pdf-converter

name	pdf-converter
description	A universal PDF conversion toolkit. Converts PDF documents to Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), or PowerPoint (.pptx). Handles single files or batch processing.

PDF Converter Skill

This skill provides a comprehensive toolkit for converting PDF documents into editable Office formats. It is organized into three distinct modules based on the desired output format.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• "Convert this PDF to Word/Excel/PPT".
• "Extract tables from this PDF".
• "Turn this PDF into a presentation".
• "Make this PDF editable".

References

For detailed technical information, library comparisons, and troubleshooting tips, refer to:

• references/user_guide.md

Prerequisites

Before using any module, ensure the system dependencies and Python libraries are installed.

1. System Tool (Required for PPT Module):
   • macOS: brew install poppler
   • Linux: sudo apt-get install poppler-utils
2. Python Libraries:

   pip install pdf2docx pdfplumber pandas openpyxl xlsxwriter python-pptx pdf2image
   

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Module 1: PDF to Word (.docx)

Use Case: General document editing, text extraction while preserving layout.

Script Location: scripts/pdf_to_docx.py

Usage:

# Single file
python3 <path_to_skill_script>/pdf_to_docx.py "/path/to/source.pdf"

# Entire Directory (Batch)
python3 <path_to_skill_script>/pdf_to_docx.py "/path/to/directory/"

---

Module 2: PDF to Excel (.xlsx)

Use Case: Extracting data tables, financial reports, or structured lists. Note: If the PDF contains no detected tables, an empty Excel file with an info sheet will be created.

Script Location: scripts/pdf_to_excel.py

Usage:

# Single file
python3 <path_to_skill_script>/pdf_to_excel.py "/path/to/source.pdf"

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Module 3: PDF to PowerPoint (.pptx)

Use Case: creating presentation slides. Technique: Renders each PDF page as a high-resolution image and places it on a slide to ensure perfect visual fidelity.

Script Location: scripts/pdf_to_pptx.py

Usage:

# Single file
python3 <path_to_skill_script>/pdf_to_pptx.py "/path/to/source.pdf"

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Troubleshooting

• PPT Conversion Fails: Check if poppler is installed (pdf2image requires it).
• Excel is Empty: The PDF might be a scanned image without recognizable table structures. pdfplumber works best on native text-based PDFs.
• Word Formatting Issues: Complex multicolumn layouts or heavily styled PDFs might have minor displacement.