Download the PHP package rust-pdf/rustpdf without Composer

rustpdf (PHP binding)

Idiomatic PHP binding for the rust-pdf core over its C ABI (libpdf_ffi), using the built-in FFI extension (ext-ffi, PHP 8.1+) — no compilation needed. It covers the whole product surface: vector graphics, embedded/subsetted fonts and text, wrapping paragraphs, images, PDF/A (levels 1b–3a), tagged/accessible output, embedded-file attachments, AcroForm fields, manipulation (merge/split/rotate/optimize/incremental update), text extraction, page rendering (page to PNG image), encryption (RC4 / AES-128 / AES-256) and digital signatures (PKCS#7 / PAdES) — plus feature licensing.

Classes (namespace RustPdf, PSR-4 under src/):

• Pdf — static helpers (version, activateLicense, extractText, sign, timestamp, addDss, plus deferred/HSM signing: signWith, beginSigning, completeSignature, listSignatures);
• Document — fluent authoring API;
• EditableDoc — manipulation API;
• PdfaLevel, Align, AFRelationship, Encryption — enums;
• PdfException, Ffi (internal FFI loader).

Install

The package is pure PHP; the native libpdf_ffi is fetched per platform from the GitHub Release. Ffi::libPath() resolves it in this order:

1. RUSTPDF_LIB — an absolute path to a library you provide (always wins);
2. the bundled copy under lib/<os>-<arch>/, placed there by the installer;
3. the dev tree (target/{debug,release}, walking up from src/);
4. lazy download of the matching prebuilt library on first use.

Because Composer only runs scripts for the root package (never a dependency), the download can't fire automatically on composer require. The step-4 lazy fetch covers most setups with zero config, but if your production filesystem is read-only, fetch the library once at deploy/CI time instead:

Or wire it into your root composer.json:

Set RUSTPDF_NO_DOWNLOAD=1 to forbid the network fetch (you must then supply the library via RUSTPDF_LIB or a local cargo build -p pdf-ffi --release).

Enabling ext-ffi

FFI ships with PHP 8.1+ but is often disabled in production. In CLI it's enabled by default; for FPM/web set in php.ini:

Without it, install succeeds but the first call throws.

Quick start

Corporate features (PDF/A, signing, encryption, accessibility, page rendering — a Pro feature) require a license; without one they throw PdfException. See docs/LICENSING.md.

Deferred / HSM signing (key stays out of the library)

When the private key lives in an HSM, a cloud KMS, a smartcard or a PKI authentication token, it must never enter this library. Two flows keep it there and work with any PKI (eIDAS, AATL and the like):

Model A — bring your own signer. Pdf::signWith builds the CMS signed attributes and calls your closure with the bytes to sign; the closure forwards them to the HSM/KMS and returns the raw RSA signature. The cert and any intermediates are passed independently of the key.

Model B — two-phase. When the signer is asynchronous (a remote service or a user interaction), split it: prepare the document, ship the hash, then embed the finished CMS container.

Pdf::listSignatures($pdf) returns the existing signature fields (each a SignatureField with $name / $signed) so you can detect prior signatures before adding another. SigningOptions also carries certify (a Certify DocMDP level) and policy (a SignaturePolicy for PAdES-EPES).

Test