How to Convert PDF to Text from Uploaded File for PDF to Text API in PHP and PDF.co Web API

What is PDF.co Web API? It is the flexible Web API that includes full set of functions from e-signature requests to data extraction, OCR, images recognition, pdf splitting and pdf splitting. Can also generate barcodes and read barcodes from images, scans and pdf.

How to Convert PDF to Text from Uploaded File in PHP with Easy ByteScout Code Samples to Make PDF to Text API. Step-by-Step Tutorial

The coding tutorials are designed to help you test the features without the need to write your own code. PDF to text API in PHP can be implemented with PDF.co Web API. PDF.co Web API is the Rest API that provides a set of data extraction functions, and tools for document manipulation, splitting, and merging of PDF files. Includes built-in OCR, images recognition, can generate and read barcodes from images, scans and PDF.

PHP code samples for PHP developers help to speed up the application’s code writing when using PDF.co Web API. Follow the instruction and copy–paste code for PHP into your project’s code editor. Further enhancement of the code will make it more vigorous.

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pdf-to-text.php

      
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>PDF To Text Extraction Results</title>
</head>
<body>

<?php 
// Note: If you have input files large than 200kb we highly recommend to check "async" mode example.

// Get submitted form data
$apiKey = $_POST["apiKey"]; // The authentication key (API Key). Get your own by registering at https://app.pdf.co/documentation/api
$pages = $_POST["pages"];


// 1. RETRIEVE THE PRESIGNED URL TO UPLOAD THE FILE.
// * If you already have the direct PDF file link, go to the step 3.

// Create URL
$url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/file/upload/get-presigned-url" . 
    "?name=" . $_FILES["file"]["name"] .
    "&contenttype=application/octet-stream";
    
// Create request
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("x-api-key: " . $apiKey));
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
// Execute request
$result = curl_exec($curl);

if (curl_errno($curl) == 0)
{
    $status_code = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
    
    if ($status_code == 200)
    {
        $json = json_decode($result, true);
        
        // Get URL to use for the file upload
        $uploadFileUrl = $json["presignedUrl"];
        // Get URL of uploaded file to use with later API calls
        $uploadedFileUrl = $json["url"];
        
        // 2. UPLOAD THE FILE TO CLOUD.
        
        $localFile = $_FILES["file"]["tmp_name"];
        $fileHandle = fopen($localFile, "r");
        
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, $uploadFileUrl);
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("content-type: application/octet-stream"));
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_PUT, true);
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_INFILE, $fileHandle);
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_INFILESIZE, filesize($localFile));

        // Execute request
        curl_exec($curl);
        
        fclose($fileHandle);
        
        if (curl_errno($curl) == 0)
        {
            $status_code = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
            
            if ($status_code == 200)
            {
                // 3. CONVERT UPLOADED PDF FILE TO TEXT
                
                ExtractText($apiKey, $uploadedFileUrl, $pages);
            }
            else
            {
                // Display request error
                echo "<p>Status code: " . $status_code . "</p>"; 
                echo "<p>" . $result . "</p>"; 
            }
        }
        else
        {
            // Display CURL error
            echo "Error: " . curl_error($curl);
        }
    }
    else
    {
        // Display service reported error
        echo "<p>Status code: " . $status_code . "</p>"; 
        echo "<p>" . $result . "</p>"; 
    }
    
    curl_close($curl);
}
else
{
    // Display CURL error
    echo "Error: " . curl_error($curl);
}

function ExtractText($apiKey, $uploadedFileUrl, $pages) 
{
    // Create URL
    $url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/convert/to/text";
    
    // Prepare requests params
    $parameters = array();
    $parameters["url"] = $uploadedFileUrl;
    $parameters["pages"] = $pages;

    // Create Json payload
    $data = json_encode($parameters);

    // Create request
    $curl = curl_init();
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("x-api-key: " . $apiKey, "Content-type: application/json"));
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POST, true);
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $data);

    // Execute request
    $result = curl_exec($curl);
    
    if (curl_errno($curl) == 0)
    {
        $status_code = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
        
        if ($status_code == 200)
        {
            $json = json_decode($result, true);

            if ($json["error"] == false)
            {
                $resultFileUrl = $json["url"];
                
                // Display link to the file with conversion results
                echo "<div><h2>Conversion Result:</h2><a href='" . $resultFileUrl . "' target='_blank'>" . $resultFileUrl . "</a></div>";
            }
            else
            {
                // Display service reported error
                echo "<p>Error: " . $json["message"] . "</p>"; 
            }
        }
        else
        {
            // Display request error
            echo "<p>Status code: " . $status_code . "</p>"; 
            echo "<p>" . $result . "</p>"; 
        }
    }
    else
    {
        // Display CURL error
        echo "Error: " . curl_error($curl);
    }

    // Cleanup
    curl_close($curl);
}

?>

</body>
</html>

Extract PDF to Text in PHP using PDF.co Web API

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to convert PDF to Text with PDF extractor API using PHP programming language. First, I’m going to show you the sample PDF file that we are going to use for this tutorial. Now insert the HTML and PHP sample code into your compiler.

Once you’re done, you may now run the program into your local host. The program runs successfully, insert your API key into the textbox and attach the sample PDF file that you’re going to use. You will then be given a link where you can download your converted text.

PDF to Text in PHP

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