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GroupDocs.Parser provides functionality to extract highlights - text fragments with surrounding context. This feature is useful for creating search result previews, text snippets, and contextual excerpts.
- GroupDocs.Parser for Python via .NET installed
- Sample documents for testing
- Understanding of text positioning concepts
Highlights are text fragments extracted from a document at a specific position, including:
- Text: The main text content
- Position: Character position in the document
- Context: Surrounding text before and after
To extract a highlight from a specific position:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import HighlightOptions
# Create an instance of Parser class
with Parser("./sample.pdf") as parser:
# Create highlight options (extract 20 characters)
options = HighlightOptions(20)
# Extract highlight at position 100
highlight = parser.get_highlight(100, True, options)
if highlight is not None:
print(f"Position: {highlight.position}")
print(f"Text: {highlight.text}")
else:
print("Highlight extraction isn't supported")
The following sample file is used in this example: sample.pdf
Position: 100
Text: tions
Expected behavior: Returns a HighlightItem object containing the text fragment starting at the specified position, or None if extraction is not supported.
To extract highlights with a specific character count:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import HighlightOptions
# Create an instance of Parser class
with Parser("sample.docx") as parser:
# Define positions to extract highlights from
positions = [0, 100, 500, 1000]
# Create highlight options (50 characters)
options = HighlightOptions(50)
for pos in positions:
# Extract highlight
highlight = parser.get_highlight(pos, True, options)
if highlight is not None:
print(f"\nPosition {pos}:")
print(f"Text: {highlight.text}")
The following sample file is used in this example: sample.docx
Position 0:
Text: Supply Agreement | Harbor Lane Provisions and No
Position 100:
Text: pply Agreement
Position 500:
Text: oasts and delivers the following coffees to the Bu
Position 1000:
[TRUNCATED]
Expected behavior: Extracts 50-character text fragments from specified positions.
To create search result previews with context:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import SearchOptions, HighlightOptions
def get_search_results_with_context(file_path, keyword, context_length=30):
"""
Search for keyword and extract surrounding context.
"""
with Parser(file_path) as parser:
# Create highlight options for context
highlight_opts = HighlightOptions(context_length)
# Create search options with highlights
search_opts = SearchOptions(
match_case=False,
match_whole_word=False,
use_regular_expression=False,
search_by_pages=True,
left_highlight_options=highlight_opts,
right_highlight_options=highlight_opts
)
# Search for keyword
results = parser.search(keyword, search_opts)
if results is None:
print("Search not supported")
return []
# Collect results with context
search_results = []
for result in results:
left_context = result.left_highlight_item.text if result.left_highlight_item is not None else ""
right_context = result.right_highlight_item.text if result.right_highlight_item is not None else ""
search_results.append({
'keyword': result.text,
'position': result.position,
'page': result.page_index + 1 if result.page_index is not None else None,
'left_context': left_context,
'right_context': right_context,
'full_snippet': f"{left_context}[{result.text}]{right_context}"
})
return search_results
# Usage
results = get_search_results_with_context("sample.pdf", "harvest", 40)
print(f"Found {len(results)} occurrences:\n")
for idx, result in enumerate(results, 1):
print(f"{idx}. {result['full_snippet']}")
if result['page']:
print(f" (Page {result['page']}, position {result['position']})\n")
The following sample file is used in this example: sample.pdf
Found 6 occurrences:
1. [Harvest] range and by coffee from our long-stand
(Page 1, position 399)
2. 3. The Autumn [Harvest] range
(Page 2, position 551)
3. The Autumn [Harvest] range launched in September with eight
(Page 2, position 577)
[TRUNCATED]
Expected behavior: Searches for keywords and returns results with surrounding context for better previews.
To extract text snippets from various document sections:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import HighlightOptions
def extract_multiple_highlights(file_path, positions, length=50):
"""
Extract highlights from multiple positions.
"""
highlights = []
with Parser(file_path) as parser:
# A position past the end of the text raises an error, so read the text first
text_reader = parser.get_text()
if text_reader is None:
print("Text extraction not supported")
return highlights
text = text_reader.read_to_end()
options = HighlightOptions(length)
for position in positions:
if position >= len(text):
print(f"Skipped position {position}: the text has {len(text)} characters\n")
continue
# Start at the beginning of a word, not inside one or in the page's layout spaces
while position > 0 and not text[position - 1].isspace():
position -= 1
while position < len(text) - 1 and text[position].isspace():
position += 1
highlight = parser.get_highlight(position, True, options)
if highlight is not None:
highlights.append({
'position': highlight.position,
'text': highlight.text,
'length': len(highlight.text)
})
return highlights
# Extract highlights at specific positions
positions = [0, 500, 1000, 1500]
highlights = extract_multiple_highlights("sample.pdf", positions, length=80)
print(f"Extracted {len(highlights)} highlights:\n")
for h in highlights:
# Collapse the spaces that lay out the PDF page
snippet = " ".join(h['text'].split())
print(f"Position {h['position']}:")
print(f" {snippet[:60]}...")
print()
The following sample file is used in this example: sample.pdf
Extracted 4 highlights:
Position 87:
Investor relations...
