: How to Convert PDF to Excel (XLS) Format to discover how to transform PDFs into editable spreadsheets.

Helpful Resources

• Product Page
• Documentation
• Live Demo
• API Reference
• Blog
• Free Support
• Free Trial

Feedback

Have questions about this tutorial? Visit our support forum to get help and share your experience.