VBScript Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Extract Text from a Two-Column PDF

See more PDF Text Extraction Examples

Demonstrates how multi-column pages are read. By default the columns are detected and each column is read top to bottom before the next ("columns": "auto"); "columns": "none" reads the full page width line by line, which interleaves the columns. The quality report tells how many columns were found. VBScript

Dim fso, outFile
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'Create a Unicode (utf-16) output text file.
Set outFile = fso.CreateTextFile("output.txt", True, True)

success = 0

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

'  The two-column PDF used in this example is available at two_column_article.pdf

set pdf = CreateObject("Chilkat.Pdf")
success = pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/two_column_article.pdf")
If (success = 0) Then
    outFile.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    WScript.Quit
End If

set json = CreateObject("Chilkat.JsonObject")
set jsonOut = CreateObject("Chilkat.JsonObject")

'  With the default options the columns are detected, and the text of the left column
'  comes before the text of the right column.
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
If (success = 0) Then
    outFile.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    WScript.Quit
End If

outFile.WriteLine("Columns detected: " & jsonOut.IntOf("quality.pages[0].columns"))
outFile.WriteLine("Reading order: " & jsonOut.StringOf("quality.pages[0].readingOrderSource"))
outFile.WriteLine(jsonOut.StringOf("text"))

'  "none" switches column detection off: the page is read across its full width, line by line,
'  so each output line holds a line of the left column followed by a line of the right column.
'  This is rarely wanted, but it shows what the detection does.
success = json.UpdateString("columns","none")
success = json.UpdateString("layout","lines")
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
If (success = 0) Then
    outFile.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    WScript.Quit
End If

outFile.WriteLine("---- columns: none ----")
outFile.WriteLine(jsonOut.StringOf("text"))

'  Sample output (abbreviated):

'  Columns detected: 2
'  Reading order: visual
'  The Harbor Lighthouse, Season Two
'  
'  The harbor lighthouse was built in 1874 to mark the entrance to the inner channel. It operated continuously until 1968, ...
'  
'  The restoration society took ownership in 2021 with three goals: ...
'  ...
'  The lantern room frame was stripped, primed and repainted in the original dark green. ...
'  ...
'  ---- columns: none ----
'  The Harbor Lighthouse, Season Two
'  The harbor lighthouse was built in 1874 to The lantern room frame was stripped, primed
'  mark the entrance to the inner channel. It and repainted in the original dark green. New
'  ...

outFile.Close