PyMuPDF is a Python binding for MuPDF, a lightweight PDF and XPS viewer. It provides fast access to PDF documents and allows for various operations such as rendering, text extraction, searching, and manipulation of PDF files. PyMuPDF is known for its speed and versatility in handling PDF and other document formats.

Pros

• High performance and speed in PDF processing
• Supports multiple document formats (PDF, XPS, EPUB, FB2, CBZ, SVG)
• Extensive features for PDF manipulation and analysis
• Active development and regular updates

Cons

• Complex API for some advanced operations
• Limited support for creating PDFs from scratch
• Dependency on the MuPDF library, which may require separate installation
• Some features may require a commercial license for certain use cases

Code Examples

1. Opening a PDF and extracting text:

import fitz

doc = fitz.open("example.pdf")
page = doc[0]
text = page.get_text()
print(text)

2. Rendering a page as an image:

import fitz

doc = fitz.open("example.pdf")
page = doc[0]
pix = page.get_pixmap()
pix.save("page_image.png")

3. Searching for text in a PDF:

import fitz

doc = fitz.open("example.pdf")
search_term = "example"
for page in doc:
    text_instances = page.search_for(search_term)
    print(f"Found {len(text_instances)} instances on page {page.number + 1}")

4. Adding annotations to a PDF:

import fitz

doc = fitz.open("example.pdf")
page = doc[0]
annot = page.add_highlight_annot((100, 100, 200, 120))
annot.set_info(title="Highlight", content="Important section")
doc.save("annotated.pdf")

Getting Started

To get started with PyMuPDF, follow these steps:

1. Install PyMuPDF using pip:

   pip install PyMuPDF
   

2. Import the library in your Python script:

   import fitz
   

3. Open a PDF file and start working with it:

   doc = fitz.open("example.pdf")
   page = doc[0]
   text = page.get_text()
   print(text)
   

For more detailed information and advanced usage, refer to the official documentation at https://pymupdf.readthedocs.io/.