Hi,Even if threads about this topic has already been posted, I ask in another thread because I didn't understand what I need to know.I need to compare two PDF, it's accounting sheets (like balances, assets and so on) and I didn't understood how to do so with MSAA plug in.I carefully read the SmartBear documentation, I correctly set up my project but I don't know how to go further.Any advise should be great,Thanks in advance,Mehdi

WinMerge with the xdocdiff plug-in is free. WinMerge can generate HTML reports with colored diffs (Tools > Generate Report); though not from the command line, so you'll need to automate saving of reports through WinMerge GUI.Another idea is to use a PDF reading library like PDFBox .NET to extract text from PDFs and compare the text. Here's the example of how to read the text:http://smartbear.com/forums/f81/t88540/getting-exception-while-trying-to-read-pdf-file/#88834

Hi Colin,Yes I prefer using script-based tests.No this way of comparing files would not suit.The files are accounting sheets, and I wish I could have something like "In cell xxx the .Value is not the same than the PDF in reference".But the more I try to figure this problem out the more I realize than I have to code checksums in my program. A few checksums for a sheet, and compare theses ones between a production version of the software and an earlier version.I don't see any other solution.Thank you anyway :)

Hi Mehdi,To get a fine grained result we use an external comparison tool and parse the HTML log file. The tool is BeyondCompare 3 which has a PDF plugin and a comparison filter to ignore dates.Sincerely

Hi Mehdi,I had the same issue with PDF's there not easy with TC.What I'm doing in the meantime is using DiffPDF which there older version is freeware.Perhaps that will help until you can find a solution with TC.Would be great if TC will have an easier way to verify PDF files some time in the near future.Hope, that helps. If any one knows of other freeware software of testing PDFs please post.Regards,Mike

Hi, PDFBox works pretty fine...The extracted text is clean... Thank you very much !

Hi, Versions to the minor digit are the key in Java world... https://community.smartbear.com/t5/TestComplete-Desktop-Testing/Compare-pdf-files/m-p/122339 and https://community.smartbear.com/t5/TestComplete-Functional-Web/Getting-exception-while-trying-to-read-PDF-file-using-pdfbox-dll/td-p/85511 should hopefully help.

Comparison of two PDF files | SmartBear Community

14 Replies

HKosova
SmartBear Alumni (Retired)
10 years ago
WinMerge with the xdocdiff plug-in is free. WinMerge can generate HTML reports with colored diffs (Tools > Generate Report); though not from the command line, so you'll need to automate saving of reports through WinMerge GUI.

Another idea is to use a PDF reading library like PDFBox .NET to extract text from PDFs and compare the text. Here's the example of how to read the text:

http://smartbear.com/forums/f81/t88540/getting-exception-while-trying-to-read-pdf-file/#88834
- m_essaid
  Valued Contributor
  9 years ago
  Hi,
  
  PDFBox works pretty fine...
  The extracted text is clean...
  
  Thank you very much !
m_essaid
Valued Contributor
10 years ago
Hi Colin,

Yes I prefer using script-based tests.

No this way of comparing files would not suit.

The files are accounting sheets, and I wish I could have something like "In cell xxx the .Value is not the same than the PDF in reference".

But the more I try to figure this problem out the more I realize than I have to code checksums in my program. A few checksums for a sheet, and compare theses ones between a production version of the software and an earlier version.

I don't see any other solution.

Thank you anyway :)
simon_glet
Regular Contributor
10 years ago
Hi Mehdi,

To get a fine grained result we use an external comparison tool and parse the HTML log file. The tool is BeyondCompare 3 which has a PDF plugin and a comparison filter to ignore dates.

Sincerely
madamakis
Occasional Contributor
10 years ago
Hi Mehdi,

I had the same issue with PDF's there not easy with TC.

What I'm doing in the meantime is using DiffPDF which there older version is freeware.

Perhaps that will help until you can find a solution with TC.

Would be great if TC will have an easier way to verify PDF files some time in the near future.

Hope, that helps. If any one knows of other freeware software of testing PDFs please post.

Regards,

Mike
m_essaid
Valued Contributor
10 years ago
In other words which checkpoint should I use ?

Do I need to specify a checkpoint for each value of the PDF file or just once for the whole file ?

ty
Colin_McCrae
Community Hero
10 years ago
Are you using scripted tests?

You could use: http://support.smartbear.com/viewarticle/59342/

... but the problem I usually find with things like this is there is a date or a timestamp or something in there that throws it off enough so you never actually get a match.
m_essaid
Valued Contributor
10 years ago
Hi Simon,

Thank you for your reply,

I don't think my boss will be happy if I tell him that we should buy another testing tool !

Still seeking for a solution, but i think that I have to modify the software to generate tables of raw data or checksums that would be stored and compared in TC.
jorgesimoes1983
Regular Contributor
10 years ago
Just tried PDFbox... nice one ;)
Lassaad
New Contributor
6 years ago
Hi I use this tuto https://support.smartbear.com/articles/testcomplete/testing-pdf-files-with-testcomplete/ with testComplete 10 to use PDFBox to compare 2 PDF. But I can't load the PDF.
I have this error: java.lang.illegalargumentexception argument type mismatch
can you help me
Tahnks
Lassaad
New Contributor
6 years ago
Hi I use this tuto https://support.smartbear.com/articles/testcomplete/testing-pdf-files-with-testcomplete/ with testComplete 10 to use PDFBox to compare 2 PDF.
But I can't load the PDF. I have this error: java.lang.illegalargumentexception argument type mismatch.
Can you help me Tahnks
- tristaanogre
  Esteemed Contributor
  6 years ago
  As documented in that article you linked:
  
  In Java, methods can be overloaded. A method is called overloaded, if it has the same name as another method has, but uses different parameter sets. For instance, the load method below is overloaded:
  
  load(URL url, Boolean force)
  load(String filename)
  load(InuptStream input)
  
  When running Java code, the Java run time engine analyzes the parameter types and automatically calls the appropriate method. However, in TestComplete, this is not possible as all script variables have the Variant type. To distinguish different implementations of a method, TestComplete appends a postfix to the method name: load, load_2, load_3 and so on.
  
  To get information about method names and parameters, examine the methods in the Code Completion window at design time. Alternatively, at run time, you can pause the script on a breakpoint and explore objects’ methods and properties with TestComplete’s Evaluate dialog.
  
  So, you're using "load_3" but that method may be requiring an InputStream or a URL and boolean. Examine the methods to determine which one you need to do the filename. I would suggest that it might be "load_2".