The PdfReader Class

class pypdf.PdfReader(stream: Union[str, IO, Path], strict: bool = False, password: Union[None, str, bytes] = None)

Bases: object

Initialize a PdfReader object.

This operation can take some time, as the PDF stream’s cross-reference tables are read into memory.

Parameters

• stream – A File object or an object that supports the standard read and seek methods similar to a File object. Could also be a string representing a path to a PDF file.

• strict – Determines whether user should be warned of all problems and also causes some correctable problems to be fatal. Defaults to False.

• password – Decrypt PDF file at initialization. If the password is None, the file will not be decrypted. Defaults to None

property viewer_preferences: Optional[pypdf.generic._viewerpref.ViewerPreferences]

Returns the existing ViewerPreferences as an overloaded dictionary.

property pdf_header: str

The first 8 bytes of the file.

This is typically something like '%PDF-1.6' and can be used to detect if the file is actually a PDF file and which version it is.

property metadata: Optional[DocumentInformation]

Retrieve the PDF file’s document information dictionary, if it exists.

Note that some PDF files use metadata streams instead of docinfo dictionaries, and these metadata streams will not be accessed by this function.

getDocumentInfo() → Optional[DocumentInformation]

Use the attribute metadata instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property documentInfo: Optional[DocumentInformation]

Use the attribute metadata instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property xmp_metadata: Optional[XmpInformation]

XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) data.

getXmpMetadata() → Optional[XmpInformation]

Use the attribute metadata instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property xmpMetadata: Optional[XmpInformation]

Use the attribute xmp_metadata instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0..

getNumPages() → int

Use len(reader.pages) instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property numPages: int

Use len(reader.pages) instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

getPage(pageNumber: int) → PageObject

Use reader.pages[page_number] instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property namedDestinations: Dict[str, Any]

Use named_destinations instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property named_destinations: Dict[str, Any]

A read-only dictionary which maps names to Destinations

get_fields(tree: Optional[TreeObject] = None, retval: Optional[Dict[Any, Any]] = None, fileobj: Optional[Any] = None) → Optional[Dict[str, Any]]

Extract field data if this PDF contains interactive form fields.

The tree and retval parameters are for recursive use.

Parameters

• tree –

• retval –

• fileobj – A file object (usually a text file) to write a report to on all interactive form fields found.

Returns

A dictionary where each key is a field name, and each value is a Field object. By default, the mapping name is used for keys. None if form data could not be located.

getFields(tree: Optional[TreeObject] = None, retval: Optional[Dict[Any, Any]] = None, fileobj: Optional[Any] = None) → Optional[Dict[str, Any]]

Use get_fields() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

get_form_text_fields(full_qualified_name: bool = False) → Dict[str, Any]

Retrieve form fields from the document with textual data.

Parameters

full_qualified_name – to get full name

Returns

A dictionary. The key is the name of the form field, the value is the content of the field.

If the document contains multiple form fields with the same name, the second and following will get the suffix .2, .3, …

getFormTextFields() → Dict[str, Any]

Use get_form_text_fields() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

getNamedDestinations(tree: Optional[TreeObject] = None, retval: Optional[Any] = None) → Dict[str, Any]

Use named_destinations instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property outline: List[Union[Destination, List[Union[Destination, List[Destination]]]]]

Read-only property for the outline present in the document.

(i.e., a collection of ‘outline items’ which are also known as ‘bookmarks’)

property outlines: List[Union[Destination, List[Union[Destination, List[Destination]]]]]

Use outline instead.

Deprecated since version 2.9.0.

getOutlines(node: Optional[DictionaryObject] = None, outline: Optional[Any] = None) → List[Union[Destination, List[Union[Destination, List[Destination]]]]]

Use outline instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property threads: Optional[pypdf.generic._data_structures.ArrayObject]

Read-only property for the list of threads.

See §8.3.2 from PDF 1.7 spec.

It’s an array of dictionaries with “/F” and “/I” properties or None if there are no articles.

get_page_number(page: PageObject) → int

Retrieve page number of a given PageObject.

Parameters

page – The page to get page number. Should be an instance of PageObject

Returns

The page number or -1 if page is not found

getPageNumber(page: PageObject) → int

Use get_page_number() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

get_destination_page_number(destination: Destination) → int

Retrieve page number of a given Destination object.

