Converting Data from pdf into an Excel spreasdsheet

[torajudo]

I have MS Project data in a pdf (Adobe Acrobat Pro v7). As there is 6 pages
of data, is it possible to quickly extract the data (by copy/paste or
converting the file type) from the pdf form into an Excel spreadsheet?

 

[Door]

You would firstly need to know the format of the .pdf

Format 1, if you press CTRL and A (select all) and the data you wan
highlights then you can Highlight (Select) the text you require an
Copy, then Paste into Excel.
This format .pdf is produced from numbers/words in a program such a
Excel, Word etc.

Format 2, if Ctrl/A on the .pdf produces nothing than then the .pd
might have been created from a scanned .tif or a file sent by Fax etc.

You will need to Capture (or OCR) the data shown, then copy and paste.

Hope this helps

 

[torajudo]

Thanks. Your info helped me to a point. I was able to select the data with
a Cntrl +A one page at a time and copy/paste into Excel. However all of the
separate columns of data went into one column. I tried selecting one column
(using Tools> touch up text tool) at a time in Adobe but was not having much
luck at selecting individual columns (more than one column was getting
highlighted at a time). I am working with Adobe Acrobat Pro v7 and Excel
2003.

 

[Door]

Try selecting the inputted column and click on Data, Text to Columns

Use Delimited, and adjust the delimiter (or multiple delimiters) to
form columns from your data (check the display)

Set the date format for a column if you are using DMY format.

If that doesn't work I would try going back before the .pdf (to MS
Project) to have the file output as a.csv or other acceptable format.

 

[Pete_UK]

If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, can't you produce editable text from a
..pdf file in there?

Pete

 

[Door]

Hi Pete,

I believe torajudo has editable text, the problem is to transfer tha
into Excel in a useable format. The first attempt saw all the data int
column A, and torajudo apparently wasn't aware of the Text to Column
function.

Adobe 6 can SaveAs a number of filetypes, but not .csv nor ta
delimited, thus it is probably quicker to do 6 copy-paste (1 per pag
if required) to transfer all the data, then start to manipulate it.

Had the .pdf been created from a .tif file then the Paper Captur
option could be used, but where CTRL/A produces any result the
attempting to Capture will produce the 'Document contains rendere
text' error.

Bryan

 

[torajudo]

Thanks for suggestions from all. I am working on this document for a
colleague. She did not have the original MS Project file so asked for my
help. Not being fully versed in Adobe Acrobat Pro v7, I really appreciate
your assistance. I now have the data transferred into Excel though the
person who wns this file will need to do some cut and paste with the cells.
She could have gotten this retyped faster but I am glad for the knowledge I
got. Thanks Pete_UK and Door!