Question 1

How to merge multiple PDF files into one using pypdf?

Accepted Answer

Use the PdfMerger class from pypdf: create an instance, append PDFs with the append method, and write to a new file. Detailed examples are in the documentation for merging PDFs seamlessly.

Question 2

pypdf vs PyPDF2: which should I use for PDF manipulation in Python?

Accepted Answer

pypdf is the actively maintained fork of PyPDF2 with more features and updates, while PyPDF2 is largely deprecated. Choose pypdf for better support and modern capabilities, but check if specific legacy features are needed.

Question 3

Can pypdf extract text from password-protected PDFs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, pypdf can decrypt password-protected PDFs using the PdfReader class with a password parameter, then extract text. However, it requires the pypdf[crypto] extra for AES encryption support.

Question 4

Does pypdf support adding annotations to PDFs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, pypdf allows reading and creating annotations like comments or highlights programmatically, as mentioned in the README under custom data and annotations, though advanced GUI-style editing isn't included.

Question 5

How to install pypdf with encryption capabilities?

Accepted Answer

Install it using pip install pypdf[crypto] to enable AES encryption and decryption features. This adds extra dependencies, so ensure your environment supports them for security-related tasks.

Question 6

What are the limitations of text extraction with pypdf?

Accepted Answer

pypdf extracts text only from PDFs with embedded text layers; it doesn't perform OCR for scanned documents. For image-based PDFs, you'll need additional libraries like Tesseract for accurate text retrieval.

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