Parsing PDFs in Node.js

The text provides a detailed guide on parsing PDF files using Node.js, focusing on three popular npm packages: pdf-parse, pdf2json, and pdfreader. Each package is explored for its functionality, ease of use, and ability to handle different PDF content types, with pdf-parse being user-friendly but less effective with tables, pdf2json converting PDFs into JSON with support for interactive elements, and pdfreader offering the best solution for preserving table structures. The article emphasizes the importance of choosing the right tool based on project needs and discusses the possibility of creating custom parsers to address specific requirements, particularly when dealing with complex document layouts like tables. It also briefly mentions the setup process for a Node.js project, including initializing a project and organizing sample PDF files, while encouraging readers to experiment with the provided code to deepen their understanding of PDF processing in Node.js.