Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.etla.org!news.stack.nl!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.003 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'binary': 0.07; 'error:': 0.07; 'received:mail.rr.com': 0.07; 'encode': 0.09; 'indexes': 0.09; 'newline': 0.09; 'objects,': 0.09; 'subject:module': 0.09; 'subject:question': 0.10; 'api': 0.11; "'rb')": 0.16; 'binary,': 0.16; 'binary.': 0.16; 'offsets': 0.16; 'received:10.128': 0.16; 'received:71.74': 0.16; 'received:71.74.56': 0.16; 'received :hrndva-omtalb.mail.rr.com': 0.16; 'set,': 0.16; 'typeerror:': 0.16; 'appropriate': 0.16; 'bit': 0.19; 'split': 0.19; 'import': 0.22; 'case.': 0.24; "doesn't": 0.30; 'characters': 0.30; 'gives': 0.31; 'lines': 0.31; "skip:' 10": 0.31; 'usually': 0.31; 'thanks!': 0.32; 'another': 0.32; 'text': 0.33; 'received:rr.com': 0.33; 'except': 0.35; 'case,': 0.35; 'convert': 0.35; 'objects': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'possible': 0.36; 'should': 0.36; 'example,': 0.37; 'skip:- 20': 0.37; 'received:10': 0.37; 'christian': 0.38; 'thank': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pdf': 0.39; 'received:71': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'skip:p 20': 0.39; 'read': 0.60; 'most': 0.60; 'from:no real name:2**0': 0.61; 'break': 0.61; 'skip:o 30': 0.61; 'first': 0.61; 'such': 0.63; 'therefore': 0.72; 'funny': 0.74; 'pdf.': 0.84; 'rusi': 0.91 Authentication-Results: hrndva-omtalb.mail.rr.com smtp.user=jyoung79@kc.rr.com; auth=pass (LOGIN) X-Authority-Analysis: v=2.0 cv=Du3UCRD+ c=1 sm=0 a=05ChyHeVI94A:10 a=IkcTkHD0fZMA:10 a=ayC55rCoAAAA:8 a=KGjhK52YXX0A:10 a=5_gfI98ybrwA:10 a=r9KjfefjOmqKuQZLOZ8A:9 a=QEXdDO2ut3YA:10 a=CgQWzgnTVNMdl59y9Vr9mg==:117 X-Cloudmark-Score: 0 X-Authenticated-User: jyoung79@kc.rr.com Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 11:15:20 -0500 From: To: python-list@python.org Subject: RE: io module and pdf question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Sensitivity: Normal X-Originating-IP: X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 41 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1372176924 news.xs4all.nl 15903 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:43447 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:49171 Thank you Rusi and Christian! So it sounds like I should read the pdf data in as binary: -------------------- import os pdfPath = '~/Desktop/test.pdf' colorlistData = '' with open(os.path.expanduser(pdfPath), 'rb') as f: for i in f: if 'XYZ:colorList' in i: colorlistData = i.split('XYZ:colorList')[1] break print(colorlistData) -------------------- This gives me the error: TypeError: Type str doesn't support the buffer API I admit I know nothing about binary, except it's ones and zeroes. Is there a way to read it in as binary, convert it to ascii/unicode, and then somehow split it by newline characters so that I can pull the appropriate metadata lines out? For example, XYZ:colorList="DarkBlue,Yellow" Thanks! Jay -- > Most of the PDF objects are therefore not encoded. It is, however, > possible to include a PDF into another PDF and to encode it, but that's > a rare case. Therefore the metadata can usually be read in text mode. > However, to correctly find all objects, the xref-table indexes offsets > into the PDF. It must be treated binary in any case, and that's the > funny reason for the first 3 characters of the PDF - they must include > characters with the 8th bit set, such that FTP applications treat it as > binary. > Christian