py-pdf/pypdf

Ligature issue when converting PDF to text

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#1,351 opened on Sep 16, 2022

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 (6 comments) (3 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (1,258 forks)batch import
help wantedis-bugworkflow-text-extraction

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Description

I am having a ligature issue with this PDF. 'fi', 'fl' and 'ff' characters are returning NULL

#598 is similar to this issue.

MVCE: Code + PDF

from PyPDF2 import PdfReader

reader = PdfReader("Inspection_redacted.pdf")
for page in reader.pages:
    print(page.extract_text())

PDF

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate how PyPDF2 handles ligature characters during text extraction and trace the code path that processes glyphs. Look at issue #598 for a similar fix.
Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
PythonGit
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
70