using subprocess.popen in python with os.tmp file while passing in optional parameters

Question

I am writing a python program in linux and in part of it running the pdftotext executable to convert a pdf text. The code I am currently using is given below.

pdfData = currentPDF.read()

tf = os.tmpfile()
tf.write(pdfData)
tf.seek(0)

out, err = subprocess.Popen(["pdftotext", "-", "-"], stdin = tf, stdout=subprocess.PIPE ).communicate()

This works fine, but now I want to run the pdftotext executable with the -layout option (preserves layout of document). I tried replacing the "-" with layout, replacing "pdftotext" with "pdftotext -layout" etc. None of it works. They all give me an empty text. Since the input is being piped in via the temp file, I am having trouble figureing out the argument list. Most of the documentation on Popen assumes all the parameters are being passed in through the argument list, but in my case the input is being passed in through the temp file.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

unutbu · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-09 18:43:47Z

2

This works for me:

out, err = subprocess.Popen(
    ["pdftotext", '-layout', "-", "-"], stdin = tf, stdout=subprocess.PIPE ).communicate()

Although I couldn't find explicit confirmation in the man page, I believe the first - tells pdftotext to expect PDF-file to come from stdin, and the second - tells pdftotext to expect text-file to be sent to stdout.

edited Oct 9, 2010 at 18:43

answered Oct 9, 2010 at 18:25

unutbu

886k197 gold badges1.9k silver badges1.7k bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

suzanshakya · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-11 04:35:00Z

0

You can pass the full command in string with shell=True:

out, err = subprocess.Popen('pdftotext -layout - -', shell=True, stdin=tf, stdout=subprocess.PIPE).communicate()

edited Oct 11, 2010 at 4:35

answered Oct 9, 2010 at 18:11

suzanshakya

3,6801 gold badge28 silver badges22 bronze badges

1 Comment

Chaitanya Over a year ago

Doesn't work. I get an error "TypeError: 'Popen' object is not iterable"

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

using subprocess.popen in python with os.tmp file while passing in optional parameters

2 Answers 2

Comments

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

Comments

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related