How to PDF text search API in C# with PDF.co Web API

Tutorial on how to PDF text search API in C#

Every ByteScout tool contains example C# source codes that you can find here or in the folder with installed ByteScout product. What is PDF.co Web API? It is the Web API with a set of tools for documents manipulation, data conversion, data extraction, splitting and merging of documents. Includes image recognition, built-in OCR, barcode generation and barcode decoders to decode bar codes from scans, pictures and pdf. It can help you to PDF text search API in your C# application.

C# code samples for C# developers help to speed up coding of your application when using PDF.co Web API. In your C# project or application you may simply copy & paste the code and then run your app! Implementing C# application typically includes multiple stages of the software development so even if the functionality works please test it with your data and the production environment.

Free trial version of PDF.co Web API is available on our website. Documentation and source code samples are included.

On-demand (REST Web API) version:
 Web API (on-demand version)

On-premise offline SDK for Windows:
 60 Day Free Trial (on-premise)

ByteScoutWebApiExample.csproj

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" />
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
    <ProjectGuid>{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <RootNamespace>ByteScoutWebApiExample</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>ByteScoutWebApiExample</AssemblyName>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <Optimize>false</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="Newtonsoft.Json, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <HintPath>packages\Newtonsoft.Json.10.0.3\lib\net40\Newtonsoft.Json.dll</HintPath>
      <Private>True</Private>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Program.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="packages.config" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
  </Target>
  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
  </Target>
  -->
</Project>

ByteScoutWebApiExample.sln

      

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 2013
VisualStudioVersion = 12.0.40629.0
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "ByteScoutWebApiExample", "ByteScoutWebApiExample.csproj", "{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}"
EndProject
Global
	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
		Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{1E1C2C34-017E-4605-AE2B-55EA3313BE51}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
	EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

Program.cs

      
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Net;

namespace ByteScoutWebApiExample
{
	class Program
	{
		// The authentication key (API Key).
		// Get your own by registering at https://app.pdf.co/documentation/api
		const String API_KEY = "*****************************************";
		
		// Direct URL of source PDF file.
		const string SourceFileUrl = "https://bytescout-com.s3.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-to-text/sample.pdf";
		
		// Comma-separated list of page indices (or ranges) to process. Leave empty for all pages. Example: '0,2-5,7-'.
		const string Pages = "";
		
		// PDF document password. Leave empty for unprotected documents.
		const string Password = "";
		
		// Search string. 
		const string SearchString = @"\d{1,}\.\d\d"; // Regular expression to find numbers like '100.00'
		// Note: do not use `+` char in regex, but use `{1,}` instead.
		// `+` char is valid for URL and will not be escaped, and it will become a space char on the server side.
        
		// Enable regular expressions (Regex) 
        const bool RegexSearch = true;


        static void Main(string[] args)
		{
			// Create standard .NET web client instance
			WebClient webClient = new WebClient();

			// Set API Key
			webClient.Headers.Add("x-api-key", API_KEY);

            // URL for PDF text search API call.
            // See documentation: https://app.pdf.co/documentation/api/1.0/pdf/find.html
            string url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/find";

			// Prepare requests params as JSON
			Dictionary<string, object> parameters = new Dictionary<string, object>();
			parameters.Add("password", Password);
			parameters.Add("pages", Pages);
			parameters.Add("url", SourceFileUrl);
			parameters.Add("searchString", SearchString);
			parameters.Add("regexSearch", RegexSearch);

			// Convert dictionary of params to JSON
			string jsonPayload = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(parameters);

			try
			{
				// Execute POST request with JSON payload
				string response = webClient.UploadString(url, jsonPayload);

				// Parse JSON response
				JObject json = JObject.Parse(response);

				if (json["status"].ToString() != "error")
                {
                    foreach (JToken item in json["body"])
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine({code}quot;Found text \"{item["text"]}\" at coordinates {item["left"]}, {item["top"]}");
                    }
                }
				else
				{
					Console.WriteLine(json["message"].ToString());
				}
			}
			catch (WebException e)
			{
				Console.WriteLine(e.ToString());
			}

			webClient.Dispose();


			Console.WriteLine();
			Console.WriteLine("Press any key...");
			Console.ReadKey();
		}
	}
}

packages.config

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
  <package id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="10.0.3" targetFramework="net40" />
</packages>

VIDEO

ON-PREMISE OFFLINE SDK

Get 60 Day Free Trial

See also:

ON-DEMAND REST WEB API

Get Your API Key

See also: