KeyView 23.4

# Filter PDF Files to a Logical Reading Order

The PDF format is primarily designed for presentation and printing of brochures, magazines, forms, reports, and other materials with complex visual designs. Most PDF files do not contain the logical structure of the original document—the correct reading order, for example, and the presence and meaning of significant elements such as headers, footers, columns, tables, and so on.

KeyView can filter a PDF file either by using the file's internal unstructured paragraph flow, or by applying a structure to the paragraphs to reproduce the logical reading order of the visual page. Logical reading order enables KeyView to output PDF files that contain languages that read from right-to-left (such as Hebrew and Arabic) in the correct reading direction.

NOTE: The algorithm used to reproduce the reading order of a PDF page is based on common page layouts. The paragraph flow generated for PDFs with unique or complex page designs might not emulate the original reading order exactly.

For example, page design elements such as drop caps, callouts that cross column boundaries, and significant changes in font size might disrupt the logical flow of the output text.

By default, KeyView produces an unstructured text stream for PDF files. This means that PDF paragraphs are extracted in the order in which they are stored in the file, not the order in which they appear on the visual page. For example, a three-column article could be output with the headers and title at the end of the output file, and the second column extracted before the first column. Although this output does not represent a logical reading order, it accurately reflects the internal structure of the PDF.

You can configure KeyView to produce a structured text stream that flows in a specified direction. This means that PDF paragraphs are extracted in the order (logical reading order) and direction (left-to-right or right-to-left) in which they appear on the page.

The following paragraph direction options are available:

Paragraph Direction Option | Description
--- | ---
Left-to-right | Paragraphs flow logically and read from left to right. You should specify this option when most of your documents are in a language that uses a left-to-right reading order, such as English or German.
Right-to-left | Paragraphs flow logically and read from right to left. You should specify this option when most of your documents are in a language that uses a right-to-left reading order, such as Hebrew or Arabic.
Dynamic | Paragraphs flow logically. The PDF filter determines the paragraph direction for each PDF page, and then sets the direction accordingly. Filter uses this option when a paragraph direction is not specified.

NOTE: Filtering might be slower when logical reading order is enabled. For optimal speed, use an unstructured paragraph flow.

The paragraph direction options control the direction of paragraphs on a page; they do not control the text direction in a paragraph. For example, a PDF file might contain English paragraphs in three columns that read from left to right, but 80% of the second paragraph might contain Hebrew characters. If the left-to-right logical reading order is enabled, the paragraphs are ordered logically in the output—title paragraph, then paragraph 1, 2, 3, and so on—and flow from the top left of the first column to the bottom right of the third column. However, the text direction of the second paragraph is determined independently of the page by the PDF filter, and is output from right to left.

NOTE: Extraction of metadata is not affected by the paragraph direction setting. The characters and words in metadata fields are extracted in the correct reading direction regardless of whether logical reading order is enabled.

## Enable Logical Reading Order

You can enable logical reading order by using either the API or the `formats.ini` file. Setting the paragraph direction in the API overrides the setting in the `formats.ini` file.

## Use the API

To enable PDF logical reading order in the API, use the `PDFLogicalOrder` property, and set the `orderFlag` argument to one of the following flags:

Flag | Description
--- | ---
`PDF_LOGICAL_ORDER_LTR` | Logical reading order and left-to-right paragraph direction
`PDF_LOGICAL_ORDER_RTL` | Logical reading order and right-to-left paragraph direction
`PDF_LOGICAL_ORDER_AUTO` | Logical reading order. The PDF reader determines the paragraph direction for each PDF page, and then sets the direction accordingly. Filter uses this option when a paragraph direction is not specified.
`PDF_LOGICAL_ORDER_RAW` | Unstructured paragraph flow. This is the default behavior. If logical reading order is enabled, and you want to return to an unstructured paragraph flow, set this flag.

For example:

    objFilter.PDFLogicalOrder=FilterConstant.PDFFileConstant.PDF_LOGICAL_ORDER_LTR;

## Use the formats.ini File

The `formats.ini` file is in the directory `install\OS\bin`, where `install` is the path name of the Filter installation directory and `OS` is the name of the operating system.

To enable logical reading order by using the `formats.ini` file

1. Change the PDF reader entry in the `[Formats]` section of the `formats.ini` file as follows:

       [Formats]
       230=lpdf

2. Optionally, add the following section to the end of the `formats.ini` file:

       [pdf_flags]
       pdf_direction=paragraph_direction

   where `paragraph_direction` is one of the following:

   Flag | Description
   --- | ---
   `LPDF_LTR` | Left-to-right paragraph direction
   `LPDF_RTL` | Right-to-left paragraph direction
   `LPDF_AUTO` | The PDF filter determines the paragraph direction for each PDF page, and then sets the direction accordingly. Filter uses this option when a paragraph direction is not specified.
   `LPDF_RAW` | Unstructured paragraph flow. This is the default behavior. If logical reading order is enabled, and you want to return to an unstructured paragraph flow, set this flag.

Copyright 2016-2023 Open Text
Version 23.4 | Last updated September 2023

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Product: IDOL KeyView 23.4

Topic Title: Filter PDF Files to a Logical Reading Order