IText Pdf Reader with Images - itext

Question

I have the pdf which is of 2 column format. I am able to parse it to simple text, but these pdfs also have images in between . As a result my text output gets jumbled up for that specific page of the pdf which have images in between.
For example consider a 2 column page format
Image Text2
Image Image
Image Text3
Text1 Image
Text4
Output is
Text4 Text3 Text2 Text1 instead of Text1 Text2 Text3 Text4
Any solution for this to read the text in the proper order?
I am using the following code
public void parsePdf(String pdf, String txt) throws IOException {
PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(pdf);
PdfReaderContentParser parser = new PdfReaderContentParser(reader);
PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(new FileOutputStream(txt));
TextExtractionStrategy strategy;
for (int i = 76; i <= reader.getNumberOfPages(); i++) {
strategy = parser.processContent(i, new SimpleTextExtractionStrategy());
out.println(strategy.getResultantText());
}
out.flush();
out.close();
}

Answer 1

You are using the SimpleTextExtractionStrategy. This strategy assumes the letter groups in the page content are already in a sensible order. Try the LocationTextExtractionStrategy instead which sorts those letter groups.
You seem to prefer an interesting order, though. According to your question, you want to get Text1 Text2 Text3 Text4 for
Image Text2
Image Image
Image Text3
Text1 Image
Text4
The LocationTextExtractionStrategy will order top to bottom primarily, though, and only secondarily left to right. Thus, you'll get Text2 Text3 Text1 Text4. For your requirement you should copy LocationTextExtractionStrategy and change it to order the text fragments the way you need them.
If that desired order is due to the content being meant to be interpreted as being in two columns, though, you may want to parse the columns separately by filtering the strategy input:
Rectangle rect = new Rectangle(x1, y1, x2, y2);
RenderFilter filter = new RegionTextRenderFilter(rect);
TextExtractionStrategy strategy = new FilteredTextRenderListener(
new LocationTextExtractionStrategy(), filter);
Confer the iText in Action, 2nd edition example ExtractPageContentArea.
Regards, Michael