Date:         Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:28:55 -0400
Reply-To:     Nathaniel.Wooding@DOM.COM
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Nat Wooding <Nathaniel.Wooding@DOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: GhostScript conversion of PDF
In-Reply-To:  <200907271613.n6RAkXJT018278@malibu.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Kevin

I had a situation a few years ago in which I had to suck data from a lot of
PDFs but I was not concerned with the preservation of columns.
Unfortunately, all of that material is at home so I cannot check it from
the office.

More recently, I had to update the work and used a different PDF reader
(again, I will need to check at home) which I found though a web search.
The newer software would convert all of the PDFs in a folder in one pass
which made life a lot easier.

If no one gives you an answer this afternoon, I'll try to check tonight and
see what my files at home show.

Nat

Nat Wooding
Environmental Specialist III
Dominion, Environmental Biology
4111 Castlewood Rd
Richmond, VA 23234
Phone:804-271-5313, Fax: 804-271-2977
       Cel Phone: 804-205-0752



             Kevin Viel
             <citam.sasl@GMAIL
             .COM>                                                      To
             Sent by: "SAS(r)          SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
             Discussion"                                                cc
             <SAS-L@LISTSERV.U
             GA.EDU>                                               Subject
                                       GhostScript conversion of PDF

             07/27/2009 12:13
             PM


             Please respond to
                Kevin Viel
             <citam.sasl@GMAIL
                   .COM>






I have a number of PDF files of moderate size from a report.  I create a
text file using the "Save as Text" in Adobe Reader.  It did not preserve
columns.  The unfortunate layout of one file is tabular, with three fields
per column.  If a value is missing, after the conversion, I am stuck with a
shift, so that I do not know to what variable a value goes.

Would the use of PDF2ASCII in GhostScript preserve the columnar nature of
these data?

Thanks,

Kevin

PS Adobe is lauded, but locking up data from computers seems to be very,
very short-sighted....


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