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iText7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF)

PDF is a portable document format created by Adobe Acrobat Reader, widely used for sharing information digitally over the internet. It preserves the formatting of data and provides features like setting security permissions and password protection. As a C# developer, you may have encountered scenarios where integrating PDF functionality into your software application is necessary. Building it from scratch can be a time-consuming and tedious task. Therefore, considering the performance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the application, the trade-off between creating a new service from scratch or using a prebuilt library is significant.

There are several PDF libraries available for C#. In this article, we will explore two of the most popular PDF libraries for reading PDF documents in C#.

iText software

iText 7, formerly known as iText 7 Core, is a PDF library to program PDF documents in .NET C# and Java. It is available as an open source license (AGPL) and can be licensed for commercial applications.

iText Core is a high-level API that provides easy methods to generate and edit PDFs in all possible ways. With iText 7 Core, you can split, merge, annotate, fill forms, digitally sign, and do much more on PDF files. iText 7 provides an HTML to PDF converter.

IronPDF

Learn more about IronPDF is a .NET and .NET Framework C# and Java API used for generating PDF documents from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript either from a URL, HTML files, or HTML strings. IronPDF allows you to manipulate existing PDF files like splitting, merging, annotating, digitally signing, and much more.

IronPDF is enriched with 50+ features to create, read, and edit PDF files. It prioritizes speed, ease of use, and accuracy when you need to deliver high-quality, pixel-perfect professional PDF files with Adobe Acrobat Reader. The API is well documented, and a lot of sample source code can be found on its code examples page.

Create a Console Application

We are going to use Visual Studio 2022 IDE for creating an application to start with. Visual Studio is the official IDE for C# development, and you must have it installed. You can download it from the Microsoft Visual Studio website if not installed.

The following steps will create a new project named "DemoApp".

  1. Open Visual Studio and click on "Create a New Project".

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 1 - New project

  2. Select "Console Application" and click "Next".

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 2

  3. Set the name of the project.

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 3

  4. Select the .NET version. Choose the stable version .NET 6.0.

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 4

Install IronPDF Library

Once the project is created, the IronPDF library needs to be installed in the project to use it. Follow these steps to install it.

  1. Open NuGet Package Manager, either from solution explorer or Tools.

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 5

  2. Browse for IronPDF Library and select it for the current project. Click Install.

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 6

Add the following namespace at the top of Program.cs file:

using IronPdf;
using IronPdf;
Imports IronPdf
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Install iText 7 Library

Once the project is created, the iText 7 library needs to be installed in the project to use it. Follow the steps to install it.

  1. Open NuGet Package Manager either from solution explorer or Tools.

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 7

  2. Browse for iText 7 Library and select it for the current project. Click install.

    Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 8

Add the following namespaces at the top of Program.cs file:

using iText.Kernel.Pdf.Canvas.Parser.Listener;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf.Canvas.Parser;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf.Canvas.Parser.Listener;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf.Canvas.Parser;
using iText.Kernel.Pdf;
Imports iText.Kernel.Pdf.Canvas.Parser.Listener
Imports iText.Kernel.Pdf.Canvas.Parser
Imports iText.Kernel.Pdf
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Open PDF files

We are going to use the following PDF file to extract text from it. It is a two-page PDF document.

Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 9

Using iText library

To open a PDF file using the iText library is a two-step process. First, we create a PdfReader object and pass the file location as a parameter. Then we use the PdfDocument class to create a new PDF document. The code goes as follows:

// Initialize a reader instance by specifying the path of the PDF file
PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader("sample.pdf");

// Initialize a document instance using the PdfReader
PdfDocument pdfDoc = new PdfDocument(pdfReader);
// Initialize a reader instance by specifying the path of the PDF file
PdfReader pdfReader = new PdfReader("sample.pdf");

// Initialize a document instance using the PdfReader
PdfDocument pdfDoc = new PdfDocument(pdfReader);
' Initialize a reader instance by specifying the path of the PDF file
Dim pdfReader As New PdfReader("sample.pdf")

' Initialize a document instance using the PdfReader
Dim pdfDoc As New PdfDocument(pdfReader)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Using IronPDF

Opening PDF files using IronPDF is easy. Use the PdfDocument class's FromFile method to open PDFs from any file location. The following one-line code opens a PDF file for reading data:

// Open a PDF file using IronPDF and create a PdfDocument instance
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("sample.pdf");
// Open a PDF file using IronPDF and create a PdfDocument instance
var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("sample.pdf");
' Open a PDF file using IronPDF and create a PdfDocument instance
Dim pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("sample.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Read Data from PDF files

Using iText7 library

To read PDF data is not that straightforward in the iText 7 library. We have to manually loop through each page of the PDF document to extract text from each page. The following source code helps to extract text from the PDF document page by page:

// Iterate through each page and extract text
for (int page = 1; page <= pdfDoc.GetNumberOfPages(); page++)
{
    // Define the text extraction strategy
    ITextExtractionStrategy strategy = new SimpleTextExtractionStrategy();

    // Extract text from the current page using the strategy
    string pageContent = PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(pdfDoc.GetPage(page), strategy);

    // Output the extracted text to the console
    Console.WriteLine(pageContent);
}

