Delphi ActiveX Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Get a PDF Field Value by its Label (Value to the Right)

See more PDF Text Extraction Examples

Demonstrates the "label" option, which captures the text that belongs to a caption such as "Invoice Number:" without needing coordinates. With labelValue "right", the value is the rest of the label's line. Label matching ignores case, extra spaces and a trailing colon. Delphi ActiveX

var
success: Integer;
pdf: TChilkatPdf;
json: TChilkatJsonObject;
jsonOut: TChilkatJsonObject;

begin
success := 0;

//  This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
//  See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

//  The invoice used in this example is available at invoice_labels.pdf

pdf := TChilkatPdf.Create(Self);
success := pdf.LoadFile('qa_data/pdf/invoice_labels.pdf');
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

json := TChilkatJsonObject.Create(Self);
jsonOut := TChilkatJsonObject.Create(Self);

//  The invoice has lines such as "Invoice Number:   INV-2026-0412".
//  The label option restricts the "text" operation to the text belonging to the label.
json.UpdateString('label','Invoice Number');

//  "right" means the value is the rest of the label's line.
//  (The default, "auto", uses the rest of the line if there is text there, otherwise the block below.)
json.UpdateString('labelValue','right');

success := pdf.ExtractText('text',json.ControlInterface,jsonOut.ControlInterface);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;

//  The value is returned as the text.
Memo1.Lines.Add('Invoice Number: ' + jsonOut.StringOf('text'));

//  The labelMatches array tells where the label was found and how it appeared in the PDF.
Memo1.Lines.Add('Found on page ' + IntToStr(jsonOut.IntOf('labelMatches[0].page')) + ' as "' + jsonOut.StringOf('labelMatches[0].label') + '"');

//  Matching ignores case and the trailing colon, so these all work:
json.UpdateString('label','CUSTOMER:');
success := pdf.ExtractText('text',json.ControlInterface,jsonOut.ControlInterface);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;
Memo1.Lines.Add('Customer: ' + jsonOut.StringOf('text'));

json.UpdateString('label','due date');
success := pdf.ExtractText('text',json.ControlInterface,jsonOut.ControlInterface);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;
Memo1.Lines.Add('Due Date: ' + jsonOut.StringOf('text'));

//  The totals at the foot of the invoice are right-aligned labels with the amount beside them.
json.UpdateString('label','Total Due');
success := pdf.ExtractText('text',json.ControlInterface,jsonOut.ControlInterface);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;
Memo1.Lines.Add('Total Due: ' + jsonOut.StringOf('text'));

//  A label that is not found is not an error.  The text is empty, labelMatches is empty,
//  and the quality report has an issue with the code "labelNotFound".
json.UpdateString('label','Tracking Number');
success := pdf.ExtractText('text',json.ControlInterface,jsonOut.ControlInterface);
if (success = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add(pdf.LastErrorText);
    Exit;
  end;
if (jsonOut.SizeOfArray('labelMatches') = 0) then
  begin
    Memo1.Lines.Add('Tracking Number: (not found) ' + jsonOut.StringOf('quality.pages[0].issues[0].code'));
  end;

//  Sample output:

//  Invoice Number: INV-2026-0412
//  Found on page 1 as "Invoice Number:"
//  Customer: Northwind Traders
//  Due Date: April 13, 2026
//  Total Due: $1,234.53
//  Tracking Number: (not found) labelNotFound