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C 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.

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C
#include <C_CkPdf.h>
#include <C_CkJsonObject.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    BOOL success;
    HCkPdf pdf;
    HCkJsonObject json;
    HCkJsonObject jsonOut;
    int i;
    int count_i;

    success = FALSE;

    //  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

    pdf = CkPdf_Create();
    success = CkPdf_LoadFile(pdf,"qa_data/pdf/hidden_text.pdf");
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkPdf_lastErrorText(pdf));
        CkPdf_Dispose(pdf);
        return;
    }

    json = CkJsonObject_Create();
    jsonOut = CkJsonObject_Create();

    //  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 = CkPdf_ExtractText(pdf,"text",json,jsonOut);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkPdf_lastErrorText(pdf));
        CkPdf_Dispose(pdf);
        CkJsonObject_Dispose(json);
        CkJsonObject_Dispose(jsonOut);
        return;
    }

    printf("---- default ----\n");
    printf("%s\n",CkJsonObject_stringOf(jsonOut,"text"));

    //  The quality report says what was left out.
    i = 0;
    count_i = CkJsonObject_SizeOfArray(jsonOut,"quality.pages[0].issues");
    while (i < count_i) {
        CkJsonObject_putI(jsonOut,i);
        printf("issue: %s\n",CkJsonObject_stringOf(jsonOut,"quality.pages[0].issues[i].code"));
        i = i + 1;
    }

    //  Include everything.
    CkJsonObject_UpdateString(json,"clippedText","include");
    CkJsonObject_UpdateString(json,"offPageText","include");
    CkJsonObject_UpdateString(json,"obscuredText","include");
    success = CkPdf_ExtractText(pdf,"text",json,jsonOut);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkPdf_lastErrorText(pdf));
        CkPdf_Dispose(pdf);
        CkJsonObject_Dispose(json);
        CkJsonObject_Dispose(jsonOut);
        return;
    }

    printf("---- clippedText, offPageText, obscuredText: include ----\n");
    printf("%s\n",CkJsonObject_stringOf(jsonOut,"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.


    CkPdf_Dispose(pdf);
    CkJsonObject_Dispose(json);
    CkJsonObject_Dispose(jsonOut);

    }