PyPDF Toolbox GUI

A collection of Python-based PDF utility tools with a unified graphical launcher interface.

Main launcher bar showing tool categories, available tools, and control buttons

Features

• Slim Launcher Bar: A compact, always-on-top toolbar that stays at the top of your screen
• Individual Tool Windows: Each PDF tool opens in its own window positioned below the launcher
• Global Azure AI Configuration: Configure Azure AI services once in the launcher, all tools use the same settings
• Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Virtual Environment: Automatically creates and manages a Python virtual environment
• Easy Extension: Add new tools by simply creating launch_*.bat/launch_*.sh scripts

Available Tools

Implemented Tools

PDF Splitter Manually split PDFs by selecting split points with visual thumbnail preview	PDF Visual Combiner Combine multiple PDFs by visually selecting individual pages from thumbnails	PDF Text Extractor Extract text from PDFs using Python, OCR, or Azure AI
launch_pdf_splitter	launch_pdf_visual_combiner	launch_pdf_text_extractor
PDF OCR Add OCR text recognition to PDFs and convert images to searchable PDFs	Markdown Converter Convert Markdown to PDF/DOCX with live HTML preview and style presets	PDF Image Print Prepare images for double-sided printing; export to PDF or Word
launch_pdf_ocr	launch_pdf_md_converter	launch_pdf_image_print

Features:

• PDF Splitter: Visual thumbnail preview, drag & drop support, custom page ranges
• PDF Visual Combiner: Configurable thumbnail sizes, auto-selection patterns, multiple PDF support
• PDF Text Extractor: Multiple extraction methods (Python, OCR, Azure AI), multiple output formats (Text, Markdown, JSON)
• PDF OCR: Add searchable text layer to PDFs, convert images to searchable PDFs, support for multiple languages
• Markdown Converter: Convert Markdown to PDF/DOCX with live HTML preview, 6 style presets, and multiple export options
• PDF Image Print: Arrange images in front/back pairs for duplex printing, export to PDF or Word
• PDF / Image Recompress: Scale down embedded PDF images (50–100%) and recompress as JPEG; batch-compress raster images

Planned Tools

• Split PDF: Split a PDF into individual pages or page ranges
• Merge PDF: Combine multiple PDFs into one document
• Reorder Pages: Rearrange pages within a PDF
• Rotate: Rotate pages within a PDF
• Extract Pages: Extract specific pages from a PDF
• Convert: Convert between PDF and other formats
• Watermark: Add watermarks to PDF documents
• Encrypt/Decrypt: Add or remove password protection
• Metadata: View and edit PDF metadata

Quick Start

Windows - Python Scripts

1. Double-click launcher.bat
2. The launcher will automatically create a virtual environment on first run
3. Click on any tool button to launch that tool

Windows - Standalone Executable

Build a single executable that doesn't require Python:

1. Follow the step-by-step guide in INSTALLATION.md
2. Run build_executable.bat to create PyPDF_Toolbox.exe
3. Use the executable without installing Python or dependencies

See INSTALLATION.md for detailed instructions on building and using the Windows executable.

Releases

• Download: Grab the latest Windows EXE from the GitHub Releases page.
• Verify: Each release includes a SHA256 checksum file for the ZIP.
• Build in CI: Releases are produced by GitHub Actions on v* tags.

Linux / macOS

1. Make the script executable: chmod +x launcher.sh
2. Run: ./launcher.sh
3. The launcher will automatically create a virtual environment on first run
4. Click on any tool button to launch that tool

Requirements

For Python Scripts (Development/Standard Use)

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Tkinter (usually included with Python)
• For OCR functionality: Tesseract OCR installed on your system
• For Azure AI features: Azure OpenAI and/or Azure Document Intelligence subscription

For Standalone Executable (Windows)

• To build: Python 3.8+ (see INSTALLATION.md)
• To run: Windows 10+ only (no Python required)
• Optional: Tesseract OCR and Poppler for full feature support (see INSTALLATION.md)

