PDF.co Web API – PDF To JSON API – C# – Convert PDF To JSON From Uploaded File

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Let’s review the C# source code first and then we’ll do an analysis of the main code snippets.

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>
    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
    <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" />
    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="packages.config" />
    <Content Include="sample.pdf">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </Content>
  </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 System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Net;
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;

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 = "***********************************";
		
		// Source PDF file
		const string SourceFile = @".\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 = "";
		// Destination JSON file name
		const string DestinationFile = @".\result.json";

		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);

			// 1. RETRIEVE THE PRESIGNED URL TO UPLOAD THE FILE.
			// * If you already have a direct file URL, skip to the step 3.
			
			// Prepare URL for `Get Presigned URL` API call
			string query = Uri.EscapeUriString(string.Format(
				"https://api.pdf.co/v1/file/upload/get-presigned-url?contenttype=application/octet-stream&name={0}", 
				Path.GetFileName(SourceFile)));

			try
			{
				// Execute request
				string response = webClient.DownloadString(query);

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

				if (json["error"].ToObject<bool>() == false)
				{
					// Get URL to use for the file upload
					string uploadUrl = json["presignedUrl"].ToString();
					string uploadedFileUrl = json["url"].ToString();

					// 2. UPLOAD THE FILE TO CLOUD.

					webClient.Headers.Add("content-type", "application/octet-stream");
					webClient.UploadFile(uploadUrl, "PUT", SourceFile); // You can use UploadData() instead if your file is byte[] or Stream
					webClient.Headers.Remove("content-type");

					// 3. CONVERT UPLOADED PDF FILE TO JSON

					// URL for `PDF To JSON` API call
					var url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/convert/to/json";

					// Prepare requests params as JSON
					Dictionary<string, object> parameters = new Dictionary<string, object>();
					parameters.Add("name", Path.GetFileName(DestinationFile));
					parameters.Add("password", Password);
					parameters.Add("pages", Pages);
					parameters.Add("url", uploadedFileUrl);

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

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

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

					if (json["error"].ToObject<bool>() == false)
					{
						// Get URL of generated JSON file
						string resultFileUrl = json["url"].ToString();

						// Download JSON file
						webClient.DownloadFile(resultFileUrl, DestinationFile);

						Console.WriteLine("Generated JSON file saved as \"{0}\" file.", DestinationFile);
					}
					else
					{
						Console.WriteLine(json["message"].ToString());
					}
				}
				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>
    

Program Output

The output of this source code is as below. Please observe the input file and its output.

PDF.co API Endpoint

Now that we’ve reviewed the source code and also previewed the output GIF, let’s focus on PDF.co PDF to JSON API Endpoint.

Please visit PDF.co documentations for more parameters and the detailed usage information.

As you’ve observed, the PDF.co API key is passed in all request headers. This key is required for the authentication of the PDF.co request. You can get this key by signing up for PDF.co.

// Create standard .NET web client instance
WebClient webClient = new WebClient();

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

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