ENH: Allow deleting embedded files

docs/user/handle-attachments.md

@@ -71,3 +71,16 @@ embedded_file.write("output.pdf")
 
 The same functionality is available if you iterate over the attachments of a writer
 using `writer.attachment_list`.
+
+## Delete Attachments
+
+To delete an existing attachment, use the following code:
+
+```python
+from pypdf import PdfWriter
+
+writer = PdfWriter(clone_from="example.pdf")
+attachment = writer.add_attachment(filename="test.txt", data=b"Hello World!")
+attachment.delete()
+assert list(writer.attachment_list) == []
+```

pypdf/generic/_files.py

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from pypdf.constants import CatalogAttributes as CA
 from pypdf.constants import FileSpecificationDictionaryEntries
 from pypdf.constants import PageAttributes as PG
-from pypdf.errors import PdfReadError
+from pypdf.errors import PdfReadError, PyPdfError
 from pypdf.generic import (
     ArrayObject,
     ByteStringObject,
@@ -36,14 +36,16 @@ class EmbeddedFile:
 
     Further information on embedded files can be found in section 7.11 of the PDF 2.0 specification.
     """
-    def __init__(self, name: str, pdf_object: DictionaryObject) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, name: str, pdf_object: DictionaryObject, parent: ArrayObject | None = None) -> None:
         """
         Args:
             name: The (primary) name as provided in the name tree.
             pdf_object: The corresponding PDF object to allow retrieving further data.
+            parent: The parent list.
         """
         self._name = name
         self.pdf_object = pdf_object
+        self._parent = parent
 
     @property
     def name(self) -> str:
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ def _create_new(cls, writer: PdfWriter, name: str, content: str | bytes) -> Embe
         names_array.extend([create_string_object(name), filespec])
 
         # Return an EmbeddedFile instance
-        return cls(name=name, pdf_object=filespec)
+        return cls(name=name, pdf_object=filespec, parent=names_array)
 
     @property
     def alternative_name(self) -> str | None:
@@ -276,6 +278,17 @@ def checksum(self, value: ByteStringObject | None) -> None:
         else:
             params[NameObject("/CheckSum")] = value
 
+    def delete(self) -> None:
+        """Delete the file from the document."""
+        if not self._parent:
+            raise PyPdfError("Parent required to delete file from document.")
+        if self.pdf_object not in self._parent:
+            raise PyPdfError("File not found in parent object.")
+        index = self._parent.index(self.pdf_object)
+        self._parent.pop(index)  # Reference.
+        self._parent.pop(index - 1)  # Name.
+        self.pdf_object = DictionaryObject()  # Invalidate.
+
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return f"<{self.__class__.__name__} name={self.name!r}>"
 
@@ -296,7 +309,7 @@ def _load_from_names(cls, names: ArrayObject) -> Generator[EmbeddedFile]:
                 # Skip plain strings and retrieve them as `direct_name` by index.
                 file_dictionary = name.get_object()
                 direct_name = names[i - 1].get_object()
-                yield EmbeddedFile(name=direct_name, pdf_object=file_dictionary)
+                yield EmbeddedFile(name=direct_name, pdf_object=file_dictionary, parent=names)
 
     @classmethod
     def _load(cls, catalog: DictionaryObject) -> Generator[EmbeddedFile]:

tests/generic/test_files.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from pypdf import PdfReader, PdfWriter
-from pypdf.errors import PdfReadError
+from pypdf.errors import PdfReadError, PyPdfError
 from pypdf.generic import (
     ByteStringObject,
     DictionaryObject,
@@ -394,3 +394,30 @@ def test_embedded_file_null_object_handling():
     assert embedded_file.subtype is None
     assert embedded_file.size is None
     assert embedded_file.checksum is None
+
+
+def test_embedded_file__delete_without_parent():
+    attachment = EmbeddedFile(name="test.txt", pdf_object=DictionaryObject())
+    with pytest.raises(PyPdfError, match=r"^Parent required to delete file from document\.$"):
+        attachment.delete()
+
+
+def test_embedded_file__delete_known():
+    writer = PdfWriter()
+    writer.add_blank_page(100, 100)
+    attachment = writer.add_attachment("test.txt", b"content")
+    writer.add_attachment("test2.txt", b"content2")
+
+    attachments = list(writer.attachment_list)
+    assert len(attachments) == 2
+    attachment.delete()
+    with pytest.raises(PdfReadError, match=r"^/EF entry not found: {}$"):
+        _ = attachment.content
+
+    attachments = list(writer.attachment_list)
+    assert len(attachments) == 1
+    assert attachments[0].name == "test2.txt"
+
+    # Delete second time.
+    with pytest.raises(PyPdfError, match=r"^File not found in parent object\.$"):
+        attachment.delete()