borb PDF Library

3.0.7 · active · verified Mon Apr 13

borb is a comprehensive Python library designed for reading, creating, and manipulating PDF files. It offers a wide range of functionalities from simple text and image handling to advanced layout management. The library is actively maintained with frequent patch releases, typically on a monthly or bi-monthly cadence, adding new features and improving robustness.

Warnings

breaking Major architectural changes in borb v3.0.0/v3.0.1, including the removal of the `Decimal` type for numeric operations and the integration of `Annotation` objects into the `LayoutElement` framework. Code written for borb v2.x will likely require significant modification.
Fix: Review the borb v3.x documentation and examples, particularly regarding numeric handling and the new `LayoutElement` paradigm for annotations and other page content.
gotcha Starting with v3.0.7, many advanced features (e.g., image processing, advanced text layout, generative AI integrations) are moved to optional 'extras'. A simple `pip install borb` will only install the core library. To access full functionality, you must install with `borb[full]` or specific feature groups like `borb[image,text]`.
Fix: Install borb with the `[full]` extra (`pip install borb[full]`) or specify the required feature groups (e.g., `pip install borb[image,text]`) to ensure all necessary dependencies are met for your use case.
gotcha Versions prior to v3.0.1 had packaging issues due to the inclusion of non-Python files, which could cause problems when attempting to package or deploy `borb` in certain environments.
Fix: Upgrade to borb v3.0.1 or newer. If forced to use an older version, consult borb's GitHub issues for potential workarounds for packaging non-Python assets.

Install

pip install borb Core library
pip install borb[full] With all optional features (images, text processing, AI)
pip install borb[image,text,genai] Specific optional features

Imports

Document

from borb.pdf.document.document import Document

Page
```
from borb.pdf.page.page import Page
```

Paragraph

from borb.pdf.canvas.layout.text.paragraph import Paragraph

Image

from borb.pdf.canvas.layout.image.image import Image

PDF
```
from borb.pdf.pdf import PDF
```

Rectangle

from borb.pdf.canvas.geometry.rectangle import Rectangle

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to create a simple PDF document containing 'Hello World!' text using borb. It initializes a Document, adds a Page, places a Paragraph using a bounding box, and saves the document to a file.

from borb.pdf.document.document import Document
from borb.pdf.page.page import Page
from borb.pdf.canvas.layout.text.paragraph import Paragraph
from borb.pdf.pdf import PDF
from borb.pdf.canvas.geometry.rectangle import Rectangle
import os

def create_hello_world_pdf():
    # Create a new Document
    pdf = Document()
    # Add a Page
    page = Page()
    pdf.add_page(page)

    # Add a Paragraph with 'Hello World!'
    page.add_layout_element(
        Paragraph(
            "Hello World! This is a borb generated PDF.",
            bounding_box=Rectangle(50, 700, 500, 50)
        )
    )

    # Define output path
    output_path = os.environ.get('BORB_OUTPUT_PATH', 'hello_borb.pdf')

    # Store the PDF to a file
    with open(output_path, "wb") as pdf_file_handle:
        PDF.add_document_to_file(pdf, pdf_file_handle)
    print(f"PDF saved to {output_path}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    create_hello_world_pdf()

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