PDF library?

[Paul Rubin]

I have a big PDF file that I'd like to crunch, i.e. I want to select a
certain rectangular area from each page and make a new PDF combining
the selected areas from adjacent pages. I guess that means I need a
Python wrapper for GhostScript, or something similar. Anyone know if
that exists? Thanks.

[Simon Burton]

Re: PDF library?

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 12:14:03 -0700, Paul Rubin wrote:
[color=blue]
> I have a big PDF file that I'd like to crunch, i.e. I want to select a
> certain rectangular area from each page and make a new PDF combining the
> selected areas from adjacent pages. I guess that means I need a Python
> wrapper for GhostScript, or something similar. Anyone know if that
> exists? Thanks.[/color]

http://www.reportlab.org/

handles pdf files.

Simon.

[Paul Rubin]

Re: PDF library?

Simon Burton <simonb@NOTTHIS BIT.webone.com. au> writes:[color=blue]
> http://www.reportlab.org/
>
> handles pdf files.[/color]

Reportlab generates reports in pdf format, but I want to do the
opposite, namely read in pdf files that have already been generated by
a different program, and crunch on them. Any more ideas? Thanks.

[Andreas Lobinger]

Re: PDF library?

Aloha,

Paul Rubin schrieb:[color=blue]
> Simon Burton <simonb@NOTTHIS BIT.webone.com. au> writes:[color=green]
> > http://www.reportlab.org/
> > handles pdf files.[/color]
> Reportlab generates reports in pdf format, but I want to do the
> opposite, namely read in pdf files that have already been generated by
> a different program, and crunch on them. Any more ideas? Thanks.[/color]

The commercial version (reportlab.com) mentions a tool named
PageCatcher, that seems to be able to extract pages and page descriptions
out of .pdf documents. There is not that many information on the web-page.

If you read comp.text.tex you will find various solutions for composing
and a few for extracting data/content from .pdf documents. Afaik there
is at the moment (read as: i'm working on it) no free-self-contained-
python solution. But as python is very interface-friendly you can use
general tools like gs easily.

For your problem i would suggest to use gs als a .pdf to .ps filter
in the first place, work on the .ps and distill back with gs.

Wishing a happy day
LOBI

[Andreas Lobinger]

Re: PDF library?

Andreas Lobinger schrieb:[color=blue]
> If you read comp.text.pdf you will find various solutions for composing[/color]

[Duncan Booth]

Re: PDF library?

Paul Rubin <http://phr.cx@NOSPAM.i nvalid> wrote in
news:7xzn96drse .fsf@ruckus.bro uhaha.com:
[color=blue]
> Simon Burton <simonb@NOTTHIS BIT.webone.com. au> writes:[color=green]
>> http://www.reportlab.org/
>>
>> handles pdf files.[/color]
>
> Reportlab generates reports in pdf format, but I want to do the
> opposite, namely read in pdf files that have already been generated by
> a different program, and crunch on them. Any more ideas? Thanks.[/color]

Reportlab does that as well, but you either have to pay them money or live
with a Reportlab watermark added to each page you process. So, if you are
doing this for fun it may not be a useful answer, but if its commercial you
can investigate it for free and pay later to remove the watermark.