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
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• How the Fediverse Found Parts for Its Platforms
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Working Exploit for a Linux Kernel Flaw Made Public
Even before a bug received its CVE identifier or an upstream fix, the local privilege escalation vulnerability exploit found its way into the wild.
-
r/opensource Bans AI-Assisted and AI-Related Projects
The de facto subreddit for all things open source has not only banned AI-related projects but also users who "don't speak English."
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.