Extract Columns Text In PDF File
This tutorial will guide you through the process of extracting columns text in PDF file using Aspose.PDF for .NET. The provided C# source code demonstrates the necessary steps.
Requirements
Before you begin, ensure that you have the following:
- Visual Studio or any other C# compiler installed on your machine.
- Aspose.PDF for .NET library. You can download it from the official Aspose website or use a package manager like NuGet to install it.
Step 1: Set up the project
- Create a new C# project in your preferred development environment.
- Add a reference to the Aspose.PDF for .NET library.
Step 2: Import required namespaces
In the code file where you want to extract columns text, add the following using directives at the top of the file:
using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;
using System.IO;
Step 3: Set the document directory
In the code, locate the line that says string dataDir = "YOUR DOCUMENT DIRECTORY"; and replace "YOUR DOCUMENT DIRECTORY" with the path to the directory where your documents are stored.
Step 4: Open the PDF document
Open an existing PDF document using the Document constructor and passing the path to the input PDF file.
Document pdfDocument = new Document(dataDir + "ExtractTextPage.pdf");
Step 5: Adjust the font size
Reduce the font size of the text fragments by a factor of 0.7 to enhance readability and better represent columnar text.
TextFragmentAbsorber tfa = new TextFragmentAbsorber();
pdfDocument.Pages.Accept(tfa);
TextFragmentCollection tfc = tfa.TextFragments;
foreach(TextFragment tf in tfc)
{
tf.TextState.FontSize = tf.TextState.FontSize * 0.7f;
}
Step 6: Extract text from columns
Save the modified PDF document to a memory stream and reload it as a new document. Then, use the TextAbsorber class to extract text from the columns.
Stream st = new MemoryStream();
pdfDocument.Save(st);
pdfDocument = new Document(st);
TextAbsorber textAbsorber = new TextAbsorber();
pdfDocument.Pages.Accept(textAbsorber);
String extractedText = textAbsorber.Text;
textAbsorber.Visit(pdfDocument);
Step 7: Save the extracted text
Save the extracted text to a text file at the specified output file path.
dataDir = dataDir + "ExtractColumnsText_out.txt";
File.WriteAllText(dataDir, extractedText);
Console.WriteLine("\nColumns text extracted successfully from Pages of PDF Document.\nFile saved at " + dataDir);
Sample source code for Extract Columns Text using Aspose.PDF for .NET
// The path to the documents directory.
string dataDir = "YOUR DOCUMENT DIRECTORY";
// Open document
Document pdfDocument = new Document(dataDir + "ExtractTextPage.pdf");
TextFragmentAbsorber tfa = new TextFragmentAbsorber();
pdfDocument.Pages.Accept(tfa);
TextFragmentCollection tfc = tfa.TextFragments;
foreach (TextFragment tf in tfc)
{
// Need to reduce font size at least for 70%
tf.TextState.FontSize = tf.TextState.FontSize * 0.7f;
}
Stream st = new MemoryStream();
pdfDocument.Save(st);
pdfDocument = new Document(st);
TextAbsorber textAbsorber = new TextAbsorber();
pdfDocument.Pages.Accept(textAbsorber);
String extractedText = textAbsorber.Text;
textAbsorber.Visit(pdfDocument);
dataDir = dataDir + "ExtractColumnsText_out.txt";
System.IO.File.WriteAllText(dataDir, extractedText);
Console.WriteLine("\nColumns text extracted successfully from Pages of PDF Document.\nFile saved at " + dataDir);
Conclusion
You have successfully extracted columns text from a PDF document using Aspose.PDF for .NET. The extracted text has been saved to the specified output file.
FAQ’s
Q: What is the purpose of this tutorial?
A: This tutorial offers a step-by-step guide on extracting columns of text from a PDF file using Aspose.PDF for .NET. The accompanying C# source code provides a practical demonstration of the required procedures.
Q: What namespaces should I import?
A: In the code file where you intend to extract columns of text, include the following using directives at the beginning of the file:
using Aspose.Pdf;
using Aspose.Pdf.Text;
using System.IO;
Q: How do I specify the document directory?
A: Locate the line string dataDir = "YOUR DOCUMENT DIRECTORY"; in the code and replace "YOUR DOCUMENT DIRECTORY" with the actual path to your document directory.
Q: How do I open an existing PDF document?
A: In Step 4, you’ll open an existing PDF document using the Document constructor and providing the path to the input PDF file.
Q: Why is the font size adjusted?
A: Step 5 involves reducing the font size of text fragments by a factor of 0.7. This adjustment enhances readability and more accurately represents columnar text.
Q: How do I extract text from columns?
A: Step 6 consists of saving the modified PDF document to a memory stream, reloading it as a new document, and then using the TextAbsorber class to extract text from the columns.
Q: What is the purpose of saving the extracted text?
A: In Step 7, you’ll save the extracted text to a text file at the specified output file path.
Q: Why reduce the font size before extraction?
A: Reducing the font size helps ensure that the extracted text aligns properly within the columns, providing a more accurate representation of the original layout.
Q: What is the key takeaway from this tutorial?
A: By following this tutorial, you’ve acquired the knowledge and skills needed to extract columns of text from a PDF document using Aspose.PDF for .NET. The resulting text has been saved to the specified output file.
