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Hello all,



it's not really scripting, but I think here are the right people for the following challenge:



I've extracted all words with 8 position coordinates from a pdf file into an external xml file. In the next step I merged the xml contents with the original pdf file as metadata.



Now I'm trying to get two specific words (from the changing total amount of words within the pdf) wihtout knowing their content using specific xml nodes:



The first node points to the last word in the xml metadata and works fine with:

/dn:extractcontent/dn:documents/dn:document/dn:pages/dn:page/dn:words/dn:word[last()]/@txt


But the second word I want to get is the (at the moment) always third last word of my pdf file, so something like [last]-2



Does anybody knows if there is a syntax like that?



Another more complex workaround could be to navigate to the searched words by their position. At the moment these words to figure out are always placed at the same position. But I don't know, if this will change some day.



Therefore I've to search the index number of any word whose positon is

/dn:extractcontent/dn:documents/dn:document/dn:pages/dn:page/dn:words/dn:word[16]/dn:parts/dn:part[1]/@tlh = 166.261
AND

/dn:extractcontent/dn:documents/dn:document/dn:pages/dn:page/dn:words/dn:word[16]/dn:parts/dn:part[1]/@tlv = 4235.49
to get it's value. But that sounds very complex and I

m not sure, if the position also changes slightly depending on the first character of the word!?

So I've no idea to realize such workaround.



What is the best way to grap a couple of specific words from an incoming pdf file (text previously extracted into a xml file) if both - their index numbers AND the total number of words - (and perhaps some day also the position of those words) will change?



Best regards,

Thomas

this should work as XPath allows math operations inside of an expression



/dn:extractcontent/dn:documents/dn:document/dn:pages/dn:page/dn:words/dn:word[last()-2]/@txt

Thank you Dwight,



I hoped it could be simple - but so simple!? ;o)



Best regards,

Thomas

You have a solution for now, but if you ever have to revisit this problem and use the coordinate positions with some margin for rounding, then you should consider using an XSL transformation. In XSL it is easier to test for multiple conditions like a value in the XML being in between values, and if that is the case and only then do you transfer it to the new XML you are creating. That new XML can be dead simple:

This is what I need

making the XPath to the required information also dead simple: /text.



Freddy

Hello Freddy,



thank you for your additional answer which sound like the optimal solution I'm searching for me. At the moment unfortunately I've only very poor knowledge about xslt transformations. I played around with some very simple examples using .xsl and .dtd which worked fine.



For my challenge there are at minimum two problems I've no idea how to solve:

1. Detecting the words to extract using a range of their positions

2. Adding one additional space between every extracted word, except the last one (see also comment in the resulting xml)



The following code shows a simplified example of an original xml file:



<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<extractcontent xmlns="http://www.callassoftware.com/ns/pdftoolbox/1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.callassoftware.com/ns/pdftoolbox/1.0 extractcontent.xsd">

<documents>

<document>

<pages>

<page id="0">

<words>

<word txt="This">

<parts>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2336.36" trh="2104.85" trv="2342" blh="2117.31" blv="2336.36" brh="2117.31" brv="2342"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2342" trh="2104.85" trv="2347.84" blh="2117.31" blv="2342" brh="2117.31" brv="2347.84"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2347.84" trh="2104.85" trv="2353.48" blh="2117.31" blv="2347.84" brh="2117.31" brv="2353.48"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2353.48" trh="2104.85" trv="2362.43" blh="2117.31" blv="2353.48" brh="2117.31" brv="2362.43"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2362.43" trh="2104.85" trv="2368.66" blh="2117.31" blv="2362.43" brh="2117.31" brv="2368.66"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2368.66" trh="2104.85" trv="2374.5" blh="2117.31" blv="2368.66" brh="2117.31" brv="2374.5"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="is">

<parts>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2377.42" trh="2104.85" trv="2382.67" blh="2117.31" blv="2377.42" brh="2117.31" brv="2382.67"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2382.67" trh="2104.85" trv="2385" blh="2117.31" blv="2382.67" brh="2117.31" brv="2385"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2385" trh="2104.85" trv="2390.83" blh="2117.31" blv="2385" brh="2117.31" brv="2390.83"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="not">

