PDF Form Filler

A Python-based tool that extracts form fields from PDFs, stores entries in a database, and generates filled PDFs with PNG conversion.

📋 Features

• Upload PDF templates with fillable form fields
• Extract form fields automatically from PDF documents
• Fill out forms through a web interface or command-line tool
• Store form data in a SQLite database
• Generate filled PDFs and PNG previews
• View and download completed forms

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• The following Python packages:
  • Flask
  • Flask-SQLAlchemy
  • PyPDF2
  • pdfrw
  • pdf2image
  • reportlab
  • gunicorn (for production deployment)

Setup

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/pdf-form-processor.git
   cd pdf-form-processor
   

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

3. Run the application:

   python main.py
   

   For production environments, use gunicorn:

   gunicorn --bind 0.0.0.0:5000 main:app
   

Usage

Web Interface

1. Launch the application and navigate to http://localhost:5000 in your web browser.

2. Upload a PDF template:

   • Click on the "Upload PDF Form Template" section
   • Enter a name for your template
   • Select a PDF file with fillable form fields
   • Click "Upload"

3. Fill out a form:

   • Select a template from the list
   • Click the "Fill Form" button
   • Enter data for each field
   • Click "Submit and Generate PDF"

4. View and download filled forms:

   • Navigate to the "Filled Forms" page
   • Preview generated forms
   • Download as PDF or PNG
   • Delete forms when no longer needed

Command Line Interface

This repository includes a command-line tool for working with PDF forms without using the web interface.

Basic Usage

./pdf_form_filler.sh [options] [pdf_file]

Options

• pdf_file: Path to a PDF file with form fields
• --list-templates or -l: List all saved templates and fill one out
• --list-forms or -f: View all filled forms and their data
• --help or -h: Display help information

Examples

1. Scan a new PDF and fill out the form:

   ./pdf_form_filler.sh example.pdf
   

   This will:

   • Scan the PDF file for form fields
   • Prompt you to enter a name for the template
   • Ask for values for each field
   • Generate a filled PDF and PNG
   • Store the form data in the database

2. List templates and fill one out:

   ./pdf_form_filler.sh --list-templates
   

   This shows all saved templates and lets you select one to fill out.

3. View previously filled forms:

   ./pdf_form_filler.sh --list-forms
   

   This displays all filled forms and their data.

Workflow

1. Upload a PDF with fillable form fields
2. Fill out the form by entering data for each field
3. Submit the form to generate the filled PDF and PNG preview
4. View and download the generated files

Technical Details

• SQLite database for storing templates, form fields, and filled forms
• Flask web framework for the web interface
• PyPDF2 and pdfrw for PDF processing
• pdf2image for PDF to PNG conversion
• Bootstrap for responsive UI

File Structure

.
├── app.py            # Flask application setup
├── main.py           # Application entry point
├── models.py         # Database models
├── pdf_processor.py  # PDF processing functions
├── pdf_form_filler.py # Command-line PDF processor script
├── pdf_form_filler.sh # Shell wrapper for command-line tool
├── static/           # Static assets (CSS, JS)
├── templates/        # HTML templates
└── README.md         # This file

Limitations

• Works best with standard PDF form fields
• Complex form layouts might not render perfectly in PNG previews
• Very large PDF files might take longer to process

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on how to:

• Report bugs
• Suggest features
• Submit pull requests
• Set up your development environment

Quick Start for Contributors

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Make your changes
4. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
5. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
6. Open a Pull Request

See CONTRIBUTING.md for more details.

📝 Community

• Questions? Check our SUPPORT.md for help
• Discussions: Use GitHub Discussions
• Issues: Report bugs via GitHub Issues
• Code of Conduct: Please read our CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

🔒 Security

For security-related concerns, please see SECURITY.md for responsible disclosure guidelines.

📚 Additional Resources

• CHANGELOG.md - Version history and changes
• MAINTAINERS.md - Maintenance guidelines
• SUPPORT.md - Getting help and support
• SECURITY.md - Security policies

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with Flask
• PDF processing powered by PyPDF2 and pdfrw
• UI framework: Bootstrap
• Thanks to all contributors and the open source community!

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Made with ❤️ by the PDF Form Filler community