Copying data from multiple pdf files - excel

Question

I have pdf files from which I would like to copy all the data to a column in a spreadsheet.
Here is the code I have. All it does is open the pdf, use control-a, then control-c to copy then activates the workbook, finds an open column and pastes the data with a control-v Sendkey.
I have a range with path names it opens and copies data from all but only pastes the last one.
Sub StartAdobe1()
Dim AdobeApp As String
Dim AdobeFile As String
Dim StartAdobe
Dim fname As Variant
Dim iRow As Integer
Dim Filename As String
For Each fname In Range("path")
AdobeApp = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"
StartAdobe = Shell("" & AdobeApp & " " & fname & "", 1)
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")
SendKeys "^a", True
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")
SendKeys "^c"
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")
SendKeys ("%{F4}")
Windows("transfer (Autosaved).xlsm").Activate
Worksheets("new").Activate
ActiveSheet.Range("A1").Select
Selection.End(xlToRight).Offset(0, 1).Select
SendKeys "^v"
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:2")
Next fname

Answer 1

Jeanno's right, if you have Acrobat then using its API library to work with the file directly is much better than the workarounds. I use this every day to convert pdf files into database entries.
Your code has a few problems, but I suspect the biggest issue is the use of SendKeys "^v" to paste into Excel. You're better off selecting the cell you want then using Selection.Paste. Or even better, transfer the contents of the clipboard to a variable, then parse it out as needed on the backend before writing to your spreadsheet--but that adds a bunch of complexity and doesn't help you a lot in this case.
To use the code below, be sure to select your 'Acrobat x.x Type Library' under Tools>References.
Sub StartAdobe1()
Dim fName As Variant
Dim wbTransfer As Excel.Workbook
Dim wsNew As Excel.Worksheet
Dim dOpenCol As Double
Dim oPDFApp As AcroApp
Dim oAVDoc As AcroAVDoc
Dim oPDDoc As AcroPDDoc
'Define your spreadsheet
Set wbTransfer = Workbooks("transfer (Autosaved).xlsm")
Set wsNew = wbTransfer.Sheets("new")
'Find first open column
dOpenCol = ws.Cells(1, columns.count).End(xlToleft).Column + 1
'Instantiate Acrobat Objects
Set oPDFApp = CreateObject("AcroExch.App")
Set oAVDoc = CreateObject("AcroExch.AVDoc")
Set oPDDoc = CreateObject("AcroExch.PDDoc")
For Each fName In Range("path")
'Open the PDF file. The AcroAVDoc.Open function returns a true/false
'to tell you if it worked
If oAVDoc.Open(fName.Text, "") = True Then
Set oPDDoc = oAVDoc.GetPDDoc
Else
Debug.Assert False
End If
'Copy all using Acrobat menu
oPDFApp.MenuItemExecute ("SelectAll")
oPDFApp.MenuItemExecute ("Copy")
'Paste into open column
wbTransfer.Activate
wsNew.Cells(1, dOpenCol).Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
'Select next open column
dOpenCol = dOpenCol + 1
oAVDoc.Close (1) '(1)=Do not save changes
oPDDoc.Close
Next
'Clean up
Set wbTransfer = Nothing
Set wsNew = Nothing
Set oPDFApp = Nothing
Set oAVDoc = Nothing
Set oPDDoc = Nothing
End Sub
Note:
1-There is also a menu item oPDFApp.MenuItemExecute ("CopyFileToClipboard") that should do the select all and copy in one step, but I have had problems with it so I stick to the two-step method above.
2-A pdf file consists of two objects, the oAVDoc and the oPDDoc. Different aspects of the file are controlled by each. In this case you might only need the oAVDoc. Try commenting out the lines dealing with oPDDoc and see if it works without them.

Answer 2

I can't quite get your code to work, but my guess is that it's copying all of the data, but overwriting it each time through the loop. To fix this try:
ActiveSheet.Cells(1, ActiveSheet.Cells(1, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column + 1).Select
instead of the two lines that begin activesheet.range("A1").Select and Selection.End....

Answer 3

try this code this might work:
Sub Shell_Copy_Paste()
Dim o As Variant
Dim wkSheet As Worksheet
Set wkSheet = ActiveSheet
o = Shell("C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe C:\Users\saurabh.ad.sharma\Desktop\red.pdf", vbNormalFocus)
Application.Wait (Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 2)) 'Wait for Acrobat to load
SendKeys "^a" 'Select All
SendKeys "^c" 'Copy
SendKeys "%{F4}" 'Close shell application
wkSheet.Range("B5").Select
SendKeys "^v" 'Paste
End Sub

Answer 4

BELOW CODE WILL COPY DATA FROM PDF & will PASTE IT IN WORD THEN COPY DATA FROM WORD AND THEN PASTE IT TO THE EXCEL .
NOW Why I am copying data from pdf to word & then copying from word and pasting it to the excel because i want the data from the pdf in exact format to my excel sheet if i copy directly from pdf to excel it will paste the whole data from pdf into a single cell means even if i am having two columns or multiple rows it will paste all of my data into one column and that too in single cell but if i copy from word to excel it will retain its original format and two columns will get pasted as two columns only in excel.
Private Sub CommandButton3_Click() '(load pdf)
Dim o As Variant
Set appWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
o = Shell("C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe C:\Users\saurabh.ad.sharma\Desktop\Book1.pdf", vbNormalFocus) 'loading adobe reader & pdf file from their location
Application.Wait (Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 2))
SendKeys ("^a")
SendKeys ("^c")
SendKeys "%{F4}"
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")
Set appWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
appWord.Visible = True
appWord.Documents.Add.Content.Paste
With appWord
.ActiveDocument.SaveAs Filename:=ThisWorkbook.Path & "\pdf" & ".docx", FileFormat:=wdocument 'saving word file in docx format
.ActiveWindow.Close
.Quit
End With
MsgBox " pdf is loaded "
MsgBox " Paste to EXCEL "
Set appWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
appWord.Visible = True
appWord.Documents.Open "C:\Users\saurabh.ad.sharma\Desktop\pdf.docx" 'opening word document
appWord.Selection.WholeStory
appWord.Selection.Copy
Set wkSheet = ActiveSheet
wkSheet.Range("A1").Select
wkSheet.Paste 'pasting to the excel file
End Sub

