Ruby Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Get the Text Block Below a PDF Caption

See more PDF Text Extraction Examples

Demonstrates the "label" option with labelValue "below", which captures the block of text directly under a caption such as "Ship To", ending at the next gap or heading. Combined with layout "lines", the lines of an address block are kept separate. Ruby

require 'chilkat'

success = false

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

#  The packing slip used in this example is available at packing_slip.pdf

pdf = Chilkat::CkPdf.new()
success = pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/packing_slip.pdf")
if (success == false)
    print pdf.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

json = Chilkat::CkJsonObject.new()
jsonOut = Chilkat::CkJsonObject.new()

#  The packing slip has the captions "Bill To" and "Ship To" side by side,
#  each with an address block below it.
json.UpdateString("label","Ship To")

#  "below" means the value is the block of text directly under the label.
json.UpdateString("labelValue","below")

#  With the default "flow" layout the lines of the block would be joined into one paragraph.
#  "lines" keeps each line of the address on its own line.
json.UpdateString("layout","lines")

success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
if (success == false)
    print pdf.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

print "Ship To:" + "\n";
print jsonOut.stringOf("text") + "\n";
print "" + "\n";

json.UpdateString("label","Bill To")
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
if (success == false)
    print pdf.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

print "Bill To:" + "\n";
print jsonOut.stringOf("text") + "\n";
print "" + "\n";

#  A caption over a short paragraph works the same way.  Here the flow layout is better,
#  because the two lines are one piece of text.
json.UpdateString("label","Special Instructions")
json.UpdateString("layout","flow")
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
if (success == false)
    print pdf.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

print "Special Instructions:" + "\n";
print jsonOut.stringOf("text") + "\n";

#  Sample output:

#  Ship To:
#  Frank Delgado
#  c/o Harbor Pet Boarding
#  9 Ferry Lane
#  Portside, WA 98001
#  
#  Bill To:
#  Frank Delgado
#  Apartment 3B
#  41 Mill Street
#  Portside, WA 98000
#  
#  Special Instructions:
#  Leave the carton with the boarding office if no one answers. Do not leave it outside; the cat tree is not packed for rain.