<parts>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2393.75" trh="2104.85" trv="2399.39" blh="2117.31" blv="2393.75" brh="2117.31" brv="2399.39"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2399.39" trh="2104.85" trv="2405.03" blh="2117.31" blv="2399.39" brh="2117.31" brv="2405.03"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2405.03" trh="2104.85" trv="2411.06" blh="2117.31" blv="2405.03" brh="2117.31" brv="2411.06"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2411.06" trh="2104.85" trv="2416.9" blh="2117.31" blv="2411.06" brh="2117.31" brv="2416.9"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2416.9" trh="2104.85" trv="2423.12" blh="2117.31" blv="2416.9" brh="2117.31" brv="2423.12"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2423.12" trh="2104.85" trv="2425.45" blh="2117.31" blv="2423.12" brh="2117.31" brv="2425.45"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2425.45" trh="2104.85" trv="2431.09" blh="2117.31" blv="2425.45" brh="2117.31" brv="2431.09"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2431.09" trh="2104.85" trv="2433.42" blh="2117.31" blv="2431.09" brh="2117.31" brv="2433.42"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2433.42" trh="2104.85" trv="2439.45" blh="2117.31" blv="2433.42" brh="2117.31" brv="2439.45"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2439.45" trh="2104.85" trv="2445.29" blh="2117.31" blv="2439.45" brh="2117.31" brv="2445.29"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2445.29" trh="2104.85" trv="2450.93" blh="2117.31" blv="2445.29" brh="2117.31" brv="2450.93"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2450.93" trh="2104.85" trv="2457.15" blh="2117.31" blv="2450.93" brh="2117.31" brv="2457.15"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2457.15" trh="2104.85" trv="2463.18" blh="2117.31" blv="2457.15" brh="2117.31" brv="2463.18"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2463.18" trh="2104.85" trv="2466.68" blh="2117.31" blv="2463.18" brh="2117.31" brv="2466.68"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2466.68" trh="2104.85" trv="2469.59" blh="2117.31" blv="2466.68" brh="2117.31" brv="2469.59"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="interesting">

<parts>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2472.51" trh="2104.85" trv="2478.15" blh="2117.31" blv="2472.51" brh="2117.31" brv="2478.15"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2478.15" trh="2104.85" trv="2483.4" blh="2117.31" blv="2478.15" brh="2117.31" brv="2483.4"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2483.4" trh="2104.85" trv="2489.24" blh="2117.31" blv="2483.4" brh="2117.31" brv="2489.24"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2489.24" trh="2104.85" trv="2498.2" blh="2117.31" blv="2489.24" brh="2117.31" brv="2498.2"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2498.2" trh="2104.85" trv="2500.53" blh="2117.31" blv="2498.2" brh="2117.31" brv="2500.53"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2500.53" trh="2104.85" trv="2506.17" blh="2117.31" blv="2500.53" brh="2117.31" brv="2506.17"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2506.17" trh="2104.85" trv="2512" blh="2117.31" blv="2506.17" brh="2117.31" brv="2512"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2512" trh="2104.85" trv="2518.23" blh="2117.31" blv="2512" brh="2117.31" brv="2518.23"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2518.23" trh="2104.85" trv="2524.26" blh="2117.31" blv="2518.23" brh="2117.31" brv="2524.26"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="for">

<parts>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2527.18" trh="2104.85" trv="2529.51" blh="2117.31" blv="2527.18" brh="2117.31" brv="2529.51"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2529.51" trh="2104.85" trv="2535.15" blh="2117.31" blv="2529.51" brh="2117.31" brv="2535.15"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2535.15" trh="2104.85" trv="2540.4" blh="2117.31" blv="2535.15" brh="2117.31" brv="2540.4"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2540.4" trh="2104.85" trv="2546.03" blh="2117.31" blv="2540.4" brh="2117.31" brv="2546.03"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2546.03" trh="2104.85" trv="2552.26" blh="2117.31" blv="2546.03" brh="2117.31" brv="2552.26"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2552.26" trh="2104.85" trv="2558.29" blh="2117.31" blv="2552.26" brh="2117.31" brv="2558.29"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="me">

