Read pdf file

[anithaapr05]

Hi All

How to read existing pdf file content using asp.net

Thanks
Anitha

[ssnaik84]

what you want to do exactly?

take a look at iTextSharp

[Frinavale]

Read? What do you mean when you say "read"? Do you mean how do you read the file into your code? Do you mean how does the user get to Read the pdf file?

[sharifee]

use "iTextSharp" and use the following code to read contents of pdf in your code

using iTextSharp.text.pdf;
using iTextSharp.text;
 
private void openPDF()
{           
            string str = "";
            string newFile = "c:\\New Document.pdf";
            Document doc = new Document();
 
            PdfReader reader = new PdfReader("c:\\New Document.pdf");
            for (int i = 1; i <= reader.NumberOfPages; i++)
            {
                byte[] bt = reader.GetPageContent(i);
 
                str += ExtractTextFromPDFBytes(bt);
 
            }
}
 
 
 private string ExtractTextFromPDFBytes(byte[] input)
        {
            if (input == null || input.Length == 0) return "";
 
            try
            {
                string resultString = "";
 
                // Flag showing if we are we currently inside a text object
                bool inTextObject = false;
 
                // Flag showing if the next character is literal 
                // e.g. '\\' to get a '\' character or '\(' to get '('
                bool nextLiteral = false;
 
                // () Bracket nesting level. Text appears inside ()
                int bracketDepth = 0;
 
                // Keep previous chars to get extract numbers etc.:
                char[] previousCharacters = new char[_numberOfCharsToKeep];
                for (int j = 0; j < _numberOfCharsToKeep; j++) previousCharacters[j] = ' ';
 
 
                for (int i = 0; i < input.Length; i++)
                {
                    char c = (char)input[i];
 
                    if (inTextObject)
                    {
                        // Position the text
                        if (bracketDepth == 0)
                        {
                            if (CheckToken(new string[] { "TD", "Td" }, previousCharacters))
                            {
                                resultString += "\n\r";
                            }
                            else
                            {
                                if (CheckToken(new string[] { "'", "T*", "\"" }, previousCharacters))
                                {
                                    resultString += "\n";
                                }
                                else
                                {
                                    if (CheckToken(new string[] { "Tj" }, previousCharacters))
                                    {
                                        resultString += " ";
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
 
                        // End of a text object, also go to a new line.
                        if (bracketDepth == 0 &&
                            CheckToken(new string[] { "ET" }, previousCharacters))
                        {
 
                            inTextObject = false;
                            resultString += " ";
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            // Start outputting text
                            if ((c == '(') && (bracketDepth == 0) && (!nextLiteral))
                            {
                                bracketDepth = 1;
                            }
                            else
                            {
                                // Stop outputting text
                                if ((c == ')') && (bracketDepth == 1) && (!nextLiteral))
                                {
                                    bracketDepth = 0;
                                }
                                else
                                {
                                    // Just a normal text character:
                                    if (bracketDepth == 1)
                                    {
                                        // Only print out next character no matter what. 
                                        // Do not interpret.
                                        if (c == '\\' && !nextLiteral)
                                        {
                                            nextLiteral = true;
                                        }
                                        else
                                        {
                                            if (((c >= ' ') && (c <= '~')) ||
                                                ((c >= 128) && (c < 255)))
                                            {
                                                resultString += c.ToString();
                                            }
 
                                            nextLiteral = false;
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
 
                    // Store the recent characters for 
                    // when we have to go back for a checking
                    for (int j = 0; j < _numberOfCharsToKeep - 1; j++)
                    {
                        previousCharacters[j] = previousCharacters[j + 1];
                    }
                    previousCharacters[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 1] = c;
 
                    // Start of a text object
                    if (!inTextObject && CheckToken(new string[] { "BT" }, previousCharacters))
                    {
                        inTextObject = true;
                    }
                }
                return resultString;
            }
            catch
            {
                return "";
            }
        }
 
 private bool CheckToken(string[] tokens, char[] recent)
   {
     foreach (string token in tokens)
       {
          if ((recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 3] == token[0]) &&
           (recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 2] == token[1]) &&
           ((recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 1] == ' ') ||
           (recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 1] == 0x0d) ||
           (recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 1] == 0x0a)) &&
           ((recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 4] == ' ') ||
           (recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 4] == 0x0d) ||
           (recent[_numberOfCharsToKeep - 4] == 0x0a))
                 )
           {
                    return true;
            }
            }
            return false;
        }