read .pdf file

Question

Hi,
At present, my code can access a .pdf file and read a few properties.
Question:
How is it possible to extend my c# code so that I can read the text inside txtLastname control which is on the second page of the .pdf file?
Thanks

Existing code:

PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(@"D:\test.pdf");
            // total number of pages
            int n = reader.NumberOfPages;
            // size of the first page
            Rectangle psize = reader.GetPageSize(1);

            // file properties
            Dictionary<string, string> infodict = reader.Info;
            foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string> kvp in infodict)
                Console.WriteLine(kvp.Key + " => " + kvp.Value);
               

Answer 1

There are number of opensource projects for reading and writing to pdf file. You can refer those projects and use it according to your requirement.

http://pdflib.codeplex.com/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/itextsharp/
http://pdfsharp.codeplex.com/releases/view/37054

---

Gaurav Khanna | Microsoft VB.NET MVP

Answer 2

Hi arkiboys,

If I have not got it wrong, you are using the iText.NET, is that right?
If so you need close this thread by marking some useful replies as answers and then posting in some dedicated forums like the iText.NET Forum: http://sourceforge.net/projects/itextdotnet/forums/forum/268615.

Otherwise you need to find other dedicated forums to post your question in.
Thanks for your understanding.

Have a nice day,

---

Leo Liu [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 3

arkiboys,

You can parse the page by using the following code:

PdfReader PDFreader = new PdfReader("input file");
RectangleJ rect = new RectangleJ(
       x: 100f,    //Starting point from the left
       y: 100f,    //Starting point from the bottom
       width: 25f, //Total rectangle to the right
       height: 25f //Total rectangle downwards
       );

RenderFilter filter = new RegionTextRenderFilter(rect);

ITextExtractionStrategy strategy;
strategy = new FilteredTextRenderListener(
     deleg: new LocationTextExtractionStrategy(),    
     filters:new RenderFilter[] { filter }           
     );

string foundText = PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(
          reader: PDFreader,
          pageNumber: 1,
          strategy: strategy
          );

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 4

Hi arkiboys,

So could you help to verify the solution provided by Michéle?
We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Have a nice day,

---

Leo Liu [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 5

Sorry,

I forgot to mention that I used a library called iTextSharp to read the PDF document....

Use it so often that I almost consider as part of .NET

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 6

private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            string strText = string.Empty;
            string filename = @"C:\pdfTestFile.pdf";
            PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(filename);
            for (int nPage = 1; nPage <= pdfReader.NumberOfPages; nPage++)
            {
                ITextExtractionStrategy its = new iTextSharp.text.pdf.parser.SimpleTextExtractionStrategy();
                PdfReader reader2 = new PdfReader(filename);
                String s = PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(reader2, nPage, its);

                s = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(ASCIIEncoding.Convert(Encoding.Default, Encoding.UTF8, Encoding.Default.GetBytes(s)));
                strText = strText + s;
                reader2.Close();

Hi,
My goal is to read the texts inside the controls in the
.pdf file...
I am using the iTextSharp reference...
The C# code below only reads the texts (Initially typed in the
file) but NOT the texts typed in the controls.
Do you know how
to solve this please?

Thanks

Answer 7

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply, I have been rebuilding my Laptop...
The following code might be of use for you.

string pdfTemplate = "my.pdf"; 
PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(pdfTemplate); 
AcroFields fields = pdfReader.AcroFields.Fields; 
string val = fields.GetField("fieldname");

If you do not know what fields are in the PDF document you can extract all form fields with the following:

private void ListPdfFormFields() 
{   
    string pdfTemplate = Application.StartupPath + "\\a.pdf";   
    lstfields.Items.Clear();   
    // create a new PDF reader based on the PDF template document   
    PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(pdfTemplate);   
    // create and populate a string builder with each of the   
    // field names available in the subject PDF   
    foreach (DictionaryEntry de in pdfReader.AcroFields.Fields) 
    {   
        var currentfield = de.Key.ToString();   
        currentfield = ParseFormField(currentfield); 
        lstfields.Items.Add(currentfield);   
    }   
    lstfields.Sorted = true;   
}   
    
private string ParseFormField(string fieldname) 
{ 
    fieldname = fieldname.Replace("form1[0].#subform[0].", ""); 
    fieldname = fieldname.Replace("[0]", ""); 
    fieldname.TrimEnd(); 
    return fieldname; 
}

Hope this puts you on the right path.

;)
Michéle

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 8

Can I ask how and where can i get "PdfReader" class (a dll file).

---

Mitja

Answer 9

Hi Mitja,

The PdfReader class is part of the iTextSharp library.
You can download the latest version from the following link:

iTextSharp - Sourceforge

Cheers,

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 10

Thank you very much. 

