Input file for pdftk

[ramack]

This is a question for those that use pdftk. I've been using it for about the last year or so to combine manipulate PDFs and it is awesome. Until today, mostly what I've been using it for has been for less than five files. Today I have been working on a manual at work which consists of about 100 separate files with a total page count of 167. The pages are a mix of 8.5x11(inch) and 11x17(inch). The pages needed to be in a specific order, the only way I could think of to do this instead doing this all in the CLI, I created a text file which contained a list or sequence of the files. To make it easier for me to read and group, I first put each file on a separate line.

chapter1_separation_page.pdf
file1.pdf
file2.pdf
file3.pdf

chapter2_separation_page.pdf
file4.pdf
file5.pdf
file6.pdf
and so on

Then once I had everything in the correct order, I had to remove the line breaks and replace them with spaces, then copy the text and paste it into the CLI.

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 pdftk chapter1_separation_page.pdf file1.pdf file2.pdf file3.pdf chapter2_separation_page.pdf file4.pdf file5.pdf file6.pdf [a whole bunch more] cat output output.pdf 

Can a separate input file be specified and read? Or is there a better way to list all the files to be combined? I'm trying to keep the file sequence somewhat easy to read and follow. For a few files, this isn't bad, but if I have 100+, it gets cluttered quickly.

Rich

[jw013]

I checked the pdftk manpage and there doesn't seem to be anything about reading file names from anywhere other than the command line.

I'd recommend using shell features as a workaround for this. If you are using bash and have all the file names in the correct order in a file like "list.txt" do something like

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pdftk $(< list.txt) output output.pdf

[jmtd]

I'd recommend using shell features as a workaround for this. If you are using bash and have all the file names in the correct order in a file like "list.txt" do something like

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pdftk $(< list.txt) output output.pdf

I'd second this recommendation. If you aren't using bash (but are using something sh-compatible), the slightly more verbose

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pdftk $(cat list.txt) output output.pdf

Will also work.

[ramack]

Yes, I had tried this, but it reads the input file, expecting a PDF format. I'm going to play around a bit more with some scripting, I think it can be done, I just haven't figured out how, ha. I may end oup contacting PDF Labs for some input as well.

Rich

[jw013]

If you use either of the suggested command snippets it should work. It really is that simple, no need to play around with scripting. The only possible issues arise if any of the file names in your list have problematic names (contain shell characters, spaces, etc). Can you be more specific as to what you are seeing that is not working?

[jmtd]

Actually, I think we've got our pdftk command lines wrong (missing the operation). the manpage leads me to believe that they need to include an operation (cat):

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pdtk $(< list.txt) cat output output.pdf

[ramack]

The format for combining multiple PDFs is:

pdftk pdf1.pdf pdf2.pdf pdf3.pdf cat output output.pdf.

I've made a little headway by filling an array with the list of PDFs.

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array=(pdf1.pdf pdf2.pdf pdf3.pdf)

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pdftk ${array[*]} cat output output.pdf

So now all I should have to do is fill the array with the contents of list.txt.

[ramack]

If you use either of the suggested command snippets it should work. It really is that simple, no need to play around with scripting. The only possible issues arise if any of the file names in your list have problematic names (contain shell characters, spaces, etc). Can you be more specific as to what you are seeing that is not working?

Thanks for all of your inputs!

I have created created a test input file; list.txt, which contains:

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 $ cat list.txt 
pdf1.txt pdf2.pdf pdf3.pdf pdf4.pdf

And if I:

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$ pdftk $(< list.txt) cat output output.pdf
pdf1.txt not found as file or resource.
Error: Failed to open PDF file: 
   pdf1.txt
Errors encountered.  No output created.
Done.  Input errors, so no output created.

Now if I create an array with the contents of list.txt:

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$ array=(pdf1.pdf pdf2.pdf pdf3.pdf pdf4.pdf)

$ echo ${array[*]}
pdf1.pdf pdf2.pdf pdf3.pdf pdf4.pdf

Now inserting the array into the pdftk command:

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pdftk ${array[*]} cat output output.pdf

No errors, and the combined PDF, output.pdf is created.

I can get my results if I use an array. So I now if I fill my array with the contents of list.txt, this should work.

[jw013]

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 $ cat list.txt 
pdf1.txt pdf2.pdf pdf3.pdf pdf4.pdf

It's probably safer to put 1 file name per line, but that should be fine.

