# Read

The **Read** function reads text, signatures, and form data from PDF documents.

***

## Properties <a href="#properties" id="properties"></a>

### Input <a href="#input" id="input"></a>

The following properties specify the PDF document to be loaded and modified by the operation:

#### File path <a href="#file-path" id="file-path"></a>

Path to the PDF file.

#### Authentication type <a href="#authentication-type" id="authentication-type"></a>

PDF files can be protected using a password or a certificate. This field indicates which type of authentication to attempt when loading the PDF.

1. **None**\
   The document is unprotected and can be opened immediately.
2. **Password**\
   The document is protected by a password.
3. **Certificate**\
   The document is protected by a certificate.

**Password**:

Only displayed when **Authentication type** is 'Password'.

* **Password**: Password required to access the PDF file.

{% hint style="info" %}

> **Note:**\
> All passwords entered into this function's properties will be visible in plain text in the Linx solution file and in the compiled .NET assembly.
> {% endhint %}

**Certificate**:

Only displayed when **Authentication type** is 'Certificate'.

**Certificate source**:\
Source to load the certificate from:

1. **File** - Load a certificate from a .pfx file.
2. **Store** - Load a certificate from the Windows certificate store.

**File**

Displayed when **Certificate source** is 'File'.

* **Certificate file path**: Path to a .pfx file containing a certificate.
* **Certificate file password**: Password needed to open the certificate file.

**Store**:\
Displayed when **Certificate source** is 'Store'.

* **Certificate**: Certificate in the Windows keystore.

{% hint style="info" %}

> **Note:**\
> Certificate protected files are not supported by the "Fill form," "Sign," "Add watermark," and "Concatenate" operations. If you need to use the operations on a certificate-protected document, first remove the certificate protection using the "Change protection" operation. The certificate must include the private key in order to be able to load the document.
> {% endhint %}

***

### Output <a href="#output" id="output"></a>

#### Read text <a href="#read-text" id="read-text"></a>

Reads the document text and returns it in an output parameter named "Text".

#### Read form data <a href="#read-form-data" id="read-form-data"></a>

Reads any form data present in the document.

#### Read signatures <a href="#read-signatures" id="read-signatures"></a>

Reads any signatures present in the document.

***

**Read form data**\
Only displayed when the **Read form data** property is selected.

* **Return form data as**: Controls how the form data is returned.

  **Options**:

  1. **Custom type** - Form data is used to populate an existing Type.
  2. **Infer type from a sample PDF** - Return type is constructed based on a sample PDF document.
  3. **List** - Form data is returned as a list of entries.

**Custom type**

Displayed when 'Custom type' is selected for **Read form data as**.

* **Form data type**: The expected type for the document's form data.
* **Property mapping**: Specify the field names that the properties in the form data should map to.

**Infer type from a sample PDF**

Displayed when 'Infer type from a sample PDF' is selected for **Read form data as**.

* **Sample PDF**: A sample PDF containing the empty form.
* **Property mapping**: Specify the field names that the properties in the form data should map to.

***

**Read text**:\
Only displayed when the **Read text** property is selected.

* **Extraction strategy**: Extraction strategy to use when reading the text from the document.

  **Options**:

  * **Location**
  * **Simple**
  * **Top to bottom**
* **Split text**: Controls how the document text is split.

  **Options**:

  * **Never** - Text is never split; all text in the document is returned as a single string value.
  * **Per page** - Text is split per page and returned in a list of strings with one entry per page.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.linx.software/reference/plugins/pdf/content/read.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.