How to use PDF Input tool in server

[Dhilip_Kumar]

Hi All,

i have install PDF Input tool and parsed the data successfully. Now we need to publish this into server but we got error while using Text input interface or File Browse interface tools. I have attached my file and can anyone fix this issue.

Please do the needful.

Thanks in advance!!!!

[gawa]

hi @Dhilip_Kumar 

As you share workflow in yxwz while it contains macro, there is a black box like this, however as a general things, two possiblities.

(1) When you upload your workflow to server, make sure to include all assets including macros.

(2) The most of PDF input tool utilizes third party library of R or Python, so if this is the case, you have to install those libraries in computer where Alteryx Server is running.

Please check these 2 points at first.

[Dhilip_Kumar]

@gawa Is there any other tool we could use to extract data from pdf other than pdf Input tool.

[gawa]

@Dhilip_Kumar 

As far as I know, when read PDF data, we have to use R-based or Python-based libraries.

Intelligence suite could be an option, but it additionally cost on designer and server.

https://help.alteryx.com/20231/designer/pdf-text

[Dhilip_Kumar]

@gawa 

I have used PDF input macro tool on my workflow and it is works fine in Alteryx apps but the same workflow not run on server. I have installed R libraries but i got error like R package not installed on server. So please confirm how to overcome this issue.

I have license key for Intelligence suite and i tried to extract pdf data using Image Input and Image to text tool however i didn't get exact result as i expect. Also please suggest how to extract data from pdf file with some example workflows that would be really helpful.

Is it possible to access workflows in public gallery if we use intelligence suite tools or do we need to permission on server as well to access these.

Regards,

Dhilip

[gawa]

@Dhilip_Kumar 

>I have installed R libraries but i got error like R package not installed on server. So please confirm how to overcome this issue.

You need to login to computer where Alteryx Server is hosted, and directly install the necessary libraries. Maybe you need to ask your company's IT persons.

>Also please suggest how to extract data from pdf file with some example workflows that would be really helpful.

PDF data format has much variety, so I cannot advise specifically about it. In general, we have to use a lot of RegEx tools and formula tools to correctly parse data, which is very difficult task. 

I have tried many attempts to extract data from PDFs, but I concluded that we should NOT use PDF as an input files for Alteryx. The reason is that even if we make workflow to extract data from PDF for specific purpose, this workflow doesn't make sense to the new another data which might have a slightly/tiny different format.

Please note that if your PDF is in simple format like table format, then it is much easier, and would have repeatability of workflow.

>Is it possible to access workflows in public gallery if we use intelligence suite tools or do we need to permission on server as well to access these.

You have to install Intelligence Suite on server as well as I said on R libraries as above.

[Dhilip_Kumar]

@gawa Thank you so much. This makes sense.

[Dhilip_Kumar]

@gawa 

Hi Again,

How could I install PDF input tool on my server. We have install R library on server already, now want to add PDF Input tool packages. Please provide some instruction or link to refer.

Thanks in advance!!!