CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pdfcommand-linedocxlibreofficelibreoffice-writer
Matt W.
Matt W.

Reputation: 3722

docx to pdf conversion with LibreOffice under Windows

I downloaded libreoffice to try to convert docx to pdf. Having a hard time getting it to run. I've looked around on forums and it seems the command is

soffice --convert-to pdf filename.docx

or

libreoffice --convert-to: pdf:writer_pdf_Export filename.docx

soffice is the command I have that works, as the .exe. I'm navigating to where the .exe is and trying to run it there. I'm getting the following error.

C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program> soffice convert-to pdf C:\Users\mwolfe\OneDrive - Company Inc\doc_converter\test_file.doc

LibreOffice 6.1.4.2 9d0f32d1f0b509096fd65e0d4bec26ddd1938fd3

Error in option: -

Usage: soffice [argument...]
       argument - switches, switch parameters and document URIs (filenames).

Using without special arguments:
Opens the start center, if it is used without any arguments.
   {file}              Tries to open the file (files) in the components
                       suitable for them.
   {file} {macro:///Library.Module.MacroName}
                       Opens the file and runs specified macros from
                       the file.

Getting help and information:
   --help | -h | -?    Shows this help and quits.
   --helpwriter        Opens built-in or online Help on Writer.
   --helpcalc          Opens built-in or online Help on Calc.
   --helpdraw          Opens built-in or online Help on Draw.
   --helpimpress       Opens built-in or online Help on Impress.
   --helpbase          Opens built-in or online Help on Base.
   --helpbasic         Opens built-in or online Help on Basic scripting
                       language.
   --helpmath          Opens built-in or online Help on Math.
   --version           Shows the version and quits.
   --nstemporarydirectory
                       (MacOS X sandbox only) Returns path of the temporary
                       directory for the current user and exits. Overrides
                       all other arguments.

General arguments:
   --quickstart[=no]   Activates[Deactivates] the Quickstarter service.
   --nolockcheck       Disables check for remote instances using one
                       installation.
   --infilter={filter} Force an input filter type if possible. For example:
                       --infilter="Calc Office Open XML"
                       --infilter="Text (encoded):UTF8,LF,,,"
   --pidfile={file}    Store soffice.bin pid to {file}.
   --display {display} Sets the DISPLAY environment variable on UNIX-like
                       platforms to the value {display} (only supported by a
                       start script).

User/programmatic interface control:
   --nologo            Disables the splash screen at program start.
   --minimized         Starts minimized. The splash screen is not displayed.
   --nodefault         Starts without displaying anything except the splash
                       screen (do not display initial window).
   --invisible         Starts in invisible mode. Neither the start-up logo nor
                       the initial program window will be visible. Application
                       can be controlled, and documents and dialogs can be
                       controlled and opened via the API. Using the parameter,
                       the process can only be ended using the taskmanager
                       (Windows) or the kill command (UNIX-like systems). It
                       cannot be used in conjunction with --quickstart.
   --headless          Starts in "headless mode" which allows using the
                       application without GUI. This special mode can be used
                       when the application is controlled by external clients
                       via the API.
   --norestore         Disables restart and file recovery after a system crash.
   --safe-mode         Starts in a safe mode, i.e. starts temporarily with a
                       fresh user profile and helps to restore a broken
                       configuration.
   --accept={UNO-URL}  Specifies an UNO-URL connect-string to create an UNO
                       acceptor through which other programs can connect to
                       access the API. UNO-URL is string the such kind
                   uno:connection-type,params;protocol-name,params;ObjectName.
   --unaccept={UNO-URL} Closes an acceptor that was created with --accept. Use
                       --unaccept=all to close all open acceptors.
   --language={lang}   Uses specified language, if language is not selected
                       yet for UI. The lang is a tag of the language in IETF
                       language tag.

Developer arguments:
   --terminate_after_init
                       Exit after initialization complete (no documents loaded).
   --eventtesting      Exit after loading documents.

New document creation arguments:
The arguments create an empty document of specified kind. Only one of them may
be used in one command line. If filenames are specified after an argument,
then it tries to open those files in the specified component.
   --writer            Creates an empty Writer document.
   --calc              Creates an empty Calc document.
   --draw              Creates an empty Draw document.
   --impress           Creates an empty Impress document.
   --base              Creates a new database.
   --global            Creates an empty Writer master (global) document.
   --math              Creates an empty Math document (formula).
   --web               Creates an empty HTML document.

