PDF Tables for PHP

Send PDF documents to PDF Tables, via their API to convert, into CSV, XML, or Excel format. Setup is configured for a Mac environment out-of-box but should work on Linux installs and Windows 10 installs that have the Creators Update installed (for *nix command line).

Installation

1. Download the latest release.
2. Change configuration values in the main class to your liking.
3. Dance and rejoice - you're finished.
4. Use this script on-demand or part of an automated process (see below for usage notes).

On-Demand Usage

For on-demand use, double click the start_conversion.command file. You may have to make this file executable; do this via the terminal with a command like this: chmod +x start_conversion.command.

Use in Automated Process

For automated use (by using a tool like Noodlesoft's Hazel), setup a workflow to watch a folder and execute the same start_conversion.command file. This can be powerful when part of a Google Drive folder or Dropbox folder.

Alternatively in a server environment, you could make use of a cron job to execute the .command file via the sh command. Or even better, remove the start_conversion.command and make use of PHP_Tables_PHP::run() method within a PHP environment.

Purpose, Support, Guarantees (spoiler: there are none)

• This script was developed for a very particular use and client. As such it probably won't be completely plug 'n play but can be modified to work in part of a standalone complex use case or automated process with some editing.
• Never, ever, ever save credentials or API keys to a git history. Ever.
• There are no guarantees that this will work for your use case, but with that in mind if you run into problems please open a new issue and I'll be sure to take a look when I can. Or even better, open a pull request to fix the issue yourself.
• This script is part of an ongoing push to publish more and more of the specialized tools I makes for clients in the hopes that even a single person could benefit from this. If you find this useful, let me know ;-)

Possible Roadmap (TBD)

• Composer package for easier integration into PHP environments.
• Simple UI for standalone version running on a local PHP server.
• Better default folder structure and naming for less ambiguity.