Unwanted spaces in Content

[halbano]

• PHP Version: 7.2
• PDFParser Version: 2.1 2.2.0

Description:

Hey guys, thanks for the hard work to keep this great library up to date.
Unfortunately, we are having one strange issue parsing a file, we tried adjusting the config like this as @rubenvanerk mentioned in a few issues (in fact the FontSpaceLimit variable solves multiple issues with the char separation).

$config = new \Smalot\PdfParser\Config();
$config->setHorizontalOffset('');
$config->setFontSpaceLimit(-136);

$parser = new \Smalot\PdfParser\Parser([], $config);
$pdf = $parser->parseFile("../storage/app/IL-Field-Guide-final-online.pdf");

Expected output & actual output

But we cannot get rid of some unwanted empty spaces for example with:

"as opposed to persons i n vehicles" should be "as opposed to persons in vehicles"

And more importantly in the PDF section titles we have:

"Consensual Encounters - Tier 1 in Seizure M odel" should be "Consensual Encounters - Tier 1 in Seizure Model"

Additionally, this one is not the expected output too:

"Your Powers and the Suspe ct's R ights during a TERRY Stop" needs to be "Your Powers and the Suspect's Rights during a TERRY Stop"

PDF input

IL-Field-Guide-final-online.pdf

This may be not necessarily an issue, but we are suspecting that for some reason the PDF has a space within the conflicting phrases/sentences.
In any case, we are starting to use the library, we modified a few things on the vendors folder trying to fix the issue, but we are going out of ideas now.

[k00ni]

Hey. Just to be sure, can you try again with PDFParser v2.2.0?

[halbano]

Hey @k00ni, the same happens using version 2.2.0

[halbano]

@rubenvanerk maybe you have any thoughts?

[rubenvanerk]

Sorry, can't help you here.

[halbano]

@k00ni I know you may be slow responding, but please let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions we could try. I appreciate your help in advance.

[k00ni]

Sorry, I can't help you here, I would have written you already. The only idea I have is to check the code part which uses the FontSpaceLimit config and try to debug it. Good luck.

[cyprus1spirit]

The issue with spaces is not solved on latest version (2.2.1) either. You need to apply the workaround:

$config = new \Smalot\PdfParser\Config(); // fixes the presentation of extra spaces issue
$config->setHorizontalOffset(''); // fixes the presentation of extra spaces issue

$parser = new \Smalot\PdfParser\Parser([], $config);
$pdf = $parser->parseFile('test.pdf');
$pdfText = $pdf->getText();