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

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

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

'  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.
success = json.UpdateString("pages","2")
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
If (success = 0) Then
    outFile.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    WScript.Quit
End If

outFile.WriteLine("---- default (repeated headers and footers excluded) ----")
outFile.WriteLine(jsonOut.StringOf("text"))

'  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.
success = json.UpdateString("repeatedHeadersFooters","include")
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
If (success = 0) Then
    outFile.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    WScript.Quit
End If

outFile.WriteLine("---- repeatedHeadersFooters: include ----")
outFile.WriteLine(jsonOut.StringOf("text"))

'  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

outFile.Close