How to filter strings and send new string to Richtextbox. (PDF conversion was done)

Hello family, :wave::wave:

Okay, How do I filter strings.


So I have converted a PDF file into String using itextsharp and I have the text displayed into a Richtextbox1.

However there are too many irrelevant text that I don't need in the Richtextbox.

Is there a way I can display the text I want based on keywords, the entire length of the test.

Example of text that is displayed in textrichbox1 after conversation of PDF to text:

Quote:

---

1
2
3
3
4
4
A A
B B
SHEET 1 OF 1
774
SIZE
SCALE
24.000-47.999
12.000-23.999
CON BAG
WIRE
90in. EX
Bos00232940
Bos00320491
Das1234
Das3216
DETAILS
1 2
RAGE

---

That's displayed in the RichTextbox1. I want to filter the irrelevant text and only display the ones I want based on keywords.

So the keywords would be "Bos", "Das", "774". and the new text that would be displayed in the richtextbox1 is shown below, instead of the entire text above.

Quote:

---

Bos00232940
Bos00320491
Das1234
Das3216
774

---

How can I do this? Or its not possible with VB?

PS: The only reason why I have to do it this way is because I can't set an event to doubleclick on the Axacropdf1 activeX control. My goal is to print the selected name base on the name in the Pdf file. all the pdf files are located in an external drive.
So with this, I can have the name "das1234" in richtextbox, allowing me to set a doubleclick event and send the pdf to the printer for automatic printing.


Thanks,


Steve.

yea it can be done. I don't know how your text is handled after the pdf conversion, but I'm going to assume you have the text in an array of strings. If the text is all in one string, then you will need to split it up base on the CrLf's in the string.

So yea, anyway for each of your lines of text, use the String.Contains method to see if the line contains one of your keywords, if so, move that line into a new string. After you are done, show the new string in the textbox.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kebo

yea it can be done. I don't know how your text is handled after the pdf conversion, but I'm going to assume you have the text in an array of strings. If the text is all in one string, then you will need to split it up base on the CrLf's in the string.

---

The text from the PDF is converted into the string and is displayed exactly how I have it in the first post.

Quote:

---

SCALE
24.000-47.999
12.000-23.999
CON BAG
WIRE
90in. EX
Bos00232940

---

So for example the above text would be known as THETEXT.

Code:

---

Imports System
'since 'THETEXT' is already a string (converted pdf)we don't need to declare it a variable.
 
  Public Shared Sub myfilteredtext()
      Dim s1 = thetext
      Dim s2 As String = "Bos"
      Dim b As Boolean
      b = s1.Contains(s2)
      RichTextBox1.Text = myfilteredtext
' This should print out the new string Bos00232940 into the richtextbox?
    End Sub
End Class

---

Sorry if I don't follow along, Its my own lack of knowledge.

Code:

---

Imports iTextSharp.text.pdf

Public Class Form1
   
    Public Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
   
    End Sub
    Public Shared Function GetTextFromPDF(ByVal PdfFileName As String) As String
     
        Dim oReader As New iTextSharp.text.pdf.PdfReader(PdfFileName)

        Dim sOut = ""

        For i = 1 To oReader.NumberOfPages
            Dim its As New iTextSharp.text.pdf.parser.SimpleTextExtractionStrategy

            sOut &= iTextSharp.text.pdf.parser.PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(oReader, i, its)
        Next

        Return sOut
    End Function

    Public Sub TextBox1_TextChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles TextBox1.TextChanged

    End Sub

    Public Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

        Dim pdffilename As String
        pdffilename = TextBox1.Text
        Dim filepath = "c:\temp\" & TextBox1.Text & ".pdf"
        Dim thetext As String
        thetext = GetTextFromPDF(filepath)
     
'Here I need 'thetext' to filter the string and only send the new strings to the richtextbox.

      RichTextBox1.Text = thetext
       


End Sub
    Private Sub RichTextBox1_TextChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles RichTextBox1.TextChanged

    End Sub

End Class

---

it's ok, at least you looked at the documentation ;)

If theText contains everything in the textbox then you first need to split it up....

vb Code:

dim lines() as string  = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Split(theText, environment.newline)

now you have each line of text in an array that your can iterate through

vb Code:

dim newTextLines as new List(of String)
For each line as string in lines
 
'check each line again each keyword.
     For each keyWord as string in myKeyWords
        
          'use the contains method here
          if line.Contains(keyWord) Then
                 newTextLines.Add(line)
                 exit for
         endif
     Next
Next

'now you have all the lines that meet the keyword criteria so put them into the textbox

vb Code:

RichTextBox1.Text = String.Join(Environment.Newline,newTextLines.Toarray)

That is all free handed, so there may be some syntax issues.
kevin

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kebo

it's ok, at least you looked at the documentation ;)

If theText contains everything in the textbox then you first need to split it up....