<parts>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2561.21" trh="2104.85" trv="2567.43" blh="2117.31" blv="2561.21" brh="2117.31" brv="2567.43"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2567.43" trh="2104.85" trv="2569.76" blh="2117.31" blv="2567.43" brh="2117.31" brv="2569.76"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2569.76" trh="2104.85" trv="2575.4" blh="2117.31" blv="2569.76" brh="2117.31" brv="2575.4"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2575.4" trh="2104.85" trv="2578.9" blh="2117.31" blv="2575.4" brh="2117.31" brv="2578.9"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2578.9" trh="2104.85" trv="2581.23" blh="2117.31" blv="2578.9" brh="2117.31" brv="2581.23"></part>

<part tlh="2104.85" tlv="2581.23" trh="2104.85" trv="2587.26" blh="2117.31" blv="2581.23" brh="2117.31" brv="2587.26"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="This">

<parts>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4215.23" trh="149.891" trv="4209.45" blh="140.395" blv="4215.23" brh="140.395" brv="4209.45"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4209.45" trh="149.891" trv="4205.15" blh="140.395" blv="4209.45" brh="140.395" brv="4205.15"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4205.15" trh="149.891" trv="4200.71" blh="140.395" blv="4205.15" brh="140.395" brv="4200.71"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4200.71" trh="149.891" trv="4196.71" blh="140.395" blv="4200.71" brh="140.395" brv="4196.71"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4196.71" trh="149.891" trv="4192.11" blh="140.395" blv="4196.71" brh="140.395" brv="4192.11"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4192.11" trh="149.891" trv="4187.67" blh="140.395" blv="4192.11" brh="140.395" brv="4187.67"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="is">

<parts>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4185.44" trh="149.891" trv="4179.81" blh="140.395" blv="4185.44" brh="140.395" brv="4179.81"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4179.81" trh="149.891" trv="4178.03" blh="140.395" blv="4179.81" brh="140.395" brv="4178.03"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4178.03" trh="149.891" trv="4174.03" blh="140.395" blv="4178.03" brh="140.395" brv="4174.03"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4174.03" trh="149.891" trv="4169.29" blh="140.395" blv="4174.03" brh="140.395" brv="4169.29"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4169.29" trh="149.891" trv="4167.51" blh="140.395" blv="4169.29" brh="140.395" brv="4167.51"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4167.51" trh="149.891" trv="4163.22" blh="140.395" blv="4167.51" brh="140.395" brv="4163.22"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4163.22" trh="149.891" trv="4159.22" blh="140.395" blv="4163.22" brh="140.395" brv="4159.22"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="what">

<parts>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4156.99" trh="149.891" trv="4152.55" blh="140.395" blv="4156.99" brh="140.395" brv="4152.55"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4152.55" trh="149.891" trv="4150.32" blh="140.395" blv="4152.55" brh="140.395" brv="4150.32"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4150.32" trh="149.891" trv="4145.87" blh="140.395" blv="4150.32" brh="140.395" brv="4145.87"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="I">

<parts>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4143.65" trh="149.891" trv="4137.87" blh="140.395" blv="4143.65" brh="140.395" brv="4137.87"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4137.87" trh="149.891" trv="4133.58" blh="140.395" blv="4137.87" brh="140.395" brv="4133.58"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4133.58" trh="149.891" trv="4129.28" blh="140.395" blv="4133.58" brh="140.395" brv="4129.28"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4129.28" trh="149.891" trv="4124.54" blh="140.395" blv="4129.28" brh="140.395" brv="4124.54"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4124.54" trh="149.891" trv="4120.24" blh="140.395" blv="4124.54" brh="140.395" brv="4120.24"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4120.24" trh="149.891" trv="4117.58" blh="140.395" blv="4120.24" brh="140.395" brv="4117.58"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="need">

<parts>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4115.35" trh="149.891" trv="4109.58" blh="140.395" blv="4115.35" brh="140.395" brv="4109.58"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4109.58" trh="149.891" trv="4105.28" blh="140.395" blv="4109.58" brh="140.395" brv="4105.28"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4105.28" trh="149.891" trv="4102.62" blh="140.395" blv="4105.28" brh="140.395" brv="4102.62"></part>

<part tlh="149.891" tlv="4102.62" trh="149.891" trv="4097.87" blh="140.395" blv="4102.62" brh="140.395" brv="4097.87"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="AndIneedthis111">