File open arguments:
The arguments define how following filenames are treated. New treatment begins
after the argument and ends at the next argument. The default treatment is to
open documents for editing, and create new documents from document templates.
   -n                  Treats following files as templates for creation of new
                       documents.
   -o                  Opens following files for editing, regardless whether
                       they are templates or not.
   --pt {Printername}  Prints following files to the printer {Printername},
                       after which those files are closed. The splash screen
                       does not appear. If used multiple times, only last
                       {Printername} is effective for all documents of all
                       --pt runs. Also, --printer-name argument of
                       --print-to-file switch interferes with {Printername}.
   -p                  Prints following files to the default printer, after
                       which those files are closed. The splash screen does
                       not appear. If the file name contains spaces, then it
                       must be enclosed in quotation marks.
   --view              Opens following files in viewer mode (read-only).
   --show              Opens and starts the following presentation documents
                       of each immediately. Files are closed after the showing.
                       Files other than Impress documents are opened in
                       default mode , regardless of previous mode.
   --convert-to OutputFileExtension[:OutputFilterName]
     [--outdir output_dir] [--convert-images-to]
                       Batch convert files (implies --headless). If --outdir
                       isn't specified, then current working directory is used
                       as output_dir. If --convert-images-to is given, its
                       parameter is taken as the target MIME format for *all*
                       images written to the output format. If --convert-to is
                       used more than once, the last value of OutputFileExtension
                       [:OutputFilterName] is effective. If --outdir is used more
                       than once, only its last value is effective. For example:
                   --convert-to pdf *.odt
                   --convert-to epub *.doc
                   --convert-to pdf:writer_pdf_Export --outdir /home/user *.doc
                   --convert-to "html:XHTML Writer File:UTF8" *.doc
                   --convert-to "txt:Text (encoded):UTF8" *.doc
   --print-to-file [--printer-name printer_name] [--outdir output_dir]
                       Batch print files to file. If --outdir is not specified,
                       then current working directory is used as output_dir.
                       If --printer-name or --outdir used multiple times, only
                       last value of each is effective. Also, {Printername} of
                       --pt switch interferes with --printer-name.
   --cat               Dump text content of the following files to console
                       (implies --headless). Cannot be used with --convert-to.
   --script-cat        Dump text content of any scripts embedded in the files to console
                       (implies --headless). Cannot be used with --convert-to.
   -env:<VAR>[=<VALUE>] Set a bootstrap variable. For example: to set
                       a non-default user profile path:
                       -env:UserInstallation=file:///tmp/test

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 11974

Answers (3)

K J
K J

Reputation: 11730

For windows users since Version 6.3 (now versions 24+###) the most basic method is set the command to soffice.com and then run your commands from any work folder.

The command properly “owns” the console (does not return to command prompt) until soffice finishes.

set "soffice=c:\....\libreoffice\program\soffice.com"
"%soffice%" --convert-to PDF:writer_pdf_Export test.doc

result

convert ...\test.doc as a Writer document ->  ...\test.PDF using filter : writer_pdf_Export

test.pdf

enter image description here

Upvotes: 0

Rama Krishna Hati
Rama Krishna Hati

Reputation: 41

I was looking for an opensource Java solution to convert DOC/DOCX to PDF without loosing the design of the document.

I came to know about the usage of LibreOffice on Linux machine for the same in the following post. Thank you, Anmol.

https://stackoverflow.com/a/73711219/3085879

So, I gave a try installing LibreOffice on Windows machine, and running the following command.

C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest>"C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe" --convert-to pdf:writer_pdf_Export --outdir "C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest\output" *.docx
  • C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest - Where the docx file(s) is present.
  • C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program - Where the soffice.exe is present.
  • C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest\output - Where the generated PDF file(s) will be saved.

Please note that I have used double quotes for paths to avoid space related issues. It works like a charm. :)

I found the syntax of the command when I ran the following command on the command prompt.

C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest>"C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe" --help

Please refer the highlighted section in the command run result screenshot.

Command

The environment and software details are as follows.

  • LibreOffice_24.8.2_Win_x86-64.msi
  • Microsoft Windows 10 Pro

Update - If you navigate to the location "C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program", e.g. where soffice.exe, soffice.bin, and soffice.com are available, then following command will work. It is tested.

soffice --convert-to pdf:writer_pdf_Export --outdir "C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest\DOC\Output" "C:\Users\ABCD\Desktop\sofficetest\DOC\file-sample_1MB-DOC.doc"

Please refer the stackoverflow link I have shared to call this command from java program.

I am unable to tag keyword Java to this answer. It's an easy solution to convert DOC/DOCX/ODT, PPT/PPTX/ODP, and XLS/XLSX/ODS documents to PDF from Java application(not specific though). I have spent good amount of time with Apache POI and iText without achieving desired result.

Please refer the following link for available Filters for File Conversion in LibreOffice.

File Conversion Filter Tables

Please refer the following link to understand issue with the concurrent call for conversion of multiple documents and solution for the same.

Tackling issue with multiple files conversion concurrently

Please refer the following link to understand the difference between soffice.exe, soffice.bin, and soffice.com.

Difference between soffice.exe, soffice.bin, and soffice.com

Cheers to LibreOffice.

Upvotes: 0

JJ_Coder4Hire
JJ_Coder4Hire

Reputation: 4891

You need to add -- for commands and quotes around paths

first ensure you can open the doc from the command line. start with:

"C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe" "C:\Users\mwolfe\OneDrive - Company Inc\doc_converter\test_file.doc"

Then try the export command:

"C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe" --convert-to pdf "C:\Users\mwolfe\OneDrive - Company Inc\doc_converter\test_file.doc"

However with the latest libre office I'm not able to get any conversion working for me in windows command line.

Upvotes: 2

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