And if I:

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$ pdftk $(< list.txt) cat output output.pdf
pdf1.txt not found as file or resource.
Error: Failed to open PDF file: 
   pdf1.txt
Errors encountered.  No output created.
Done.  Input errors, so no output created.

Now the problem here is not the command itself, it's the inclusion of pdf1.txt, since it's not a pdf file. Did you mean to type pdf1.pdf?
I notice you have pdf1.pdf in the array version, but pdf1.txt here.

Also, arrays is another perfectly good way to do it. It's just that you still need to put the whole list of names on the command line by hand to assign it to an array, or you could write a little bit of shell to a file one line at a time and make an array of lines.

[ramack]

Did you mean to type pdf1.pdf?

Oh man! Thanks for catching my typo mistake. Yes, pdf1.txt should be pdf1.pdf. When I corrected the error, it works correctly as you suggest. Thank you for the suggestions AND catching my mistake!

[ramack]

I just implemented the changes that all of you suggested on my manual at work. It works awesome! And it's much much easier to read when I'm able to group the individual pages by sections/chapters.

Thank you!

Rich

[PDA123]

Back from the dead....

This topic has been very helpful. I'm having one problem. If the files listed in the array are located in the folder where there pdftk command is executed then they are nicely cat'd into the output file.

However, in my case, if the files to be cat'd into the pdf output file are located in another folder I have no idea how to exactly list them in the array.txt file. Even when I use the following format I always get the same error message- file not found.

Example of one of the array.txt files- /home/Mine/My Documents/The Three Stooges Episodes.pdf

Even if I use this format the same error message appears (file not found);

/home/Mine/My Documents/The\ Three\ Stooges\ Episodes.pdf

I've tried a lot of variations of the filename to no success.

Any ideas?

P.S. I don't need a list of Stooges episodes- I have them memorized.

[CwF]

Any ideas?

Nope, not really.
More of a scripting question here...
If done only once I think I'd past together a paragraph of a command line for the purpose.
Depending on the content type of the pdf's I would maybe import them into a CherryTree file, with its Import/Export abilities and tight single file format. If it's actually episode data in text form I'd maybe use AtomicParsley to embed them into the episode video!

I'd assume the full path of each file would work for the array.

[PDA123]

The array text file contains the name and location of pdf's that I want cat'd into one pdf.

The full path of each pdf file contained within the array.txt file....that's the problem. Terminal returns the error of "file not found" when referencing the pdfs in the array.txt file. Therefore, I'm not using the correct syntax or whatever it's called.

[CwF]

"file not found"

Try quoting each full path; are there spaces in names; are the locations within permissions?

[PDA123]

"file not found"

Try quoting each full path; are there spaces in names; are the locations within permissions?

Here's the filename in the array;

/home/hello/work_area/howdy 2024.pdf

here's the error message;

$ pdftk $(cat files.txt) cat output out.pdf
Error: Unable to find file.
Error: Failed to open input PDF file:
/home/hello/work_area/howdy
Error: Unable to find file.
Error: Failed to open input PDF file:
2024.pdf
Errors encountered. No output created.
Done. Input errors, so no output created.

[CwF]

/home/hello/work_area/howdy 2024.pdf

There is a space 'y 2' so it needs quotes

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 "/home/hello/work_area/howdy 2024.pdf"

[PDA123]

/home/hello/work_area/howdy 2024.pdf

There is a space 'y 2' so it needs quotes

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 "/home/hello/work_area/howdy 2024.pdf"

Same error message except it now includes the quotes

[CwF]

$ pdftk $(cat files.txt) cat output out.pdf

Also place quotes in the command...I think...

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$ pdftk $("cat files.txt") cat output out.pdf

echo $(cat files.txt) returns what?

[PDA123]

$ pdftk $(cat files.txt) cat output out.pdf

Also place quotes in the command...I think...

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$ pdftk $("cat files.txt") cat output out.pdf

echo $(cat files.txt) returns what?

$ echo $(cat files.txt)
"/home/hello/work_area/howdy 2024.pdf" /home/hello/work_area/2020.pdf /home/hello/work_area/2021.pdf /home/hello/work_area/2022.pdf /home/hello/work_area/2023.pdf


$ pdftk $("cat files.txt") cat output out.pdf
bash: cat files.txt: command not found
bash: $: command not found