Parameters

destination – The destination to get page number.

Returns

The page number or -1 if page is not found

getDestinationPageNumber(destination: Destination) → int

Use get_destination_page_number() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property pages: List[PageObject]

Read-only property that emulates a list of Page objects.

property page_labels: List[str]

A list of labels for the pages in this document.

This property is read-only. The labels are in the order that the pages appear in the document.

property page_layout: Optional[str]

Get the page layout currently being used.

Valid layout values

/NoLayout	Layout explicitly not specified
/SinglePage	Show one page at a time
/OneColumn	Show one column at a time
/TwoColumnLeft	Show pages in two columns, odd-numbered pages on the left
/TwoColumnRight	Show pages in two columns, odd-numbered pages on the right
/TwoPageLeft	Show two pages at a time, odd-numbered pages on the left
/TwoPageRight	Show two pages at a time, odd-numbered pages on the right

getPageLayout() → Optional[str]

Use page_layout instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property pageLayout: Optional[str]

Use page_layout instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property page_mode: Optional[Literal['/UseNone', '/UseOutlines', '/UseThumbs', '/FullScreen', '/UseOC', '/UseAttachments']]

Get the page mode currently being used.

Valid mode values

/UseNone	Do not show outline or thumbnails panels
/UseOutlines	Show outline (aka bookmarks) panel
/UseThumbs	Show page thumbnails panel
/FullScreen	Fullscreen view
/UseOC	Show Optional Content Group (OCG) panel
/UseAttachments	Show attachments panel

getPageMode() → Optional[Literal['/UseNone', '/UseOutlines', '/UseThumbs', '/FullScreen', '/UseOC', '/UseAttachments']]

Use page_mode instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property pageMode: Optional[Literal['/UseNone', '/UseOutlines', '/UseThumbs', '/FullScreen', '/UseOC', '/UseAttachments']]

Use page_mode instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

get_object(indirect_reference: Union[int, IndirectObject]) → Optional[PdfObject]

getObject(indirectReference: IndirectObject) → Optional[PdfObject]

Use get_object() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

read_object_header(stream: IO) → Tuple[int, int]

readObjectHeader(stream: IO) → Tuple[int, int]

Use read_object_header() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

cache_get_indirect_object(generation: int, idnum: int) → Optional[PdfObject]

cacheGetIndirectObject(generation: int, idnum: int) → Optional[PdfObject]

Use cache_get_indirect_object() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

cache_indirect_object(generation: int, idnum: int, obj: Optional[PdfObject]) → Optional[PdfObject]

cacheIndirectObject(generation: int, idnum: int, obj: Optional[PdfObject]) → Optional[PdfObject]

Use cache_indirect_object() instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

read(stream: IO) → None

read_next_end_line(stream: IO, limit_offset: int = 0) → bytes

Deprecated since version 2.1.0.

readNextEndLine(stream: IO, limit_offset: int = 0) → bytes

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

decrypt(password: Union[str, bytes]) → PasswordType

When using an encrypted / secured PDF file with the PDF Standard encryption handler, this function will allow the file to be decrypted. It checks the given password against the document’s user password and owner password, and then stores the resulting decryption key if either password is correct.

It does not matter which password was matched. Both passwords provide the correct decryption key that will allow the document to be used with this library.

Parameters

password – The password to match.

Returns

An indicator if the document was decrypted and weather it was the owner password or the user password.

decode_permissions(permissions_code: int) → Dict[str, bool]

property is_encrypted: bool

Read-only boolean property showing whether this PDF file is encrypted.

Note that this property, if true, will remain true even after the decrypt() method is called.

getIsEncrypted() → bool

Use is_encrypted instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property isEncrypted: bool

Use is_encrypted instead.

Deprecated since version 1.28.0.

property xfa: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]

add_form_topname(name: str) → Optional[DictionaryObject]

Add a top level form that groups all form fields below it.

Parameters

name – text string of the “/T” Attribute of the created object

Returns

The created object. None means no object was created.

rename_form_topname(name: str) → Optional[DictionaryObject]

Rename top level form field that all form fields below it.

Parameters

name – text string of the “/T” field of the created object

Returns

The modified object. None means no object was modified.

property attachments: Mapping[str, List[bytes]]