Missing C# headers for low level SDK functions

[ashmid]

I have found that the SDK Pro package contains a set of C#-friendly includes, in the file XCPro40_Declares.cs, to allow C# programs to easily access the functionality of the SDK.

However, this file doesn't seem to include any access to the low level SDK. Please let me know where I can find the corresponding .cs file for the low level SDK.

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hi ashmid,

I asked a colleague of mine from the dev team and he told me that
"for now we do not provide any declarations for low level SDK for dotnet."

Regards,
Stefan

[ashmid]

Stefan,

This answer is not acceptable. I paid over $1000 for a product which was *explicitly* advertised as a C# product (see your website: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product ... ge-pro-sdk). For your developers to then say "we don't support C#" is extremely disappointing and certainly feels like a betrayal of the customer.

At the end of the day, all we need is a set of includes and headers for C#. I ask that you please put in the hours to support the product as advertised.

[John - Tracker Supp]

We clearly state in all our documentation that the Low level API is not supported and must only be used if you are comfortable using the low level API without support - and therefore should not be used in the event you need any support or assistance.

Irrespective of how much you paid - no amount of $ would allow us to support the low level API economically and we have clearly stated we cannot and will not do so under any circumstances.

[ashmid]

I had in fact looked at the documentation for the low-level API, and there it states: "When requesting support regarding the Low-Level API functions you will be expected to have a thorough working knowledge of the PDF format and the associated documentation from Adobe - we regret we cannot and will not 'educate' developers in this vast and complex subject."

This is all perfectly fine. I do have a "thorough working knowledge" of the the PDF format, and I did not write in to ask for any support regarding that "vast and complex subject". I know exactly which modifications I intend to make to the PDF streams.

Rather, my post regarded the product itself (not the PDF format); specifically, my post regarded the lack of C# include files in the Tracker PDF package. As far as I can tell, nowhere within the documentation does it state that C# is not supported for the low level API. The website advertises C# support without any qualifications.

[John - Tracker Supp]

We do not offer any kind of support for the Low Level API - this includes C# headers, wrappers or indeed any other development tool - so if you wish to use C# with any of the low level API's - you will need to create your own wrappers etc as required.

The Low Level API functions are provided as C/C++ functions only.

[ashmid]

John,

You just stated: "We do not offer any kind of support for the Low Level API".

I find this startling. There was *no way* for me, as a customer, to know that this was the case. Your documentation clearly stated only that there would be no support for questions that regard the intricacies of the PDF format, which is perfectly reasonable. But no support for the product itself?!

Neither the marketing material nor the documentation ever states that the product has "no kind of support".

Indeed, as noted, the documentation states: "When requesting support regarding the Low-Level API functions you will be expected to have a thorough working knowledge of the PDF format". This sentence clearly implies that support *is* available, just that it is predicated on a knowledge of the PDF format.

And here's the most startling thing of all: When I purchased the PDF Tools SDK, I chose the option to add the Pro license to gain access to these important low level functions. That option added over $700 to the price tag. How can it be that a $700 option has no support at all? What happens if the customer can't get the functions to work? Then the customer is out $700 with no one to help?? That doesn't even make sense.

And if this was really the case, that would need to be stated in red letters on the site next to the order form! And as I noted, not only is it not stated on the website, it's not even stated anywhere.

[John - Tracker Supp]

So if something is not mentioned - does that mean it must be included ????

There is absolutely no way we can provide specifics related to all development tools in terms of disclaimers - if this was a necessity - then why did you not ask before purchase when they could not be found?

All the functions detailed in the help file related to the High level API are C++ function's it is fairly obvious that there are no wrappers of any kind for any other development tool and these are not referred to. Therefore your assumption that there would be C# wrappers is, respectfully, naïve.

However - if you feel in anyway you have been misled please send us a notarized letter confirming that you have removed all our products from your code and have replaced all products in the field ensuring that none of your client installations is using any application using our products in anyway and we will refund your purchase and disable your developer codes and products.

[ashmid]

Yes, I definitely feel that I have been misled. As to your questions:

1] You wrote: "So if something is not mentioned - does that mean it must be included ????"

When it comes to support, there most certainly is a valid assumption on the part of the customer that support will be provided for a product for the first year after purchase. I've purchased hundreds of software products and SDK's over the last 20 years, and never before have I ever experienced a case where a company refused to provide support after purchase.

2] You wrote: "Therefore your assumption that there would be C# wrappers is, respectfully, naïve."

Your home page specifically advertises the product as supporting C#. It is therefore not naïve to assume that you actually do support C#! Are you calling me naïve for believing what you advertise?! (The fact that the functions are shown in the help file as C++ functions doesn't mean there aren't wrappers. For instance, the high level functions are shown in the help file as C++ functions, yet there are wrappers for all of them).

So, yes, if you are not willing to provide the wrappers, I would like a refund. I can provide the notorized letters, etc. (I'm in Israel, so I'll notorize the letters with an Israeli notorization). However, I need to clarify how the refund money would be transferred, given that I purchased the product from an Israeli reseller. Is there a sales manager that I can talk to to clarify this issue? Please provide an email address for a sales manager with whom I can follow up regarding this issue.

[John - Tracker Supp]

We will require the notarized letter in English otherwise it has no value to us and you will need to ask your reseller to contact us and the refund will be made through them

[ashmid]

The letter will be in English. The notarization will be from an Israeli notary. I trust that this will be OK?
(Really, I never even managed to integrate it into any product in the first place. As you can see on the forums, the first thing that I wanted to do with it was to modify text elements in PDF files. On this forum I found that the high level SDK cannot do this, but rather this type of modification can only be done in the low level SDK. So then I turned to the low level SDK, and ran into the problem discussed here that there is no C# support for the low level SDK whatsoever. So, my projects with tracker never got off the ground at all. But I'll be happy to write the letter, as you've requested.)

[John - Tracker Supp]

That will indeed be satisfactory