Extract Tables from PDF

Although PDF format is typical for sharing content, directly manipulating tables inside it can be overwhelming. Robomotion enables users to extract tables from PDF files and store them in other file types, such as Excel worksheets, for easier editing.

What Extract Tables from PDF can do

• Core.Flow.SubFlow downloads fixtures; a Function builds msg.sample_pdf (.../fixtures/tables.pdf).
• Input Dialog titled Extract PDF tables to Excel, message Select the PDF to extract table(s) from:, default msg.sample_pdf → msg.pdf_path.
• Validate (Core.Programming.Function, outputs: 2) — require a .pdf path; derive msg.xlsx_path (<stem>_tables.xlsx), timestamped msg.tables_json_path and msg.ps_script_path next to the source.
• Robomotion.Pandas.PdfToDataTable (optPages: 'all', optTableSettings: 'lines') → msg.table_list.
• Function serialises msg.table_list to msg.tables_json and embeds the PowerShell script as msg.ps_script.
• Two Core.FileSystem.WriteFile nodes (optMode: 'truncate') write msg.tables_json_path and msg.ps_script_path; a Function builds msg.ps_args = ['-NoProfile', '-ExecutionPolicy', 'Bypass', '-File', msg.ps_script_path, '-JsonPath', msg.tables_json_path, '-XlsxPath', msg.xlsx_path].
• Core.Process.StartProcess runs powershell with msg.ps_args in the foreground; the script adds one sheet per table (named Table_1, Table_2, …) and saves with Excel format code 51 (.xlsx).
• Two Core.FileSystem.Delete nodes clean up the JSON and PS1 temp files; a Function builds msg.dialog_text = 'Extracted tables saved in: ' + msg.xlsx_path; Core.Dialog.MessageBox titled Done! (type info) displays it.

Behind the scenes

• The flow uses a JSON-plus-PowerShell bridge rather than driving Excel with UI automation: Robomotion.Pandas.PdfToDataTable produces structured rows, ConvertFrom-Json rehydrates them, and the COM object writes each sheet deterministically. This avoids UI timing issues and keeps Excel invisible ($excel.Visible = $false, $excel.DisplayAlerts = $false).
• The workbook is saved to msg.xlsx_path and Excel is cleanly closed ($wb.Close($false), $excel.Quit(), ReleaseComObject) so there is no orphan EXCEL.EXE and no "do you want to save?" prompt on a later run.
• Temp file names are timestamped (Date.now()) so two concurrent runs against the same PDF do not collide; the cleanup deletes use continueOnError: true so an AV-locked file does not abort the flow after the main work is done.
• optTableSettings: 'lines' extracts tables defined by visible rules; switch to 'text' for borderless tables that rely on whitespace alignment.
• Format code 51 corresponds to xlOpenXMLWorkbook (the modern .xlsx container); change to 56 if a legacy .xls is required.