Java 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. Java

import com.chilkatsoft.*;

public class ChilkatExample {

  static {
    try {
        System.loadLibrary("chilkat");
    } catch (UnsatisfiedLinkError e) {
      System.err.println("Native code library failed to load.\n" + e);
      System.exit(1);
    }
  }

  public static void main(String argv[])
  {
    boolean success = false;

    //  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

    CkPdf pdf = new CkPdf();
    success = pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/invoice_labels.pdf");
    if (success == false) {
        System.out.println(pdf.lastErrorText());
        return;
        }

    CkJsonObject json = new CkJsonObject();
    CkJsonObject jsonOut = new CkJsonObject();

    //  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,jsonOut);
    if (success == false) {
        System.out.println(pdf.lastErrorText());
        return;
        }

    //  The value is returned as the text.
    System.out.println("Invoice Number: " + jsonOut.stringOf("text"));

    //  The labelMatches array tells where the label was found and how it appeared in the PDF.
    System.out.println("Found on page " + 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,jsonOut);
    if (success == false) {
        System.out.println(pdf.lastErrorText());
        return;
        }

    System.out.println("Customer: " + jsonOut.stringOf("text"));

    json.UpdateString("label","due date");
    success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut);
    if (success == false) {
        System.out.println(pdf.lastErrorText());
        return;
        }

    System.out.println("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,jsonOut);
    if (success == false) {
        System.out.println(pdf.lastErrorText());
        return;
        }

    System.out.println("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,jsonOut);
    if (success == false) {
        System.out.println(pdf.lastErrorText());
        return;
        }

    if (jsonOut.SizeOfArray("labelMatches") == 0) {
        System.out.println("Tracking Number: (not found) " + jsonOut.stringOf("quality.pages[0].issues[0].code"));
        }

    //  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
  }
}