<parts>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4278.19" trh="166.261" trv="4273.74" blh="156.765" blv="4278.19" brh="156.765" brv="4273.74"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4273.74" trh="166.261" trv="4269.29" blh="156.765" blv="4273.74" brh="156.765" brv="4269.29"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4269.29" trh="166.261" trv="4264.84" blh="156.765" blv="4269.29" brh="156.765" brv="4264.84"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4264.84" trh="166.261" trv="4260.39" blh="156.765" blv="4264.84" brh="156.765" brv="4260.39"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4260.39" trh="166.261" trv="4255.95" blh="156.765" blv="4260.39" brh="156.765" brv="4255.95"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4255.95" trh="166.261" trv="4251.5" blh="156.765" blv="4255.95" brh="156.765" brv="4251.5"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4251.5" trh="166.261" trv="4247.05" blh="156.765" blv="4251.5" brh="156.765" brv="4247.05"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4247.05" trh="166.261" trv="4242.6" blh="156.765" blv="4247.05" brh="156.765" brv="4242.6"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="IDontNeedThisWordWithAFixPositionBetweenOtherNeededWords">

<parts>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4240.38" trh="166.261" trv="4237.71" blh="156.765" blv="4240.38" brh="156.765" brv="4237.71"></part>

</parts>

</word>

<word txt="AndIneedthis222">

<parts>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4235.49" trh="166.261" trv="4230.31" blh="156.765" blv="4235.49" brh="156.765" brv="4230.31"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4230.31" trh="166.261" trv="4225.12" blh="156.765" blv="4230.31" brh="156.765" brv="4225.12"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4225.12" trh="166.261" trv="4219.94" blh="156.765" blv="4225.12" brh="156.765" brv="4219.94"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4219.94" trh="166.261" trv="4214.75" blh="156.765" blv="4219.94" brh="156.765" brv="4214.75"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4214.75" trh="166.261" trv="4209.27" blh="156.765" blv="4214.75" brh="156.765" brv="4209.27"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4209.27" trh="166.261" trv="4203.79" blh="156.765" blv="4209.27" brh="156.765" brv="4203.79"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4203.79" trh="166.261" trv="4198.31" blh="156.765" blv="4203.79" brh="156.765" brv="4198.31"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4198.31" trh="166.261" trv="4192.54" blh="156.765" blv="4198.31" brh="156.765" brv="4192.54"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4192.54" trh="166.261" trv="4186.76" blh="156.765" blv="4192.54" brh="156.765" brv="4186.76"></part>

<part tlh="166.261" tlv="4186.76" trh="166.261" trv="4180.99" blh="156.765" blv="4186.76" brh="156.765" brv="4180.99"></part>

</parts>

</word>

</words>

</page>

</pages>

</document>

</documents>

</extractcontent>





The resulting xml file should be reduced like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<extractcontent xmlns="http://www.callassoftware.com/ns/pdftoolbox/1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.callassoftware.com/ns/pdftoolbox/1.0 extractcontent.xsd">

<TextExtracted1>

This is what I need<!-- Between each words one single space should be added, except the last one -->

</TextExtracted1>

<TextExtracted2>

AndIneedthis111

</TextExtracted2>

<TextExtracted3>

AndIneedthis222

</TextExtracted3>

</extractcontent>





Could you pls. give me some hints, how the .dtd and .xsl have to look?



Kind regards,

Thomas

I am not very fluent in XSL either. I have a good idea of what it can do and I am certain that what I described can be done. I generally succeed in making my XSL's work, but it costs time and lots of trial and error, more than what I can put in to give you an answer in the context of this forum. Perhaps somebody with more expertise in XSL steps forward or try a forum that is dedicated to XSL.



Freddy

tkittel wrote:

For my challenge there are at minimum two problems I've no idea how to solve:

1. Detecting the words to extract using a range of their positions

2. Adding one additional space between every extracted word, except the last one (see also comment in the resulting xml)




#1 will require a script

#2 does the original PDF have visual whitespace between words? If so, then you need to replace your text extraction tool with something better. Try Apago PDFspy or pdftools TET.

Hi Dwight,



#1 thank you for this hint

#2 in the original pdfs only in the upper part there are spaces between the words. In the lower part I wrote down "all-in-one", just to simplify.



I will go on searching for any code snippets, specially for the tlh, tlv, ... position values. Not sure, if they're part of the official pdf standard!?



Kind regards,

Thomas