Azure AI Configuration

The launcher includes a global Azure AI configuration dialog accessible via the "⚙️ Azure" button. This allows you to configure:

• Azure OpenAI: Endpoint, API key, deployment name, and API version
• Azure Document Intelligence: Endpoint and API key

Configuration Methods

1. Via Launcher GUI (Recommended):

   • Click the "⚙️ Azure" button in the launcher
   • Enter your Azure credentials
   • Click "Save" to store settings in config/azure_ai.yaml

2. Via Environment Variables:

   # Azure OpenAI
   export AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT="https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/"
   export AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key"
   export AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT="gpt-4"
   export AZURE_OPENAI_API_VERSION="2024-02-15-preview"
   
   # Azure Document Intelligence
   export AZURE_DOC_INTEL_ENDPOINT="https://your-resource.cognitiveservices.azure.com/"
   export AZURE_DOC_INTEL_API_KEY="your-api-key"

3. Via Config File:

   • Copy config/azure_ai.yaml.template to config/azure_ai.yaml
   • Edit the file with your credentials

Note: Environment variables take precedence over the config file. This is the recommended method for production environments.

Security

• The config/azure_ai.yaml file is in .gitignore and will not be committed to version control
• API keys stored in the config file are not saved when using environment variables
• Always use environment variables in production environments

Adding New Tools

To add a new PDF tool:

1. Create your tool script in the src/ directory (e.g., src/pdf_split.py)
2. Create a launcher script in the root directory:
   • Windows: launch_pdf_split.bat (follow naming: launch_pdf_<toolname>.bat)
   • Linux/macOS: launch_pdf_split.sh (follow naming: launch_pdf_<toolname>.sh)
3. The tool will automatically appear in the launcher GUI, categorized by functionality
4. Tools are automatically grouped into categories (Split & Merge, Extract & Analyze, etc.)

Tool Window Positioning

Tools can read these environment variables to position themselves in the available screen area below the launcher:

• TOOL_WINDOW_X: X position for tool window
• TOOL_WINDOW_Y: Y position for tool window
• TOOL_WINDOW_WIDTH: Available width for tool window
• TOOL_WINDOW_HEIGHT: Available height for tool window

Example Tool Launcher (Windows)

@echo off
setlocal
set SCRIPT_DIR=%~dp0
set VENV_DIR=%SCRIPT_DIR%\.venv
set PYTHON_EXE=%VENV_DIR%\Scripts\python.exe
"%PYTHON_EXE%" "%SCRIPT_DIR%\src\pdf_split.py"
endlocal

Example Tool Launcher (Linux/macOS)

#!/bin/bash
SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
VENV_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR/.venv"
"$VENV_DIR/bin/python" "$SCRIPT_DIR/src/pdf_split.py"

Project Structure

pypdf-toolbox-gui/
├── launcher.bat          # Windows launcher script
├── launcher.sh           # Linux/macOS launcher script
├── build_executable.bat  # Build script for Windows executable
├── PyPDF_Toolbox.py      # Unified entry point for executable
├── PyPDF_Toolbox.spec    # PyInstaller spec file
├── requirements.txt      # Python dependencies (includes PyInstaller for building)
├── README.md            # This file
├── INSTALLATION.md      # Complete executable build and installation guide
├── LICENSE              # Apache 2.0 License
├── launch_pdf_*.bat     # Individual tool launchers (Windows)
├── launch_pdf_*.sh      # Individual tool launchers (Linux/macOS)
├── build/               # Build artifacts (temporary)
├── dist/                # Output directory (executable after build)
├── src/
│   ├── launcher_gui.py  # Main launcher GUI
│   └── (tool scripts)   # Individual PDF tool scripts
└── .venv/               # Virtual environment (auto-created)

License

Copyright 2025-2026 Andre Lorbach

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues for bug reports and feature requests.