Xbase++ 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. Xbase++

LOCAL nSuccess
LOCAL oPdf
LOCAL oJson
LOCAL oJsonOut

nSuccess := 0

//  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

oPdf := CreateObject("Chilkat.Pdf")
nSuccess := oPdf:LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/packing_slip.pdf")
IF (nSuccess == 0)
    ? oPdf:LastErrorText
    oPdf:destroy()
    RETURN
ENDIF

oJson := CreateObject("Chilkat.JsonObject")
oJsonOut := CreateObject("Chilkat.JsonObject")

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

//  "below" means the value is the block of text directly under the label.
oJson: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.
oJson:UpdateString("layout", "lines")

nSuccess := oPdf:ExtractText("text", oJson, oJsonOut)
IF (nSuccess == 0)
    ? oPdf:LastErrorText
    oPdf:destroy()
    oJson:destroy()
    oJsonOut:destroy()
    RETURN
ENDIF

? "Ship To:"
? oJsonOut:StringOf("text")
? ""

oJson:UpdateString("label", "Bill To")
nSuccess := oPdf:ExtractText("text", oJson, oJsonOut)
IF (nSuccess == 0)
    ? oPdf:LastErrorText
    oPdf:destroy()
    oJson:destroy()
    oJsonOut:destroy()
    RETURN
ENDIF

? "Bill To:"
? oJsonOut:StringOf("text")
? ""

//  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.
oJson:UpdateString("label", "Special Instructions")
oJson:UpdateString("layout", "flow")
nSuccess := oPdf:ExtractText("text", oJson, oJsonOut)
IF (nSuccess == 0)
    ? oPdf:LastErrorText
    oPdf:destroy()
    oJson:destroy()
    oJsonOut:destroy()
    RETURN
ENDIF

? "Special Instructions:"
? oJsonOut:StringOf("text")

//  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.

oPdf:destroy()
oJson:destroy()
oJsonOut:destroy()