pdf-parse

What is pdf-parse?

The pdf-parse npm package is a simple and effective tool for extracting text and metadata from PDF files. It can be used to parse PDF files and retrieve their content in a structured format, making it useful for various applications such as data extraction, text analysis, and document processing.

What are pdf-parse's main functionalities?

Extract Text from PDF

This feature allows you to extract the text content from a PDF file. The code sample reads a PDF file from the filesystem and uses the pdf-parse package to extract and print the text content.

const fs = require('fs');
const pdf = require('pdf-parse');

let dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync('example.pdf');

pdf(dataBuffer).then(function(data) {
    console.log(data.text); // Print the text content of the PDF
});

Extract Metadata from PDF

This feature allows you to extract metadata from a PDF file. The code sample reads a PDF file from the filesystem and uses the pdf-parse package to extract and print the metadata information such as title, author, and creation date.

const fs = require('fs');
const pdf = require('pdf-parse');

let dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync('example.pdf');

pdf(dataBuffer).then(function(data) {
    console.log(data.info); // Print the metadata of the PDF
});

Extract Text and Metadata from PDF

This feature allows you to extract both text content and metadata from a PDF file. The code sample reads a PDF file from the filesystem and uses the pdf-parse package to extract and print both the text content and metadata information.

const fs = require('fs');
const pdf = require('pdf-parse');

let dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync('example.pdf');

pdf(dataBuffer).then(function(data) {
    console.log(data.text); // Print the text content of the PDF
    console.log(data.info); // Print the metadata of the PDF
});

Other packages similar to pdf-parse

pdf-lib

pdf-lib is a library for creating and modifying PDF documents in JavaScript. Unlike pdf-parse, which focuses on extracting text and metadata, pdf-lib provides more comprehensive functionality for creating, editing, and manipulating PDF files.

pdfjs-dist

pdfjs-dist is a distribution of the PDF.js library, which is a powerful tool for rendering PDF documents in web applications. While pdf-parse is used for extracting text and metadata, pdfjs-dist is primarily used for rendering PDFs in the browser and provides a more interactive experience.

pdf2json

pdf2json is a node.js module that parses PDF files and converts them into JSON format. It provides similar functionality to pdf-parse in terms of extracting text and metadata, but it outputs the data in a structured JSON format, which can be more convenient for certain applications.

README

pdf-parse

Pure javascript cross-platform module to extract texts from PDFs.

Similar Packages

• pdf2json buggy, no support anymore, memory leak, throws non-catchable fatal errors
• j-pdfjson fork of pdf2json
• pdf-parser buggy, no tests
• pdfreader using pdf2json
• pdf-extract not cross-platform using xpdf

Installation

npm install pdf-parse

Basic Usage - Local Files

const fs = require('fs');
const pdf = require('pdf-parse');

let dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync('path to PDF file...');

pdf(dataBuffer).then(function(data) {

	// number of pages
	console.log(data.numpages);
	// number of rendered pages
	console.log(data.numrender);
	// PDF info
	console.log(data.info);
	// PDF metadata
	console.log(data.metadata); 
	// PDF.js version
	// check https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/getting_started/
	console.log(data.version);
	// PDF text
	console.log(data.text); 
        
});

Basic Usage - HTTP

You can use crawler-request which uses the pdf-parse

Exception Handling

const fs = require('fs');
const pdf = require('pdf-parse');

let dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync('path to PDF file...');

pdf(dataBuffer).then(function(data) {
	// use data
})
.catch(function(error){
	// handle exceptions
})

Extend

• v1.0.9 and above break pagerender callback changelog
• If you need another format like json, you can change page render behaviour with a callback
• Check out https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/

// default render callback
function render_page(pageData) {
    //check documents https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/
    let render_options = {
        //replaces all occurrences of whitespace with standard spaces (0x20). The default value is `false`.
        normalizeWhitespace: false,
        //do not attempt to combine same line TextItem's. The default value is `false`.
        disableCombineTextItems: false
    }

    return pageData.getTextContent(render_options)
	.then(function(textContent) {
		let lastY, text = '';
		for (let item of textContent.items) {
			if (lastY == item.transform[5] || !lastY){
				text += item.str;
			}  
			else{
				text += '\n' + item.str;
			}    
			lastY = item.transform[5];
		}
		return text;
	});
}

let options = {
    pagerender: render_page
}

let dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync('path to PDF file...');

pdf(dataBuffer,options).then(function(data) {
	//use new format
});

Options

const DEFAULT_OPTIONS = {
	// internal page parser callback
	// you can set this option, if you need another format except raw text
	pagerender: render_page,
	// max page number to parse
    max: 0,
    //check https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/getting_started/
    version: 'v1.10.100'
}

pagerender (callback)

If you need another format except raw text.

max (number)

Max number of page to parse. If the value is less than or equal to 0, parser renders all pages.

version (string, pdf.js version)

check pdf.js

• 'default'
• 'v1.9.426'
• 'v1.10.100'
• 'v1.10.88'
• 'v2.0.550'

default uses version v1.10.100
mozilla.github.io/pdf.js

Test

• mocha or npm test
• Check test folder and quickstart.js for extra usages.

Support

I use this package actively myself, so it has my top priority. You can chat on WhatsApp about any infos, ideas and suggestions.

Submitting an Issue

If you find a bug or a mistake, you can help by submitting an issue to GitLab Repository

Creating a Merge Request

GitLab calls it merge request instead of pull request.

• A Guide for First-Timers
• How to create a merge request
• Check Contributing Guide

License

MIT licensed and all it's dependencies are MIT or BSD licensed.