Answer 5

This is the more modified version of my above code it will not save any document it will save data in clipboard and will do the execution fast..
Private Sub CommandButton3_Click() '(load pdf)
Dim o As Variant
Set appWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
o = Shell("C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe C:\Users\saurabh.ad.sharma\Desktop\Book1.pdf2", vbNormalFocus)
Application.Wait (Now + TimeSerial(0, 0, 2))
SendKeys ("^a")
SendKeys ("^c")
SendKeys "%{F4}"
Application.Wait Now + TimeValue("00:00:01")
Set appWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
appWord.Visible = False
appWord.Documents.Add.Content.Paste
With appWord
.Selection.WholeStory
.Selection.Copy
.ActiveDocument.Close SaveChanges:=wdDoNotSaveChanges
.Quit
End With
MsgBox " pdf is loaded "
MsgBox " Paste to EXCEL "
Set wkSheet = ActiveSheet
wkSheet.Range("A1").Select
wkSheet.Paste
End Sub

Answer 6

I had similar problem. The best solution is, as it was mentioned before, to use Adobe API. In my case it was impossible because macro was intended for 100+ users without Adobe Pro on their PC.
Ultimate solution that I have developed recently was to build converted in C# (for free using Visual Studio and iText library), install it on end users computers and run whenever I need via VBA. Here are some links for more guidance:
How to develop pdf converter in C#: link
How to create Excel Addin in C#: link
How to run C# addin from VBA: link
Overall it's fairly complicated but once done works like a dream.
Another solution as mentioned before is to use sendkeys in VBA. My experience is that it requires some optimization to handle various opening and copying times (depending on file size). Below is code that worked for me, however it's not even near that fast and stable as C# converter.
Private Declare PtrSafe Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As LongPtr) 'Initialize sleep function via Windows API
Public Sub CopyToSheet(destinationSheet As Worksheet, pathToPdf as String)
'Copy data from PDF to worksheet
'Initialize timer
Dim StartTime As Double
StartTime = Timer
'Clear clipboard
Dim myData As DataObject
Set myData = New DataObject
myData.SetText text:=Empty
myData.PutInClipboard
Set myData = Nothing
'Build file paths
Dim pathToAdobe As String
pathToAdobe = """C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"""
pathToPdf = """" & pathToPdf & """"
'Open PDF and wait untill it is open. If file is already opened it will be just activated
Dim pdfId As Long
pdfId = Shell(pathToAdobe & " " & pathToPdf, vbMaximizedFocus)
Do
Sleep (500)
If Round(Timer - StartTime, 2) > 9 Then MsgBox "Failed to open PDF": Exit Sub 'Safety check
Loop Until Me.IsPdfOpen(pathToPdf)
'Copy and wait until copying is completed
SendKeys "^a"
SendKeys "^c"
Do
Sleep (500)
If Round(Timer - StartTime, 2) > 18 Then MsgBox "Failed to copy data to clipboard": Exit Sub 'Safety check
Loop Until Me.GetClipboardStatus = "ClipboardHasData"
'Paste data into worksheet
destinationSheet.Activate
destinationSheet.Range("A1").Select
destinationSheet.Paste
'Close pdf
Call Shell("TaskKill /F /PID " & CStr(pdfId), vbHide)
'Clear clipboard
Set myData = New DataObject
myData.SetText text:=Empty
myData.PutInClipboard
Set myData = Nothing
End Sub
Function IsPdfOpen(pathToPdf) As Boolean
'Check if PDF is already opened
'Build window name (window name is name of the application on Windows task bar)
Dim windowName As String
windowName = pathToPdf
windowName = Mid(windowName, InStrRev(windowName, "\") + 1, Len(windowName) - InStrRev(windowName, "\") + 1)
windowName = windowName + " - Adobe Acrobat Reader DC"
'Try to activate application to check if is opened
On Error Resume Next
AppActivate windowName, True
Select Case Err.Number
Case 5: IsPdfOpen = False
Case 0: IsPdfOpen = True
Case Else: Debug.Assert False
End Select
On Error GoTo 0
End Function
Function GetClipboardStatus() As String
'Check if copying data to clipboard is completed
Dim tempString As String
Dim myData As DataObject
'Try to put data from clipboard to string to check if operations on clipboard are completed
On Error Resume Next
Set myData = New DataObject
myData.GetFromClipboard
tempString = myData.GetText(1)
If Err.Number = 0 Then
If tempString = "" Then
GetClipboardStatus = "ClipboardEmpty"
Else
GetClipboardStatus = "ClipboardHasData"
End If
Else
GetClipboardStatus = "ClipboardBusy"
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Set myData = Nothing
End Function