How to PDF text search API in VB.NET with PDF.co Web API

Write code in VB.NET to PDF text search API with this step-by-step tutorial

Learn how to PDF text search API in VB.NET with this source code sample. Want to PDF text search API in your VB.NET app? PDF.co Web API is designed for it. PDF.co Web API 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.

The SDK samples like this one below explain how to quickly make your application do PDF text search API in VB.NET with the help of PDF.co Web API. This VB.NET sample code is all you need for your app. Just copy and paste the code, add references (if needs to) and you are all set! Code testing will allow the function to be tested and work properly with your data.

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

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ByteScoutWebApiExample.sln

      

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 15
VisualStudioVersion = 15.0.26730.10
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{F184B08F-C81C-45F6-A57F-5ABD9991F28F}") = "ByteScoutWebApiExample", "ByteScoutWebApiExample.vbproj", "{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}"
EndProject
Global
	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
		Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
		{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ExtensibilityGlobals) = postSolution
		SolutionGuid = {4576C9BB-A42D-46A8-9198-7E2982E122FA}
	EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

ByteScoutWebApiExample.vbproj

      
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" 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>{9B91124C-66C3-4BD9-B29E-168C1ABB15AC}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <StartupObject>ByteScoutWebApiExample.Module1</StartupObject>
    <RootNamespace>ByteScoutWebApiExample</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>ByteScoutWebApiExample</AssemblyName>
    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
    <MyType>Console</MyType>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <DefineDebug>true</DefineDebug>
    <DefineTrace>true</DefineTrace>
    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
    <DocumentationFile>ByteScoutWebApiExample.xml</DocumentationFile>
    <NoWarn>42016,41999,42017,42018,42019,42032,42036,42020,42021,42022</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <DefineDebug>false</DefineDebug>
    <DefineTrace>true</DefineTrace>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
    <DocumentationFile>ByteScoutWebApiExample.xml</DocumentationFile>
    <NoWarn>42016,41999,42017,42018,42019,42032,42036,42020,42021,42022</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionExplicit>On</OptionExplicit>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionCompare>Binary</OptionCompare>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionStrict>Off</OptionStrict>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OptionInfer>On</OptionInfer>
  </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>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data" />
    <Reference Include="System.Deployment" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Import Include="Microsoft.VisualBasic" />
    <Import Include="System" />
    <Import Include="System.Collections" />
    <Import Include="System.Collections.Generic" />
    <Import Include="System.Data" />
    <Import Include="System.Diagnostics" />
    <Import Include="System.Linq" />
    <Import Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Module1.vb" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="packages.config" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.VisualBasic.targets" />
</Project>

Module1.vb

      
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Net
Imports Newtonsoft.Json
Imports Newtonsoft.Json.Linq

Module Module1

    ' The authentication key (API Key).
    ' Get your own by registering at https://app.pdf.co/documentation/api
    Const API_KEY As String = "***********************************"

    ' Direct URL of source PDF file.
    Const SourceFileUrl As String = "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 Pages As String = ""

    ' PDF document password. Leave empty for unprotected documents.
    Const Password As String = ""

    ' Search string.
    Const SearchString As String = "\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 RegexSearch As Boolean = True

    Sub Main()

        ' Create standard .NET web client instance
        Dim webClient As WebClient = New WebClient()

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

        ' Set JSON content type
        webClient.Headers.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")

        ' Prepare URL for PDF text search API call.
        ' See documentation: https : //app.pdf.co/documentation/api/1.0/pdf/find.html
		Dim url As String = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/find"

        ' Prepare requests params as JSON
        ' See documentation: https : //apidocs.pdf.co
        Dim parameters As New Dictionary(Of 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
        Dim jsonPayload As String = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(parameters)

        Try
            ' Execute POST request with JSON payload
            Dim response As String = webClient.UploadString(url, jsonPayload)

            ' Parse JSON response
            Dim json As JObject = JObject.Parse(response)

            If json("error").ToObject(Of Boolean) = False Then

                For Each item As JToken In json("body")
                    Console.WriteLine({code}quot;Found text {item("text")} at coordinates {item("left")}, {item("top")}")
                Next

            Else
                Console.WriteLine(json("message").ToString())
            End If

        Catch ex As WebException
            Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString())
        End Try

        webClient.Dispose()


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

    End Sub

End Module

packages.config

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

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