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How to Extract Read Results in C# with IronOCR

Chaknith Bin
Chaknith Bin
Updated:

The read or OCR result encompasses a wealth of information pertaining to detected paragraphs, lines, words, and individual characters. For each of these elements, the result provides a comprehensive set of details.

For each element, it provides the text content, precise X and Y coordinates, dimensions (width and height), text direction (Left to Right or Top to Bottom), and location in a CropRectangle object.

Quickstart: Retrieve Word Text from First Detected Word

Get started in seconds: use IronTesseract’s Read method to OCR an image and pull the first word’s text using the Words collection. Perfect for fast setups and simple extraction tasks.

Nuget IconGet started making PDFs with NuGet now:

  1. Install IronOCR with NuGet Package Manager

    PM > Install-Package IronOcr

  2. Copy and run this code snippet.

    string wordText = new IronTesseract().Read("file.jpg").Words[0].Text;

  3. Deploy to test on your live environment

    Start using IronOCR in your project today with a free trial
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Minimal Workflow (5 steps)

  1. Download a C# library for accessing read results
  2. Prepare the target image and PDF document
  3. Use the Read method to perform OCR on the imported document
  4. Access the X, Y, width, height, and text direction of the result
  5. Check the detected paragraphs, lines, words, and character comparisons

Data Output

The result value doesn't only contain the extracted text but also provides information about pages, paragraphs, lines, words, characters, and barcodes discovered in the PDF and image document by IronOcr. You can access this information from the returned OcrResult object using the Read method.

:path=/static-assets/ocr/content-code-examples/how-to/read-results-output-information.cs
using IronOcr;
using System;
using static IronOcr.OcrResult;

// Instantiate IronTesseract
IronTesseract ocrTesseract = new IronTesseract();

// Add image
using var imageInput = new OcrImageInput("sample.jpg");
// Perform OCR
OcrResult ocrResult = ocrTesseract.Read(imageInput);

// Retrieve list of detected paragraphs
Paragraph[] paragraphs = ocrResult.Paragraphs;

// Output information to console
Console.WriteLine($"Text: {paragraphs[0].Text}");
Console.WriteLine($"X: {paragraphs[0].X}");
Console.WriteLine($"Y: {paragraphs[0].Y}");
Console.WriteLine($"Width: {paragraphs[0].Width}");
Console.WriteLine($"Height: {paragraphs[0].Height}");
Console.WriteLine($"Text direction: {paragraphs[0].TextDirection}");
Imports IronOcr
Imports System
Imports IronOcr.OcrResult

' Instantiate IronTesseract
Private ocrTesseract As New IronTesseract()

' Add image
Private imageInput = New OcrImageInput("sample.jpg")
' Perform OCR
Private ocrResult As OcrResult = ocrTesseract.Read(imageInput)

' Retrieve list of detected paragraphs
Private paragraphs() As Paragraph = ocrResult.Paragraphs

' Output information to console
Console.WriteLine($"Text: {paragraphs(0).Text}")
Console.WriteLine($"X: {paragraphs(0).X}")
Console.WriteLine($"Y: {paragraphs(0).Y}")
Console.WriteLine($"Width: {paragraphs(0).Width}")
Console.WriteLine($"Height: {paragraphs(0).Height}")
Console.WriteLine($"Text direction: {paragraphs(0).TextDirection}")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel
Data in OcrResult

Text in OCR Result

The OcrResult object presents the extracted text in a simple, intuitive way, allowing developers to use it as is or integrate it into other parts of their application.

Let's look at the code example that prints the text in a loop to verify the results.

:path=/static-assets/ocr/content-code-examples/how-to/read-results-output-text.cs
using IronOcr;
using System;
using static IronOcr.OcrResult;

// Instantiate IronTesseract
IronTesseract ocrTesseract = new IronTesseract();

// Add image
using var imageInput = new OcrImageInput("sampleText.png");
// Perform OCR
OcrResult ocrResult = ocrTesseract.Read(imageInput);

// Retrieve list of detected paragraphs
Paragraph[] paragraphs = ocrResult.Paragraphs;

// Loop through each paragraph in the array
Console.WriteLine("--- All Detected Paragraphs ---");
foreach (Paragraph paragraph in paragraphs)
{
    // Print the text of the current paragraph
    Console.WriteLine(paragraph.Text);
    
    // Add a blank line for better separation (optional)
    Console.WriteLine(); 
}


IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Output

Text data in OcrResult

Here's the output printed to the console. As you can see, IronOCR perfectly extracts the paragraph text, line by line, with precision.

Text Location in OCR Result

In addition to the extracted text, the OcrResult provides detailed location data. The following code demonstrates how to iterate over each paragraph and print its coordinates (X and Y) to the console.

