AttributeError: 'DictionaryObject' object has no attribute 'indirect_reference'

[MonsterDruide1]

I'm trying to merge a few PDF files using this library into one single file by just appending them into a new document one-by-one. However, some of the input files seem to run into the error described in the title above when trying to call append(fileobj=open(...)).

I suspect it has something to do with the image shown on the example PDF... it might not be "imported" properly or something, as it also disappears from the slide when trying to use the "Black"-Feature of Adobe Acrobat.

Environment

Which environment were you using when you encountered the problem?

$ python -m platform
Linux-5.15.79.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2-x86_64-with-glibc2.35

$ python -c "import pypdf;print(pypdf.__version__)"
3.4.0

Code + PDF

This is a minimal, complete example that shows the issue:

output_pdf_stream = PdfWriter()
output_pdf_stream.append(fileobj=open("broke.pdf", "rb"))

Full example file

from pypdf import errors, PdfWriter

def main():
    output_pdf_stream = PdfWriter()
    output_pdf_stream.append(fileobj=open("broke.pdf", "rb"))


    # does not reach here
    # create output pdf file
    try:
        output_pdf_file = open("test.pdf", "wb")
        output_pdf_stream.write(output_pdf_file)
    finally:
        output_pdf_file.close()

    output_pdf_stream.close()

    print("%s successfully created." % output_pdf_name)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

I don't own the right to any of the contents on this slide, but I'm sure some of your magicians can craft up a similar file for the testing environments.
broke.pdf

Traceback

This is the complete Traceback I see:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/mnt/d/Eigene_Dateien/Downloads/Netzsicherheit 1 (212012-WiSe2223)/minimal.py", line 22, in <module>
    main()
  File "/mnt/d/Eigene_Dateien/Downloads/Netzsicherheit 1 (212012-WiSe2223)/minimal.py", line 5, in main
    output_pdf_stream.append(fileobj=open("broke.pdf", "rb"))
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.10/dist-packages/pypdf/_writer.py", line 2476, in append
    self.merge(
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.10/dist-packages/pypdf/_utils.py", line 441, in wrapper
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.10/dist-packages/pypdf/_writer.py", line 2599, in merge
    lst = self._insert_filtered_annotations(
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.10/dist-packages/pypdf/_writer.py", line 2768, in _insert_filtered_annotations
    outlist.append(ano.clone(self).indirect_reference)
AttributeError: 'DictionaryObject' object has no attribute 'indirect_reference'

[MonsterDruide1]

Note that very few files show this weird behaviour. Out of the test set of 60 similar files by the same author, only 2 of them had the issue described above.

[pubpub-zz]

The issue is caused by the /annots array containing (direct) Dictionary Object and not indirect Object. I've improved robustness. Can you confirm the PR fixes all your cases ?

[MonsterDruide1]

Sorry, I'm not too familiar with python environments - how can I install that custom version for testing?

[pubpub-zz]

The easiest solution I propose:
edit _writer.py in pypdf at line 2768 to replace:
outlist.append(ano.clone(self).indirect_reference)
with
outlist.append(self._add_object(ano.clone(self)))

[MonsterDruide1]

Okay, got it to work with previously manually uninstalling pypdf, then using this command to install again:
sudo pip install git+https://github.com/pubpub-zz/PyPDF2@iss1614

Seems to have fully solved the problem, thanks!

[mchesterkadwell]

I have come across the same issue, but failing on a different line of code in _writer.py. I have installed the fixed version, as above, but this has not fixed it for me.

Environment

Which environment were you using when you encountered the problem?

$ python -m platform
macOS-10.15.7-x86_64-i386-64bit

$ python -c "import pypdf;print(pypdf.__version__)"
3.4.0

Code + PDF

This is a minimal, complete example that shows the issue:

output_pdf_stream = PdfWriter()
output_pdf_stream.append(fileobj=open("broken.pdf", "rb"))

Full example file

from pypdf import PdfWriter

def main():
    output_pdf_name = "test.pdf"
    output_pdf_file = open(output_pdf_name, "wb")

    output_pdf_stream = PdfWriter()
    output_pdf_stream.append(fileobj=open("broken.pdf", "rb"))

    # does not reach here
    try:
        output_pdf_stream.write(output_pdf_file)
    finally:
        output_pdf_file.close()
        output_pdf_stream.close()

    print("%s successfully created." % output_pdf_name)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

broken.pdf

Traceback

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/mary/project/main.py", line 25, in <module>
    main()
  File "/Users/mary/project/main.py", line 11, in main
    output_pdf_stream.append(fileobj=open("broken.pdf", "rb"))
  File "/Users/mary/project/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pypdf/_writer.py", line 2476, in append
    self.merge(
  File "/Users/mary/project/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pypdf/_utils.py", line 441, in wrapper
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/mary/project/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pypdf/_writer.py", line 2614, in merge
    .indirect_reference
AttributeError: 'DictionaryObject' object has no attribute 'indirect_reference'

[pubpub-zz]

@mchesterkadwell
Thanks for your report. I will complete the PR.

edit: PR is available if you want to try it

[jainharsh97]

Hey @MartinThoma,
I am currently facing the same issue at _writer.py at https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/blob/main/pypdf/_writer.py#L2876

[pubpub-zz]

@jainharsh97,
can you raise a new issue to track it with all details in it. this issue and the associated PR are closed