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Import Records from PDF file

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    Import Records from PDF file

    Hi All,

    I'm trying to setup some type of operation that will allow the user to import records from a customer PO. The PO is generated by their SAP software and send via email as a PDF.

    The PDF file properties show "SAP R/3 Release 46C" as the PDF application (not sure if this is helpful), seems like this is what they are using to generate the PDF.

    I've attached a sample to show the format, seems unconventional and has proven difficult to convert to excel or any other (csv,asc, etc) for Alpha to understand.

    We are currently inputting this data manually into a form. Purchase Order Template.pdfAny ideas on how to automate this process will be greatly appreciated.

    #2
    Re: Import Records from PDF file

    Since there is no rush of responders.....

    I have tried numerous avenues with limited if any success. The best tool for extracting spreadsheet type data from a pdf seems to be the Adobe Export Pdf tool, available by subscription but relatively inexpensive. It does a fair job with files where the spreadsheet occupies most of the file. With flies such as yours where there is a good bit of header and footer area, not so good. In neither case would I trust the output without verifying it visually, at which point one might as well hand key it.

    Have you approached the customer to explore what other file generation options might be available?
    There can be only one.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Import Records from PDF file

      Hi Stan,

      I did pay for the inexpensive Adobe export tool for testing purposes. It does a decent job but the headers/footers going from page to page is making it quiet a challenge. Thinking of approaching the customer... I'll see where that takes me. Thanks.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Import Records from PDF file

        You'll probably need to make it clear that you will accept and abide by the pdf version but would appreciate a text file of some type for automation of input.
        There can be only one.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Import Records from PDF file

          You might look at formscape.

          It is used in the unix/linux world to process documents.

          SAP should also be able to output a csv file that would be easier to import..
          Al Buchholz
          Bookwood Systems, LTD
          Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

          Occam's Razor - KISS
          Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
          Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
          When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
          "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
          Albert Einstein

          http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Import Records from PDF file

            Purchase Order Template.txt Purchase Order Template.pdf

            I use "Able2Extract Pro 8.0". This is my first attempt to try this so I hope it works.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Import Records from PDF file

              I have not used yet, but latter this summer I will be involved in extracting a pdf.
              I believe you can use acrobat prof. from Adobe. It is expensive software.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Import Records from PDF file

                Hi Walt,
                It wasn't all that clear what the Pro version was offering for $130 that was different from the regular version at $99. Also how difficult was it to create that text file from this particular PDF?
                Robin

                Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Import Records from PDF file

                  Robin,

                  Here is a link: http://www.investintech.com/products/comparison/

                  I first exported to MS Word and then saved the Word file as .TXT file

                  Hope this helps.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Import Records from PDF file

                    Looking at it again did help - Pro is able to convert a scanned image pdf. I have another converter program that also brought it into Word and Excel looking like the original pdf - but then saving Word as text file did not produce the same format yours showed (I used Windows default and line breaks). But neither of these files is too useful without additional tweaking. By which time, the user could have input the data themself!

                    Now if this was a Quickbooks purchase order, there is a very good program available for getting that data into a table. Which of course is no use to John...
                    Robin

                    Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Import Records from PDF file

                      If you use the free FoxIt pdf reader you can received and export pdf form data. You have a number of choices for export including Excel and xml data format. I am not clear if this will help, but thought I would share it again. I have not yet worked to automate the processes with my A5 app but it should be able to be done.

                      FoxIt offers a host of pdf tools that are far less expensive than the Adobe versions.
                      Regards,

                      John W.
                      www.CustomReportWriters.net

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Import Records from PDF file

                        Thanks for all the suggestions! I am working with our customer to see if they can provide us a direct excel output from their software - this will involve the least amount of steps for importation to A5. Otherwise I will look into other conversion methods.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Import Records from PDF file

                          I used Nuance PDF Converter v6 with the option to convert the PDF as TABLES to Excel. This created a workbook with 4 pages. Sheet 1 and 3 were the same header info so I deleted #3. And sheet 2 & 4 were the detail so I combined 4 on sheet 2 and then deleted sheet 4. I normalized the column headings to make them 'field names' and added a PO_NUM field and populated it on sheet 2 to have a link between the data on sheet 1 and 2. Then I saved sheet 2 as a dbf file. Sheet 1 however would not normalize so easily, so I copied the labels to a new row as the column titles and then pasted the data for that column on the next row. Then I deleted all the rows above, aligned the columns and saved that sheet as a dbf file. It took about 1/2 hour, but then I am not that fast...

                          Which of course doesn't add much to solve the problem of how to 'automate' this task.
                          Attached Files
                          Robin

                          Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Import Records from PDF file

                            Which of course doesn't add much to solve the problem of how to 'automate' this task.
                            Sounds like most of that could be done with Alpha ole commands except for the normalizing which took decision making.
                            There can be only one.

                            Comment

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