action wizard to process many pdf forms and create a csv file for each

[ps26671413]

trying to use action wizard to process many pdf forms and create a csv file for each, so far I have something like this but it does not seem to be working, any ideas?

  if ( app.viewerVersion >= 7 ) {
    this.createDataObject(this.title + ".xls");
  // Get the file stream object of the embedded file
  var oFile = this.getDataObjectContents(this.title + ".xls");
  // Convert to a string
  var myApp = util.stringFromStream(oFile, "utf-8");
  // Get Field Names separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
              myApp + this.getNthFieldName(i) + ",";
  console.println("Field[" + i + "] = " + this.getNthFieldName(i));
  }
  // Add newline
  var myApp = myApp + "\r\n";
  // Get Field Values separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
  var fieldName = this.getNthFieldName(i);
              myApp + this.getField(fieldName).value + ",";
  console.println("FieldValue[" + i + "] = " + this.getField(fieldName).value);
  }
  // Convert back to a file stream
  var oFile = util.streamFromString(myApp, "uft-8");
  // Now "overwrite" budget.xls
  this.setDataObjectContents(this.title + ".xls", oFile);
  } else {
  app.alert("Acrobat 7.0 or later is required.");
  }

[Bernd Alheit]

In lines 18 and 30 you don't change myApp.

[ps26671413]

thanks but still doesn't generate the xls file, is there something else I'm missing?

[try67]

Are there any errors when you run the code? What exactly is the result of running it?

[ps26671413]

1. Execute JavaScript

   Command Name: Execute JavaScript 

2. Command Start Time:     2016-09-04 08:44:50 

3. Command Status: Succeeded 

4. Command Finish Time:     2016-09-04 08:44:50 

running the action wizard I would want a csv file to be generated alongside the pdf but noting gets outputted

[try67]

Error messages generated by the JS code will appear in the JS Console, which you can display by pressing Ctrl+J after the Action has finished running.

Also, it might be good if you post your new code.

One other thing: Did you add a method to save the PDF file after the Execute JavaScript command?

[ps26671413]

thanks again for the help, here is what I have

  if ( app.viewerVersion >= 7 ) {
  // Get the file stream object of the embedded file
  var oFile = this.getDataObjectContents(this.title + ".xls");
  // Convert to a string
  var myApp = util.stringFromStream(oFile, "utf-8");
  // Get Field Names separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
              var myApp = myApp + this.getNthFieldName(i) + ",";
  console.println("Field[" + i + "] = " + this.getNthFieldName(i));
  }
  // Add newline
  var myApp = myApp + "\r\n";
  // Get Field Values separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
  var fieldName = this.getNthFieldName(i);
              var myApp = myApp + this.getField(fieldName).value + ",";
  console.println("FieldValue[" + i + "] = " + this.getField(fieldName).value);
  }
  // Convert back to a file stream
  var oFile = util.streamFromString(myApp, "uft-8");
  // Now "overwrite" budget.xls
  this.setDataObjectContents(this.title + ".xls", oFile);
  } else {
  app.alert("Acrobat 7.0 or later is required.");
  }

and the output is

Acrobat EScript Built-in Functions Version 11.0

Acrobat SOAP 11.0

TypeError: Invalid argument type.

Doc.getDataObjectContents:3:Batch undefined:Exec

===> Parameter cName.

[try67]

You have various problems with your code. Let's start with the one you get an error message for.
What it basically says is that there is no attached file with that name... So you need to sort that out, first of all.

[try67]

PS. Your entire viewerVersion check is unnecessary. Not only do I doubt someone is still using Acrobat 6 (or earlier), I'm not even sure it had batch processing capabilities, so it's a moot point, anyway. Get rid of it and simplify your code.

[try67]

Regarding myApp: You don't need to use the "var" keyword each time. That is used to declare the variable the first time you use it.

After that if you want to add a new value to it simply use this format:

myApp += "Some new text";

[ps26671413]

Thanks again for everyone's help, I really appreciate it... cleaned up the code and it runs but closes out of adobe after it runs, no errors, but no files either.

var myApp;
  // Get Field Names separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
              myApp += myApp + this.getNthFieldName(i) + ",";
  console.println("Field[" + i + "] = " + this.getNthFieldName(i));
  }
  // Add newline
  myApp += myApp + "\r\n";
  // Get Field Values separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
  var fieldName = this.getNthFieldName(i);
              myApp += myApp + this.getField(fieldName).value + ",";
  console.println("FieldValue[" + i + "] = " + this.getField(fieldName).value);
  }
  // Convert back to a file stream
  var oFile = util.streamFromString(myApp, "uft-8");
  // Now "overwrite" budget.xls
  this.setDataObjectContents(this.title + ".xls", oFile);

basically I get filled out forms that I want to convert to csv files. I was hoping to use the action wizard to do this in mass and then figure a way to run the action wizard command from dos

[try67]

Did you add a command to save the files, after running this script?

