Ruby 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. Ruby

require 'chilkat'

success = false

#  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

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

json = Chilkat::CkJsonObject.new()
jsonOut = Chilkat::CkJsonObject.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 == false)
    print pdf.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

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 == false)
    print pdf.lastErrorText() + "\n";
    exit
end

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