How to use the command 'tabula' (with examples)

The ’tabula’ command is a tool that allows users to extract tables from PDF files. It provides various options to customize the extraction process, such as choosing the output format, selecting specific pages, and determining cell boundaries.

Use case 1: Extract all tables from a PDF to a CSV file

Code:

tabula -o file.csv file.pdf

Motivation: In some cases, it may be necessary to extract tables from a PDF and convert them into a more easily readable and manipulable format, such as a CSV file. This can be helpful when performing data analysis or processing.

Explanation:

• -o file.csv specifies that the output should be saved in a CSV file named file.csv.
• file.pdf is the input PDF file from which the tables will be extracted.

Example output: A CSV file named file.csv containing the extracted tables from the PDF.

Use case 2: Extract all tables from a PDF to a JSON file

Code:

tabula --format JSON -o file.json file.pdf

Motivation: JSON is a widely used data interchange format and can be easily processed and analyzed using various programming languages and tools. Extracting tables from a PDF to a JSON file allows for flexible data manipulation and integration with other systems.

Explanation:

• --format JSON specifies that the output should be in JSON format.
• -o file.json defines the output file as file.json.
• file.pdf is the input PDF file from which the tables will be extracted.

Example output: A JSON file named file.json containing the extracted tables in JSON format.

Use case 3: Extract tables from pages 1, 2, 3, and 6 of a PDF

Code:

tabula --pages 1-3,6 file.pdf

Motivation: Sometimes, only specific pages of a PDF contain the desired tables. Extracting tables from these specific pages can save time and resources by avoiding the extraction of unnecessary data.

Explanation:

• --pages 1-3,6 specifies the page range to extract tables from as pages 1, 2, 3, and 6.
• file.pdf is the input PDF file from which the tables will be extracted.

Example output: Tables extracted from pages 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the PDF.

Use case 4: Extract tables from page 1 of a PDF, guessing which portion of the page to examine

Code:

tabula --guess --pages 1 file.pdf

Motivation: In some cases, the tables within a PDF may not have clear boundaries. By using the --guess option, ’tabula’ will attempt to determine the table boundaries automatically, based on the layout of the page. This can be helpful when the desired tables have irregular or complex structures.

Explanation:

• --guess enables the algorithm to automatically determine table boundaries based on the layout of the page.
• --pages 1 specifies that tables should be extracted from page 1 only.
• file.pdf is the input PDF file from which the tables will be extracted.

Example output: Tables extracted from page 1 of the PDF, with cell boundaries determined based on the layout of the page.

Use case 5: Extract all tables from a PDF, using ruling lines to determine cell boundaries

Code:

tabula --spreadsheet file.pdf

Motivation: PDFs often contain grid-like structures, especially when they are scanned documents or reports. By using the --spreadsheet option, ’tabula’ can analyze ruling lines to determine cell boundaries accurately, resulting in tables that resemble spreadsheets.

Explanation:

• --spreadsheet enables the algorithm to use ruling lines to determine cell boundaries.
• file.pdf is the input PDF file from which the tables will be extracted.

Example output: Tables extracted from the PDF, with cell boundaries determined using ruling lines, resulting in a spreadsheet-like format.

Use case 6: Extract all tables from a PDF, using blank space to determine cell boundaries

Code:

tabula --no-spreadsheet file.pdf

Motivation: Some PDFs may contain tables without any visible ruling lines, making it difficult to determine the boundaries of the cells. By using the --no-spreadsheet option, ’tabula’ treats empty space between text as a delimiter, allowing for the extraction of tables with more flexible cell boundaries.

Explanation:

• --no-spreadsheet instructs ’tabula’ to determine cell boundaries based on blank space between text.
• file.pdf is the input PDF file from which the tables will be extracted.

Example output: Tables extracted from the PDF, with cell boundaries determined based on the blank space between text, resulting in tables with more flexible cell boundaries.

Conclusion:

The ’tabula’ command provides extensive functionality for extracting tables from PDF files. Whether you want to extract tables to a CSV or JSON file, specify specific pages, or determine cell boundaries automatically using ruling lines or blank space, ’tabula’ gives you the flexibility to tailor the extraction process to your requirements.