// Close document and reader to release resources
pdfDoc.Close();
pdfReader.Close();
// Iterate through each page and extract text
for (int page = 1; page <= pdfDoc.GetNumberOfPages(); page++)
{
    // Define the text extraction strategy
    ITextExtractionStrategy strategy = new SimpleTextExtractionStrategy();

    // Extract text from the current page using the strategy
    string pageContent = PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(pdfDoc.GetPage(page), strategy);

    // Output the extracted text to the console
    Console.WriteLine(pageContent);
}

// Close document and reader to release resources
pdfDoc.Close();
pdfReader.Close();
' Iterate through each page and extract text
Dim page As Integer = 1
Do While page <= pdfDoc.GetNumberOfPages()
	' Define the text extraction strategy
	Dim strategy As ITextExtractionStrategy = New SimpleTextExtractionStrategy()

	' Extract text from the current page using the strategy
	Dim pageContent As String = PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(pdfDoc.GetPage(page), strategy)

	' Output the extracted text to the console
	Console.WriteLine(pageContent)
	page += 1
Loop

' Close document and reader to release resources
pdfDoc.Close()
pdfReader.Close()
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

There is a lot going on in the code above. First, we declare the Text Extraction Strategy, and then we use the PdfExtractor class's GetTextFromPage method to read text. This method accepts two parameters: the first one is the PDF document page, and the second one is the strategy. To get the PDF document page, use the instance of PdfDocument to call the GetPage method and pass the page number as a parameter. The output is returned as a string, which is then displayed on the console output screen. Finally, the PDFReader and PdfDocument objects are closed. Also, look at the following code example on extracting text from PDF using iText7.

Output

Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 10

Using IronPDF

Just like opening the PDF file was one line of code, similarly, reading text from a PDF file is also a one-line process. The PDFDocument class provides the ExtractAllText method to read the entire content from the PDF. Console.WriteLine is used to print the text on the screen. The code is as follows:

// Extract all text from the PDF document
string text = pdf.ExtractAllText();

// Display the extracted text
Console.WriteLine(text);
// Extract all text from the PDF document
string text = pdf.ExtractAllText();

// Display the extracted text
Console.WriteLine(text);
' Extract all text from the PDF document
Dim text As String = pdf.ExtractAllText()

' Display the extracted text
Console.WriteLine(text)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Output

Itext7 Read PDF in C# Alternatives (VS IronPDF) Figure 11

The output is accurate and without any errors. However, to use the ExtractAllText method, you need to have a license as it only works in production mode. You can get your trial license key for 30 days from the IronPDF trial license page.

Comparison

In comparison, both libraries give 100% accurate results while extracting text from a PDF document. They are identical when it comes to accuracy. However, IronPDF is more efficient in terms of performance and code readability.

IronPDF only takes two lines of code to achieve the same task as iText. It provides text extraction methods out of the box without any extra logic to be implemented. iText code is a bit tricky, and you have to close the two instances created at the time of opening a PDF document. Whereas, IronPDF clears the memory automatically once the task is performed.

Summary

In this article, we looked at how to read PDF documents using the iText library in C# and then compared it with IronPDF. Both libraries give accurate results and provide numerous PDF manipulation methods to work with. You can create, edit, and read data from PDF files using both of these libraries.

iText is open source and free to use but with restrictions. It can be licensed for commercial use. IronPDF is also free to use and can be licensed for commercial activities with a 30-day free trial available.

Download IronPDF and give it a try.

Please noteiText 7 is a registered trademark of its respective owner. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by iText 7. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Comparisons are for informational purposes only and reflect publicly available information at the time of writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IronPDF and how does it compare to iText 7?

IronPDF is a .NET library designed for generating and manipulating PDF documents from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Compared to iText 7, IronPDF emphasizes speed, ease of use, and accuracy, requiring fewer lines of code to achieve PDF tasks.

How can I convert HTML to PDF in C#?

You can use IronPDF's RenderHtmlAsPdf method to convert HTML strings into PDFs. Additionally, you can convert HTML files into PDFs using RenderHtmlFileAsPdf.

What are the installation steps for IronPDF in a C# project?

To install IronPDF in a C# project, open the NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio, search for IronPDF, select it for your project, and click Install. Include using IronPdf; at the top of your C# file.

How do I extract text from a PDF using IronPDF?

To extract text from a PDF using IronPDF, utilize the PdfDocument class's FromFile method to load the PDF, followed by the ExtractAllText method to retrieve the text.

What are some troubleshooting tips for using IronPDF?

Ensure IronPDF is correctly installed via NuGet and that the proper namespaces are included in your C# file. Verify the file paths and ensure that the HTML content is well-formed if converting HTML to PDF.

Can IronPDF handle PDF forms and annotations?

Yes, IronPDF supports features such as filling forms and adding annotations to PDFs, allowing you to create interactive and dynamic PDF documents.

Is IronPDF free to use?

IronPDF offers a free version with limited features and a 30-day free trial for its commercial version, which provides a full range of functionalities.

What are the limitations of using iText 7 for PDF manipulation?

While iText 7 is a robust PDF library, it requires additional logic for certain tasks like text extraction, which can result in more complex and lengthy code compared to IronPDF.

Chipego
Software Engineer
Chipego has a natural skill for listening that helps him to comprehend customer issues, and offer intelligent solutions. He joined the Iron Software team in 2023, after studying a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. IronPDF and IronOCR are the two products Chipego has been focusing on, but his knowledge of ...Read More