Adapt the PDFtk PDF tool's call syntax with Go
Programming Snapshot – PDFtk Go Variant

© Lead Image © Sergey Nivens, 123RF.com
Go is not only suitable for complex server programs, but it also cuts a fine figure with simple command-line tools for automating everyday life. Mike Schilli restructures the signature of a PDF manipulation tool.
One of my favorite tools at the command line is the PDFtk utility, a veritable Swiss Army knife for merging PDF documents. However, when called, the tool expects unusual syntax for passing parameters, which I find hard to memorize and type every time. That's why I decided to wire up a variant in Go, which tries to guess what the user wants. En route to doing this, the inclined reader will discover how Go reads and writes files, extracts and manipulates single characters from strings, and calls external programs with interactive input, as well as find out how to cross-compile Go programs for various platforms.
For close to a decade now, I've been digitizing paper books and magazines with my scanner and then tossing them into the recycling bin. Sometimes a book comes out as two or more PDFs because the scanner got stuck between two stacks and I had to continue the scanning process with a new document. Sometimes the cover of a hardback book simply will not fit through the scanner feeder, which means that the front and back covers are individual PDF files from a flatbed scanner. PDFtk makes putting the parts together a breeze:
$ pdftk book-*.pdf cat output book.pdf
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
News
-
Apple M1 Hardware Support to be Merged into Linux Kernel 5.13
Linux users will be able to install their favorite distribution on Apple’s M1-based hardware.
-
KDE Launches the Qt 5 Patch Collection
To support and maintain a stable Qt 5 for KDE Gears and Frameworks, KDE will maintain a patch collection.
-
Linux Creator Warns Next Kernel Could be Delayed
Linus Torvalds has issued concern about the size of kernel 5.12 and possible delays for its release.
-
System76 Updates its Pangolin Laptop
System76 has released a much-anticipated AMD version of their most popular laptop, the Pangolin.
-
New Debian-Based Distribution Arrives on the Market
TelOS is a new Debian-based Linux distribution with a customized, touch-screen-ready KDE Plasma 5 desktop.
-
System76 Releases New Thelio Desktop
One of the most ardent supporters of open source hardware has released a new desktop machine for home or office.
-
Mageia 8 Now Available with Linux 5.10 LTS
The latest release of Mageia includes improved graphics support for both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
GNOME 40 Beta has been Released
Anyone looking to test the beta for the upcoming GNOME 40 release can now do so.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 4.2 has Arrived
The latest stable version of OpenMandriva has been released and offers the newest KDE desktop and ARM support.
-
Thunderbird 78 Ported to Ubuntu 20.04
The Ubuntu developers have made the decision to port the latest release of Thunderbird to the LTS version of the platform.