ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pdfminer.high_level'

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05-10-2024

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"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pdfminer.high_level'" - A Common Python PDF Processing Pitfall

Have you encountered the error "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pdfminer.high_level'" while trying to extract text from PDF documents using Python? This frustrating error message arises when your Python environment doesn't have the necessary pdfminer.high_level module installed. This module provides high-level functions for extracting text and other information from PDF files.

Scenario and Code:

Let's imagine you're writing a Python script to extract text from a PDF file named "my_document.pdf". You might use the following code:

from pdfminer.high_level import extract_text

text = extract_text('my_document.pdf')
print(text)

When you run this code, you'll get the dreaded "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pdfminer.high_level'" if the module isn't installed.

Insights and Solutions:

This error arises because the pdfminer.high_level module is part of the pdfminer.six library, a popular Python library for PDF manipulation. To resolve this, you need to install the library using the following command:

pip install pdfminer.six

Important Considerations:

• Virtual Environments: It's highly recommended to work within virtual environments to isolate project dependencies. Create a virtual environment for your project using:

  python3 -m venv my_project_env
  source my_project_env/bin/activate  # For Linux/macOS
  my_project_env\Scripts\activate  # For Windows
  

• Version Compatibility: Ensure you have the correct version of pdfminer.six compatible with your Python installation.

• Troubleshooting: If the issue persists after installation, check if you have any conflicting packages, or try reinstalling the pdfminer.six package.

Additional Value and Resources:

• Example Usage: Here's an example of how to use the extract_text function to extract text from a PDF file:

  from pdfminer.high_level import extract_text
  
  with open("my_document.pdf", "rb") as f:
      text = extract_text(f)
  
  print(text)
  

• PDFMiner Documentation: Refer to the official documentation for more advanced features and functionalities of the pdfminer.six library: https://pypi.org/project/pdfminer.six/

Conclusion:

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pdfminer.high_level'" is a common error that can be easily resolved by installing the pdfminer.six library. By following the steps outlined above, you can successfully extract text and other information from PDF files using Python. Remember to utilize virtual environments for optimal project management and dependency isolation.