C# Class for Parsing Command Line Arguments

The ability to automate Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF via scripts is very powerful, but there may be times that running it directly from the command line is needed (We're sure a couple system administrators are nodding their heads right now).

Users who need to automate repetitive tasks may want to take a look at this C# class library posted at the Code Project (thanks to Richard Lopes for writing the library).

The post shows how to use the class library with C# to parse, store and retrieve the arguments from a command line .NET application. This, when combined with the various ways you can automate PDF conversions using Solid PDF Tools allows you to create custom tools to suit your needs.

Have any great ideas or code that you'd like to share? Please contact us with your feedback.

Exporting PDF Files to Excel via Scripts using Solid PDF Tools

Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF has the ability to export PDF files to Excel. In doing so tables in the PDF file are extracted and placed in a new Excel file.

This can be performed manually using our WYSIWYG PDF conversion interface.

However, what about when you need to automate this process? We suggest using scripts to control Solid PDF Tools when this is the case.

Below is an example script exporting a PDF file to Excel:

<</FileName (c:\\temp\\input.pdf) >> FileOpen
<< /Pages (1,3-4,6)
   /OutputFolder (c:\\temp\\)
   /LaunchViewer false >> ConvertToExcel
FileClose Exit

Not all of these options are required, but it does give you an idea of the flexibility that the tool offers.

If you haven't done so already we recommend that you read our first post on scripting using Solid Document software to get a better idea of how to use this in practice. You can also check out our scripting reference [pdf file] for additional information.

As always, we welcome you to contact us with any questions or ideas you have.

Scripting PDF/A Validation Using Solid PDF Tools

Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF is a very powerful product. Besides being able to validate PDF/A-1b compliance by converting PDF files to PDF/A using a GUI, you can also script this behavior.

Unlike most scripts that control our software, this one will be more complex:

<</FileName (c:\\temp\\document.pdf)>> FileOpen
<</FileName (c:\\archive\\document.pdf) /PdfA true>> FileSaveAs
FileClose Exit

Were you expecting things to be more complex than this? Don’t worry, you can tell your boss how complex this one was to do. We won’t tell them otherwise. ;)

Need more details? Please read more on scripting with Solid Documents software.

Have questions or suggestions on how to automate tasks with our software? Tell us how you use the scripting features of Solid Documents products to increase your productivity.

Scripting Solid PDF Tools to Extract Images from PDF Files

New to scripting with Solid Documents software? If so, please check out our first post on the subject.

One of the new features in Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF is the ability to script image extraction from PDF files. You can extract images as specific file types and select the location you wish the files to be extracted to.

Doing this is fairly simple, as you can see in the script below:

<</FileName (c:\\temp\\input.pdf) >> FileOpen

<</OutputFolder (c:\\output\\) 
   /ColorImageFormat/Tiff >> ExtractImages

<</FileName (c:\\temp\\input.pdf) >> FileOpen

<</OutputFolder (c:\\output\\) 
   /ColorImageFormat/Jpeg >> ExtractImages
FileClose Exit

The above example extracts each image in the PDF file twice; once as a TIFF file and once as a JPG file. After that it closes the PDF file and exits Solid PDF Tools.

Have any comments or questions? Please contact us with your feedback.

Scripting Solid PDF Tools to Create PDF Files.

Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF has many more features than any other PDF creation utility we have ever released. One of its new features is the ability to create PDF files via scripts.

We've added this feature because many of our customers have very repetitive tasks (invoicing, for example) and they need tools that may be automated to help perform them.

If you haven't read our first post on scripting with Solid Documents products we recommend that you do so now so that you can understand how to use the scripts below.

This script shows how to create PDF files from an array of two Word DOCs:

<</Input [(c:\\temp\\input1.doc) (c:\\temp\\input2.doc)]
   /Output [(c:\\temp\\output1.pdf) (c:\\temp\\output2.pdf)]
   >> Create
Exit

This isn't limited to just two files; you can do this for many more if needed:

<</Input [(c:\\temp\\input1.doc) 
   (c:\\temp\\input2.doc)
   (c:\\temp\\input3.doc)
   (c:\\temp\\input4.doc)
   (c:\\temp\\input5.doc)
   (c:\\temp\\input6.doc)
   (c:\\temp\\input7.doc)]

   /Output [(c:\\temp\\output1.pdf)
   (c:\\temp\\output2.pdf)
   (c:\\temp\\output3.pdf)
   (c:\\temp\\output4.pdf)
   (c:\\temp\\output5.pdf)
   (c:\\temp\\output6.pdf)
   (c:\\temp\\output7.pdf)]
   >> Create
Exit

Have any ideas or questions you'd like to share with us? Feel free to contact us.

Scripting using Solid Documents Products

One of the major changes we've made to our latest products (Solid Converter PDF to Word v4, Solid PDF Creator Plus and Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF) is the ability to script their behavior.

For example, you can convert a PDF file to DOC using the script below with Solid PDF Tools:

<</FileName (c:\\temp\\input.pdf) >> FileOpen
<</WordDocumentType/Doc
  /OutputFolder (c:\\temp\\)
  /ReconstructionMode/Flowing
  /LaunchViewer false>> ConvertToWord
FileClose Exit

The script above would typically be placed in a plain text file ending in sdscript and run with the command below:

SolidPDFTools.exe /i c:\PathToScript\script.sdscript /f script

Further details on how use this command as well as others can be found in our scripting reference [pdf file].

Have a question about how to script our software? Have an idea for a feature we haven't implemented yet? Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.