Position 494:
figures...
Position 1005:
97.4% +1.3 pts...
[TRUNCATED]
Expected behavior: Extracts text fragments from multiple specified positions in the document, and skips a position past the end of the text. In evaluation mode the text stops after about 20 lines, so fewer positions are in range.
To generate a document preview with highlighted sections:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import HighlightOptions
def create_document_preview(file_path, num_sections=5, section_length=100):
"""
Create a document preview by extracting highlights from various positions.
"""
with Parser(file_path) as parser:
# Get document text to determine positions
text_reader = parser.get_text()
if text_reader is None:
print("Text extraction not supported")
return None
full_text = text_reader.read_to_end()
text_length = len(full_text)
# Calculate evenly distributed positions
if text_length <= section_length:
positions = [0]
else:
step = text_length // num_sections
positions = [i * step for i in range(num_sections)]
# Extract highlights
preview_sections = []
options = HighlightOptions(section_length)
for pos in positions:
highlight = parser.get_highlight(pos, True, options)
if highlight is not None:
preview_sections.append(highlight.text)
return {
'document_length': text_length,
'preview_sections': preview_sections,
'full_preview': '\n...\n'.join(preview_sections)
}
# Usage
preview = create_document_preview("sample.pdf", num_sections=3, section_length=150)
if preview:
print(f"Document length: {preview['document_length']} characters\n")
print("Preview:")
print(preview['full_preview'])
The following sample file is used in this example: sample.pdf
Document length: 4570 characters
Preview:
Investor relations
...
nd holds 140 pallets at 2 C.
...
Honey & Preserves $3.1 m 14.5% +21.7%
Expected behavior: Creates a representative preview of the document by extracting highlights from evenly distributed positions.
To extract highlights respecting word boundaries:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import HighlightOptions
def extract_highlight_with_words(file_path, position, max_length=100):
"""
Extract highlight ensuring complete words.
"""
with Parser(file_path) as parser:
# Extract more than needed
options = HighlightOptions(max_length + 50)
highlight = parser.get_highlight(position, True, options)
if highlight is None:
return None
text = highlight.text
# Find last complete word within max_length
if len(text) > max_length:
truncated = text[:max_length]
last_space = truncated.rfind(' ')
if last_space > 0:
text = truncated[:last_space] + "..."
return {
'position': highlight.position,
'text': text,
'complete_words': True
}
# Usage
highlight = extract_highlight_with_words("sample.pdf", 500, 80)
if highlight:
print(f"Position {highlight['position']}:")
print(highlight['text'])
The following sample file is used in this example: sample.pdf
Position 500:
s
Expected behavior: Extracts highlights that end at word boundaries, avoiding cut-off words.
To create a table of contents with text previews:
from groupdocs.parser import Parser
from groupdocs.parser.options import HighlightOptions
def create_toc_with_previews(file_path, preview_length=60):
"""
Create table of contents with text previews for each section.
"""
with Parser(file_path) as parser:
# Get TOC
toc_items = parser.get_toc()
if not toc_items:
print("TOC extraction not supported")
return []
toc_with_previews = []
options = HighlightOptions(preview_length)
# Get text to find section positions
text_reader = parser.get_text()
if text_reader is None:
return []
full_text = text_reader.read_to_end()
for item in toc_items:
# Try to extract highlight for this TOC item
# Use text search to find the section
section_text = item.text
position = full_text.find(section_text)
if position >= 0:
# Start the preview on the line that follows the heading
next_line = full_text.find("\n", position) + 1
if 0 < next_line < len(full_text):
highlight = parser.get_highlight(next_line, True, options)
preview = highlight.text if highlight is not None else "No preview available"
else:
preview = "No preview available"
else:
preview = "Section not found"
toc_with_previews.append({
'title': item.text,
'depth': item.depth,
'preview': preview
})
return toc_with_previews
# Usage
toc = create_toc_with_previews("SampleWithToc.pdf", preview_length=100)
for item in toc:
indent = " " * item['depth']
print(f"{indent}{item['title']}")
print(f"{indent} Preview: {item['preview'][:50]}...")
The following sample file is used in this example: SampleWithToc.pdf
1. Overview
Preview: Harbor Lane Provisions supplies specialty food to ...
Key figures
Preview: Metric 2024 ...
2. Operations
Preview: Orders shipped rose 13.1% to 55,300 while on-time ...
Warehouse and logistics
Preview: • Cold room 3 opened in April and holds 140 ...
3. The Autumn Harvest range
Preview: The Autumn Harvest range launched in September wit...
[TRUNCATED]
Expected behavior: Generates a table of contents with text previews for each section.
- The
get_highlight()method returnsNoneif highlight extraction is not supported - The second parameter (
is_direct) sets the direction:Trueextracts the text to the right of the position,Falsethe text to the left of it - Highlight length is specified in characters
- Use highlights with search results to show context
- Highlights are useful for creating document previews and snippets
- Consider word boundaries when displaying highlights to users
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