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Participant
September 27, 2020
Question

ms access pdf file

  • September 27, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 599 views

Hi,

My small business receives a lot of PDF Invoices from which I would like to pull the data into an already existing Access Database (stuff like e.g.Invoice Number, Date of Invoice, Supplier, Cost net. and Cost total). The Database has to detect the Data from the PDF and put it into the Database into the right Position (eg. Scan the PDF invoice for the invoice number and put it into the Database in the invoice number column. And of course, for each invoice, there has to be a new Dataset. The more data I can extract the better it would be. Is it possible to train Access or the PDF-reader to know which data is which?

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2 replies

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 27, 2020

If the PDF is a form with form fields, this is straightforward:

 

  • Open any PDF (to be able to access tools) > Prepare Form tool

 

  • Merge Data Files into Spreadsheet > Add Files

 

  • Select files > then select the files

 

  • Click Export to export to .csv. The default is report.csv

 

  • In Access, create an Append query to appent the data from the .csv file to your existing Access table

 

Can you get them to use a PDF form that you create and send them?

 

~ Jane

 

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 27, 2020

It's not possible to extract data from a PDF file directly into a DB. It is possible to create a text file with the data, which can then be imported into Access, though. However, extracting the data from files with different structures is going to be very difficult. Unless all (or at least some) of the invoices have the same structure you won't be able to do it, and either way it will require the development of a complex, custom-made script.

 

If you can share some sample files I'll be happy to examine them and let you know if I think it's doable, and if so how much I will charge to create this tool for you.

Syed5EFDAuthor
Participant
September 27, 2020

thanks for your help i have found a solution