Voted  +1 :)

---

Mitja

Answer 11

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply, I have been rebuilding my Laptop...
The following code might be of use for you.

string pdfTemplate = "my.pdf"; 
PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(pdfTemplate); 
AcroFields fields = pdfReader.AcroFields.Fields; 
string val = fields.GetField("fieldname");

If you do not know what fields are in the PDF document you can extract all form fields with the following:

private void ListPdfFormFields() 
{   
    string pdfTemplate = Application.StartupPath + "\\a.pdf";   
    lstfields.Items.Clear();   
    // create a new PDF reader based on the PDF template document   
    PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(pdfTemplate);   
    // create and populate a string builder with each of the   
    // field names available in the subject PDF   
    foreach (DictionaryEntry de in pdfReader.AcroFields.Fields) 
    {   
        var currentfield = de.Key.ToString();   
        currentfield = ParseFormField(currentfield); 
        lstfields.Items.Add(currentfield);   
    }   
    lstfields.Sorted = true;   
}   
    
private string ParseFormField(string fieldname) 
{ 
    fieldname = fieldname.Replace("form1[0].#subform[0].", ""); 
    fieldname = fieldname.Replace("[0]", ""); 
    fieldname.TrimEnd(); 
    return fieldname; 
}

Hope this puts you on the right path.

;)
Michéle

---

Michéle Johl

Hi,

I get an error as follows:
Error 2 Cannot implicitly convert type 'System.Collections.Generic.IDictionary<string,iTextSharp.text.pdf.AcroFields.Item>' to 'iTextSharp.text.pdf.AcroFields'. An explicit conversion exists (are you missing a cast?) 

Answer 12

Hi,

Could you possibly send me a link to sample PDF document and for which field you would like to read?
Will do some proper code for you.

Cheers,

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 13

Hi again,

I tested the following code with a sample interactive PDF document from adobe.com and it work well.
With the new version of iTextSharp the DictionaryEntry is no longer the correct type. (My code I gave you is 4 years old)
I downloaded the latest version (5.2.0) and changed the DictionaryEntry to KeyValuePair and is now working like a peach.

Sample Code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using iTextSharp.text.pdf;

namespace ReadPDFFields
{
    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            ListPDFFormFields(@"C:\Sample.pdf");
        }

        private static void ListPDFFormFields(string pdfFile)
        {
            Console.Clear();

            PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(pdfFile);

            foreach (KeyValuePair<string, AcroFields.Item> de in reader.AcroFields.Fields)
            {
                var currentField = de.Key.ToString();
                currentField = ParseFormField(currentField);
                Console.WriteLine(currentField);
            }
        }

        private static string ParseFormField(string fieldname)
        {
            fieldname = fieldname.Replace("form1[0].#subform[0].", "");
            fieldname = fieldname.Replace("[0]", "");
            fieldname.TrimEnd();
            return fieldname;
        }
    }
}

Shout if you still get stuck...

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 14

Hi again,

I tested the following code with a sample interactive PDF document from adobe.com and it work well.
With the new version of iTextSharp the DictionaryEntry is no longer the correct type. (My code I gave you is 4 years old)
I downloaded the latest version (5.2.0) and changed the DictionaryEntry to KeyValuePair and is now working like a peach.

Sample Code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using iTextSharp.text.pdf;

namespace ReadPDFFields
{
    internal class Program
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            ListPDFFormFields(@"C:\Sample.pdf");
        }

        private static void ListPDFFormFields(string pdfFile)
        {
            Console.Clear();

            PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(pdfFile);

            foreach (KeyValuePair<string, AcroFields.Item> de in reader.AcroFields.Fields)
            {
                var currentField = de.Key.ToString();
                currentField = ParseFormField(currentField);
                Console.WriteLine(currentField);
            }
        }

        private static string ParseFormField(string fieldname)
        {
            fieldname = fieldname.Replace("form1[0].#subform[0].", "");
            fieldname = fieldname.Replace("[0]", "");
            fieldname.TrimEnd();
            return fieldname;
        }
    }
}

Shout if you still get stuck...

---

Michéle Johl

Now that I can get the name of the fields i.e. the first fieldname it picks up is "firstname", then how can I get the value of this control i.e. it shows as "james" in that control. ?

Thanks

Answer 15

Hi,

The following code will do the trick:

string pdfTemplate = @"C:\Sample.pdf";
PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(pdfTemplate);

//Get the Form
AcroFields form = pdfReader.AcroFields;

//Go thru all fields in the form
foreach (var field in form.Fields)
{
    //Get the fields value
    string value = form.GetField(field.Key);

    //Print the result with the field name and it's value
    Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}",
        field.Key,
        value);
}

---

Michéle Johl

Answer 16

Hi,

The following code will do the trick:

string pdfTemplate = @"C:\Sample.pdf";
PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader(pdfTemplate);

//Get the Form
AcroFields form = pdfReader.AcroFields;

//Go thru all fields in the form
foreach (var field in form.Fields)
{
    //Get the fields value
    string value = form.GetField(field.Key);

    //Print the result with the field name and it's value
    Console.WriteLine("{0}, {1}",
        field.Key,
        value);
}

---

Michéle Johl

Thank you