Document Conversion Library for Ruby

File conversion example using Ruby

The ConvertAPI Ruby library makes adding powerful document transformation capabilities to your Ruby projects both simple and efficient. Designed with ease-of-use in mind, the library’s intuitive API ensures you spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time delivering value in your Ruby applications.

With support for a vast selection of file formats, you can handle everything from PDF conversions to Office file manipulations with just a few lines of code. Combine and split documents, adjust quality and resolution, or securely redact sensitive information, this versatile toolkit gives you the flexibility to shape your workflows exactly as needed.

Install the ConvertAPI library into your Ruby project

To get started, install the ConvertAPI Ruby Gem:

gem 'convert_api'

Protect PDF using Ruby example

The ConvertAPI Ruby PDF Protect tool enables you to apply robust security measures to your PDF files directly from your Ruby applications. By adding passwords, setting permissions, or restricting printing and copying, you maintain strict control over document access.

The tool’s flexible options make it simple to configure the right level of protection, ensuring sensitive information remains safe, compliant, and tamper-resistant, without adding unnecessary complexity to your code.

Convert a Stream

This example demonstrates converting text content directly from memory into a PDF, eliminating the need for intermediate file storage. It is ideal for applications that generate content dynamically and require immediate conversion without disk I/O. It's useful for applications that handle file data dynamically, such as web services or cloud-based systems, where writing to disk is undesirable.

Key Features:

• Reads input data from a stream.
• Processes the conversion entirely in memory.
• Outputs the result to another stream.

ConvertApi.configure do |config|
  config.api_credentials = ENV['CONVERT_API_TOKEN'] # your api token
end

# Example of converting text to PDF
# https://www.convertapi.com/txt-to-pdf

content = 'Test file body'

io = StringIO.new
io.write(content)
io.rewind

# Use upload IO wrapper to upload data to the API
upload_io = ConvertApi::UploadIO.new(io, 'test.txt')

saved_files = ConvertApi
  .convert('pdf', {File: upload_io})
  .save_files(Dir.tmpdir)

puts "The PDF saved to: #{saved_files}"

Convert URL to PDF

Illustrates how to convert a live web page into a PDF by providing its URL, facilitating the capture of web content in a portable format. It's useful for archiving web pages or generating PDF versions of online content for offline access or record-keeping.

Key Features:

• Accepts a web page URL as input.
• Converts the web page to a PDF document.
• Stores the PDF in a specified directory.

ConvertApi.configure do |config|
  config.api_credentials = ENV['CONVERT_API_TOKEN'] # your api token
end

# Example of converting Web Page URL to PDF file
# https://www.convertapi.com/web-to-pdf

result = ConvertApi.convert(
  'pdf',
  {
    Url: 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_conversion',
    FileName: 'web-example'
  },
  from_format: 'web',
  conversion_timeout: 180,
)

saved_files = result.save_files(Dir.tmpdir)

puts "The web page PDF saved to #{saved_files}"

Conversion Chaining

The following example demonstrates a multi-step conversion process, such as converting a DOCX file to PDF and then compressing the PDF, showcasing how to chain multiple conversions seamlessly. It is meant for complex workflows requiring multiple file transformations in a specific sequence.

Key Features:

• Performs sequential conversions using intermediate results.
• Manages multiple steps within a single process.
• Outputs the final converted file after all transformations.

ConvertApi.configure do |config|
  config.api_credentials = ENV['CONVERT_API_TOKEN'] # your api token
end

# Short example of conversions chaining, the PDF pages extracted and saved as separated JPGs and then ZIP'ed
# https://www.convertapi.com/doc/chaining

puts 'Converting PDF to JPG and compressing result files with ZIP'

jpg_result = ConvertApi.convert('jpg', {File: 'files/test.pdf'})

puts "Conversions done. Cost: #{jpg_result.conversion_cost}. Total files created: #{jpg_result.files.count}"

zip_result = ConvertApi.convert('zip', {Files: jpg_result.files})

puts "Conversions done. Cost: #{zip_result.conversion_cost}. Total files created: #{zip_result.files.count}"

saved_files = zip_result.save_files(Dir.tmpdir)

puts "File saved to #{saved_files}"

Get User Information

The final example illustrates how to retrieve account information, such as usage statistics and remaining conversion credits, using the ConvertAPI Ruby library. It is important for monitoring account usage and managing conversion quotas programmatically.

ConvertApi.configure do |config|
  config.api_credentials = ENV['CONVERT_API_TOKEN'] # your api token
end

# Retrieve user information
# https://www.convertapi.com/doc/user

puts ConvertApi.user

Using our Ruby SDK, you’ll gain access to an extensive collection of more than 300+ conversion and document management features, all conveniently housed within a single, integrated platform.

Using our Ruby library, you can supply documents using URLs, file streams, or local file paths, making it easy to integrate with your existing setup. To further streamline your operations, consider utilizing conversion workflows to apply multiple tasks to the same document sequentially.

For in-depth examples and expert tips, be sure to explore our GitHub repository.