---

I'm afraid I don't understand, 'thetext' is a string I get from the PDF conversion, this has nothing to do with the textbox, the textbox is there for me to enter the PDF file name, then looks for that file. then convert it into text aka (thetext).

So I need to extract certain text based on keywords I define.

I've tried the code you gave me, but with my own lack of knowledge I don't understand how to implement it.

Code:

---

Dim lines() As String = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Split(thetext, Environment.NewLine)
        Dim newTextLines As New List(Of String)

        For Each line As String In lines

            For Each Bos As String In thetext

                If line.Contains(Bos) Then
                    newTextLines.Add(line)
                    Exit For
                End If
            Next
        Next
        RichTextBox1.Text = String.Join(Environment.NewLine, newTextLines.ToArray)

---

Quote:

---

I'm afraid I don't understand, 'thetext' is a string I get from the PDF conversion, this has nothing to do with the textbox, the textbox is there for me to enter the PDF file name, then looks for that file. then convert it into text aka (thetext).

---

OK my bad What I am saying is that if theText contains all of the text from the pdf, then you need to split it.

Quote:

---

I've tried the code you gave me, but with my own lack of knowledge I don't understand how to implement it.

---

Go back to post #4 . See here your code says "'Here I need..."? Insert the code I gave you there. Then put a breakpoint on the first line of code in the button click event handler and run the code. When it breaks, step through the code using F10 and see what is happening. Its the best way to learn.

It doesn't work, or maybe I'm not understanding what exactly is happening. but I still see the entire PDF text and not the extracted text from the string.

Code:

---

Dim thetext As String
        thetext = GetTextFromPDF(filepath)

        Dim lines() As String = System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Split(thetext, Environment.NewLine)

        Dim newTextLines As New List(Of String)
        For Each line As String In lines

            'check each line again each keyword.
            For Each keyWord As String In "Bos"

                'use the contains method here
                If line.Contains(keyWord) Then
                    newTextLines.Add(line)
                    Exit For
                End If
            Next
        Next
        RichTextBox1.Text = String.Join(Environment.NewLine, newTextLines.ToArray)
    End Sub

---

Quote:

---

'check each line again each keyword.
For Each keyWord As String In "Bos"

---

you are iterating through only one keyword ("Bos"). You need to put all of your keywords in a list or array and iterate through them. More importantly, take a look at how a For:Next statement works with a collection.

I apologize for the hard time I'm giving you my friend. but I'm still very much a novice when it comes to VB. I will continue to learn it even if I get my program to work like it should.

As for the list or array, how do I go about doing that exactly? I'm afraid I don't fully understand how it works. If you could please include the "Bos, Das, and 774" into a list or array and please implement that into the code above. I will copy it and see how exactly it works.

I'm trying very hard here, so far google has not been my best friend :P

create an new list of string
dim keywords as new list(of strings)
keyword.add("Bos")
keyWord.add("Das")
keyWord.add("774")

put that code in directly after you get theText from the pdf.

I would suggest not to copy the code. Retype it, learn it. It has error in it that you will need to resolve if you simply cut and paste.

Before you had post that I was already working on something like that :D

Public myarraylist As ArrayList
myarraylist.add("Bos")
myarraylist.add("Das")
myarraylist.add("774")

I will try and work with the codes I have.
Hopefully it works, so far all I get is the entire PDF converted to text in the richtextbox. not the "Bos00232940"

I hope this code does not just give me back the text "Bos" in the richtextbox, I want the entire Bos00232940.


And I love your sig. I'm a quality engineer for a company, and I have a lot of process to fix next year :D and implement ISO/TS16949.

My best suggestion is to lean on the debugging features in visual studio. Don't simply run the app and see what happens. Step through it line by line from the start to finish and you will figure it out.
GL

I tested it, and it still have the entire pdf file as text displayed in the richtextbox1.

it doesn't extract the keywords and display them.

Kevin, It doesn't work... any ideas?

refer to post #13, understand what is happening in your code and how that is different than what you would expect. Then fix it.If all else fails, you should post relevant code and ask concise questions about things you are not understanding.

Just about the worst thing you can do however is say it doesn't work and nothing more.

I got it, found another way :D thanks mate