Pros of PyMuPDF

• Faster performance for large PDF operations
• More comprehensive PDF manipulation capabilities
• Better support for complex PDF structures and annotations

Cons of PyMuPDF

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
• Larger library size, which may impact deployment in some scenarios
• Less focus on PDF creation from scratch compared to borb

Code Comparison

PyMuPDF example:

import fitz
doc = fitz.open("input.pdf")
page = doc[0]
text = page.get_text()
doc.close()

borb example:

from borb.pdf import Document
from borb.pdf import PDF

doc = Document()
page = doc.get_page(0)
text = page.get_text()

Both libraries offer PDF manipulation capabilities, but PyMuPDF generally provides more advanced features and better performance for complex operations. borb, on the other hand, has a simpler API and is more focused on PDF creation. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and the level of PDF manipulation needed.

Pros of PyPDF

• Lightweight and focused on PDF manipulation tasks
• Extensive documentation and community support
• Simple API for common PDF operations

Cons of PyPDF

• Limited PDF creation capabilities
• Less comprehensive feature set for advanced PDF operations
• Slower performance for large-scale PDF processing

Code Comparison

PyPDF:

from pypdf import PdfReader, PdfWriter

reader = PdfReader("input.pdf")
writer = PdfWriter()

page = reader.pages[0]
writer.add_page(page)

with open("output.pdf", "wb") as output_file:
    writer.write(output_file)

borb:

from borb.pdf import Document, Page, PDF

doc = Document()
page = Page()
doc.add_page(page)

with open("output.pdf", "wb") as pdf_file_handle:
    PDF.dumps(pdf_file_handle, doc)

PyPDF focuses on simple PDF manipulation tasks with a straightforward API, while borb offers more comprehensive PDF creation and manipulation capabilities. PyPDF is ideal for basic PDF operations, whereas borb provides advanced features for complex PDF workflows. The code examples demonstrate the difference in approach, with PyPDF emphasizing reading and writing existing PDFs, and borb showcasing its document creation capabilities.

Pros of borb

• More comprehensive PDF manipulation capabilities
• Actively maintained with regular updates
• Extensive documentation and examples

Cons of borb

• Larger library size
• Steeper learning curve for beginners
• May have more dependencies

Code Comparison

borb:

from borb.pdf import Document, Page, Paragraph

doc = Document()
page = Page()
doc.add_page(page)
page.add(Paragraph("Hello World!"))

borb>:

from borb.pdf import Document, Page, Paragraph

doc = Document()
page = Page()
doc.add_page(page)
page.add(Paragraph("Hello World!"))

In this case, the code snippets are identical, as borb> appears to be a fork or related project to borb. The main differences between the two repositories likely lie in their development focus, maintenance, and specific feature implementations rather than core functionality.

Both projects aim to provide PDF manipulation capabilities in Python, but borb seems to be the more established and actively maintained option. borb> may serve as an experimental branch or alternative implementation, but without more specific information about its purpose, it's difficult to determine its unique advantages or use cases.

Pros of pdfminer.six

• More established project with a longer history and larger community
• Focuses specifically on PDF text extraction and analysis
• Provides lower-level control over PDF parsing process

Cons of pdfminer.six

• Limited functionality for PDF creation or modification
• Less user-friendly for beginners or those seeking quick results
• Slower performance compared to some alternatives

Code Comparison

pdfminer.six:

from pdfminer.high_level import extract_text

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

borb:

from borb.pdf import Document

doc = Document.load("sample.pdf")
text = ""
for page in doc.pages:
    text += page.extract_text()
print(text)

Both libraries offer methods to extract text from PDF files, but borb provides a more object-oriented approach with additional features for PDF manipulation. pdfminer.six is more focused on text extraction and analysis, while borb offers a broader range of PDF-related functionalities.

pdfminer.six is better suited for projects requiring detailed PDF parsing and text analysis, whereas borb is more versatile for general PDF handling, including creation and modification tasks. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and your familiarity with PDF structures.

Pros of pikepdf

• Faster performance for large PDF operations
• More comprehensive low-level PDF manipulation capabilities
• Better integration with existing Python PDF libraries

Cons of pikepdf

• Steeper learning curve for beginners
• Less focus on high-level PDF creation and editing tasks
• Requires more code for simple operations compared to borb

Code Comparison

pikepdf example:

import pikepdf

pdf = pikepdf.Pdf.open("input.pdf")
page = pdf.pages[0]
page.rotate(90)
pdf.save("output.pdf")

borb example:

from borb.pdf import Document, Page, PDF

doc = Document()
page = Page()
doc.add_page(page)
with open("output.pdf", "wb") as pdf_file_handle:
    PDF.dumps(pdf_file_handle, doc)

pikepdf is better suited for complex PDF manipulation tasks, offering more granular control over PDF structures. It excels in scenarios requiring high performance and integration with other PDF libraries. borb, on the other hand, provides a more user-friendly approach for basic PDF creation and editing, making it easier for beginners to get started with PDF operations in Python.

Pros of pdfarranger

• User-friendly GUI for PDF manipulation
• Lightweight and focused on specific PDF tasks
• Cross-platform compatibility (Linux, Windows, macOS)

Cons of pdfarranger

• Limited to basic PDF operations (merging, splitting, rotating)
• Lacks advanced PDF creation and modification features
• Requires external dependencies (Python, GTK)

Code Comparison

pdfarranger (Python):

from pdfarranger.core import PdfArrangement

pdf = PdfArrangement()
pdf.import_file("input.pdf")
pdf.rotate_page(0, 90)
pdf.export("output.pdf")

borb (Python):

from borb.pdf import Document, Page, PDF

doc = Document()
page = Page()
doc.add_page(page)
page.add_text("Hello, World!", font_size=12)
PDF.dumps(doc, "output.pdf")

Key Differences

• pdfarranger focuses on GUI-based PDF manipulation
• borb offers programmatic PDF creation and modification
• pdfarranger is ideal for quick, visual PDF edits
• borb provides more flexibility for complex PDF operations

Both projects serve different use cases, with pdfarranger being more suitable for end-users needing simple PDF edits, while borb caters to developers requiring programmatic PDF handling.