VBScript Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Clipped, Off-Page and White-on-White Text in PDF Extraction

See more PDF Text Extraction Examples

Demonstrates the "clippedText", "offPageText" and "obscuredText" filters. Text that a reader never sees - hidden by a clipping path, outside the crop box, or drawn in the same color as the box beneath it - is excluded by default, and the quality report notes what was skipped. Each kind can be included. 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 PDF used in this example is available at hidden_text.pdf

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

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

'  The page has a visible paragraph plus three hidden lines: one drawn outside its clipping
'  rectangle, one below the crop box, and one in white on a white box.
success = pdf.ExtractText("text",json,jsonOut)
If (success = 0) Then
    outFile.WriteLine(pdf.LastErrorText)
    WScript.Quit
End If

outFile.WriteLine("---- default ----")
outFile.WriteLine(jsonOut.StringOf("text"))

'  The quality report says what was left out.
i = 0
count_i = jsonOut.SizeOfArray("quality.pages[0].issues")
Do While i < count_i
    jsonOut.I = i
    outFile.WriteLine("issue: " & jsonOut.StringOf("quality.pages[0].issues[i].code"))
    i = i + 1
Loop

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

outFile.WriteLine("---- clippedText, offPageText, obscuredText: include ----")
outFile.WriteLine(jsonOut.StringOf("text"))

'  Sample output:

'  ---- default ----
'  Visible Text
'  
'  This paragraph is visible. The page also carries three kinds of text a reader never sees.
'  
'  End of the visible text.
'  issue: obscuredTextSkipped
'  issue: clippedTextSkipped
'  ---- clippedText, offPageText, obscuredText: include ----
'  Visible Text
'  
'  This paragraph is visible. The page also carries three kinds of text a reader never sees.
'  
'  CLIPPED: this line is drawn outside its clipping rectangle.
'  
'  OBSCURED: this line is white on a white box.
'  
'  End of the visible text.
'  
'  OFFPAGE: this line sits below the crop box.

outFile.Close