Also, you still have problems with how you're generating the text.

You don't need to do this:

myApp += myApp + this.getNthFieldName(i) + ",";

The "+=" operator means "adds this new value on the right to the existing value on the left". So all you need is:

myApp += this.getNthFieldName(i) + ",";

[ps26671413]

Thanks for the quick reply....

I get the output in the console and it does not close the pdf file, but still can't figure out how to save the csv string (myApp) I created

var myApp;
  // Get Field Names separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
              myApp += this.getNthFieldName(i) + ",";
  console.println("Field[" + i + "] = " + this.getNthFieldName(i));
  }
  // Add newline
  myApp += "\r\n";
  // Get Field Values separated by comma
  for (var i = 0; i < this.numFields; i++) {
  var fieldName = this.getNthFieldName(i);
              myApp += this.getField(fieldName).value + ",";
  console.println("FieldValue[" + i + "] = " + this.getField(fieldName).value);
  }
  // Create file
  this.createDataObject(this.title + ".xls", myApp);

[try67]

You didn't answer my question. Did you add a step to save the file after the JS code?

[ps26671413]

yes i add the save action after the JavaScript

[ps26671413]

is it possible to write to a file through the java script in the action wizard?

[try67]

Yes, it is possible (Edit: Actually, I'm not sure what you mean, exactly. What "file" do you want to write to? The PDF file? Something else?)

Does your script work when you run it via the Console window?

[ps26671413]

yes it works when I output to the console window, but I want to output to a txt file on the computer, is that possible?

[try67]

Not directly, no. You can use a Report and then save it as a text file, but that's a whole other mess...

[NKOWA555]

I don't know if you are having any success with Adobe's JavaScript; but, you can use VB.net to get a CSV file for each PDF (acrobat PDF) file in a directory. You can use FDFToolkit.net and Visual Studio to create the application (windows, console or server side). Let me know if you need a custom programming solution.

Note: FDFToolkit.net and Visual Studio.net can be downloaded for free.

Example VB.net Code

Imports FDFApp.FDFDoc_Class

Imports FDFApp.FDFApp_Class

Imports System.IO

''' <summary>

''' Call clsPdfDirectory2Csv.createCsv("C:\path\to\pdf\directory\")

''' </summary>

''' <remarks></remarks>

Public Class clsPdfDirectory2Csv

    Public Shared Sub createCsv(ByVal directory_path As String)

        If Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(directory_path & "") Then

            For Each f As String In Directory.GetFiles(directory_path)

                If File.Exists(f) Then

                    If Path.GetExtension(f).Replace(".", "") = "pdf" Then

                        Try

                            Dim p As New FDFApp.FDFApp_Class, fdf As New FDFApp.FDFDoc_Class

                            fdf = p.PDFOpenFromFile(f, True, True, "")

                            Dim csv As String = CreateCSVRow(fdf.XDPGetAllFields().ToList())

                            File.WriteAllText(Path.GetDirectoryName(f).TrimEnd("\") & "\" & Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) & ".csv", csv.ToString, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8)

                        Catch ex As Exception

                            Err.Clear()

                        End Try

                    End If

                End If

            Next

        End If

    End Sub

    Public Shared Function CreateCSVRow(ByVal fldArray As List(Of FDFApp.FDFDoc_Class.FDFField)) As String

        Dim csvCols As New List(Of String)

        Dim csvValue As String

        Dim needQuotes As Boolean

        Dim strCsv As String = ""

        For i As Integer = 0 To fldArray.Count - 1

            If Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(strCsv & "") Then

                strCsv &= ","

            End If

            strCsv &= """" & fldArray(i).FieldName.ToString() & """"

        Next

        For i As Integer = 0 To fldArray.Count - 1

            csvValue = fldArray(i).FieldValue(0)

            needQuotes = (csvValue.IndexOf(",", StringComparison.InvariantCulture) >= 0 _

                          OrElse csvValue.IndexOf("""", StringComparison.InvariantCulture) >= 0 _

                          OrElse csvValue.IndexOf(vbCrLf, StringComparison.InvariantCulture) >= 0)

            csvValue = csvValue.Replace("""", """""")

            csvCols.Add(If(needQuotes, """" & csvValue & """", csvValue))

        Next

        strCsv &= Environment.NewLine & String.Join(",", csvCols.ToArray())

        Return strCsv

    End Function

End Class