Perl Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Exclude or Include Running Headers and Page Numbers

See more PDF Text Extraction Examples

Demonstrates the "repeatedHeadersFooters" filter. Text repeated at the same position on most pages, such as a running header and "Page N of 4" footers, is left out by default; set the filter to "include" to keep it. Chilkat2 Perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use Chilkat2;

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

# The four-page PDF used in this example is available at running_header.pdf

my $pdf = Chilkat2::Pdf->new;
my $success = $pdf->LoadFile('qa_data/pdf/running_header.pdf');
if (!$success) {
    print $pdf->LastErrorText, "\n";
    exit;
}

my $json = Chilkat2::JsonObject->new;
my $jsonOut = Chilkat2::JsonObject->new;

# Every page has the header "Harbor Lighthouse Society - Annual Report 2026" at the top right
# and "Page N of 4" at the bottom.  By default both are excluded, so the text of page 2 is just
# its heading and paragraphs.
$json->UpdateString('pages', '2');
$success = $pdf->ExtractText('text', $json, $jsonOut);
if (!$success) {
    print $pdf->LastErrorText, "\n";
    exit;
}

print "---- default (repeated headers and footers excluded) ----\n";
print $jsonOut->StringOf('text'), "\n";

# Include them.  The detection looks at the neighbouring pages even when only one page is
# selected, so a single page extracted on its own still loses its running head by default.
$json->UpdateString('repeatedHeadersFooters', 'include');
$success = $pdf->ExtractText('text', $json, $jsonOut);
if (!$success) {
    print $pdf->LastErrorText, "\n";
    exit;
}

print "---- repeatedHeadersFooters: include ----\n";
print $jsonOut->StringOf('text'), "\n";

# Sample output:

# ---- default (repeated headers and footers excluded) ----
# The Work
#
# The restoration society took ownership in 2021 with three goals: make the structure watertight, return the tower to public access, and relight the lantern with a historically accurate lens. The first two were met in the second season, and the lens arrived on loan in November.
#
# The spiral stair is original and is the most fragile part of the building. Twelve of the ninety-one treads were cracked or missing, and the central column had corroded badly at the second landing. The treads were cast from patterns taken off an intact tread.
# ---- repeatedHeadersFooters: include ----
# Harbor Lighthouse Society - Annual Report 2026
#
# The Work
#
# The restoration society took ownership in 2021 with three goals: ...
#
# The spiral stair is original and is the most fragile part of the building. ...
#
# Page 2 of 4