:path=/static-assets/ocr/content-code-examples/how-to/read-results-output-coordinates.cs
using IronOcr;
using System;
using static IronOcr.OcrResult;

// Instantiate IronTesseract
IronTesseract ocrTesseract = new IronTesseract();

// Add image
using var imageInput = new OcrImageInput("sampleText.png");
// Perform OCR
OcrResult ocrResult = ocrTesseract.Read(imageInput);

// Retrieve list of detected paragraphs
Paragraph[] paragraphs = ocrResult.Paragraphs;

Console.WriteLine("--- All Detected Coordinates of Paragraphs ---");

// Use a 'for' loop to get an index for each paragraph
for (int i = 0; i < paragraphs.Length; i++)
{
    // Get the current paragraph
    Paragraph paragraph = paragraphs[i];

    // Print the paragraph number, text, and its location
    Console.WriteLine($"X: {paragraph.X}"); // X-coordinate (left edge)
    Console.WriteLine($"Y: {paragraph.Y}"); // Y-coordinate (top edge)

    // Add a blank line for better separation
    Console.WriteLine();
}
IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Output

Text coordinates in OcrResult

As you can see from the output, you see three sets of coordinates corresponding to the three paragraphs.

Additional Attributes in OCR Result

Aside from the text and text coordinates, IronOCR offers additional information. For each part of the text, like paragraphs, lines, words, and individual characters, we provide the following information:

  • Text: The actual text as a string.
  • X: The position from the left edge of the page in pixels.
  • Y: The position from the top edge of the page in pixels.
  • Width: The width in pixels.
  • Height: The height in pixels.
  • Text Direction: The direction in which the text was read, like 'Left to Right' or 'Top to Bottom.'
  • Location: A rectangle showing where this text is on the page in pixels.

Paragraph, Line, Word, and Character Comparison

Below is the comparison of the detected paragraphs, lines, words, and characters.

Highlight paragraph

Paragraph
Highlight line

Line
Highlight word

Word
Highlight character

Character

Barcode and QR Code

That’s correct! IronOcr can read barcodes and QR codes. While the feature may not be as robust as IronBarcode, IronOcr does provide support for common barcode types. To enable barcode detection, set the Configuration.ReadBarCodes property to true.

Additionally, valuable information can be extracted from the detected barcode, including its format, value, coordinates (x, y), height, width, and location as IronSoftware.Drawing.Rectangle object. This Rectangle class in IronDrawing allows for precise positioning on the document.

:path=/static-assets/ocr/content-code-examples/how-to/read-results-barcodes.cs
using IronOcr;
using System;
using static IronOcr.OcrResult;

// Instantiate IronTesseract
IronTesseract ocrTesseract = new IronTesseract();

// Enable barcodes detection
ocrTesseract.Configuration.ReadBarCodes = true;

// Add image
using OcrInput ocrInput = new OcrInput();
ocrInput.LoadPdf("sample.pdf");

// Perform OCR
OcrResult ocrResult = ocrTesseract.Read(ocrInput);

// Output information to console
foreach(var barcode in ocrResult.Barcodes)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Format = " + barcode.Format);
    Console.WriteLine("Value = " + barcode.Value);
    Console.WriteLine("X = " + barcode.X);
    Console.WriteLine("Y = " + barcode.Y);
}
Console.WriteLine(ocrResult.Text);
Imports IronOcr
Imports System
Imports IronOcr.OcrResult

' Instantiate IronTesseract
Private ocrTesseract As New IronTesseract()

' Enable barcodes detection
ocrTesseract.Configuration.ReadBarCodes = True

' Add image
Using ocrInput As New OcrInput()
	ocrInput.LoadPdf("sample.pdf")
	
	' Perform OCR
	Dim ocrResult As OcrResult = ocrTesseract.Read(ocrInput)
	
	' Output information to console
	For Each barcode In ocrResult.Barcodes
		Console.WriteLine("Format = " & barcode.Format)
		Console.WriteLine("Value = " & barcode.Value)
		Console.WriteLine("X = " & barcode.X)
		Console.WriteLine("Y = " & barcode.Y)
	Next barcode
	Console.WriteLine(ocrResult.Text)
End Using
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Output

Detect barcodes

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I extract text elements from images and PDFs using C#?

You can extract text elements from images and PDFs using IronOCR by utilizing its `Read` method, which performs Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to obtain details about paragraphs, lines, words, and characters, including their text content, coordinates, and dimensions.

What is the process to get started with OCR in .NET C#?

To begin with OCR in .NET C#, download the IronOCR library from NuGet, prepare your image or PDF document, and use the `Read` method to obtain an `OcrResult` object, which contains detailed information about the extracted text and document structure.

Can IronOCR detect and extract barcode information?

Yes, IronOCR can detect and extract barcode information by setting the `Configuration.ReadBarCodes` property to true, allowing you to retrieve data such as the barcode's format, value, and its position within the document.

What types of document elements can IronOCR detect?

IronOCR can detect various document elements including pages, paragraphs, lines, words, and individual characters, as well as barcodes and QR codes, providing a comprehensive analysis of the document's structure.

How can I configure IronOCR to read text in different directions?

IronOCR is capable of reading text in multiple directions, such as 'Left to Right' or 'Top to Bottom', by analyzing the direction property within the `OcrResult` object.

What is the `CropRectangle` object in IronOCR?

The `CropRectangle` object in IronOCR defines the location and size of text elements on a page in terms of coordinates and dimensions, helping in precise text identification and extraction.

How do I use the IronOCR `Read` method to analyze documents?

To use the `Read` method in IronOCR, create an instance of the IronOCR engine, load your target document, and execute the `Read` method to obtain OCR results, which can be used to access text data and document properties.

How does IronOCR handle the detection of QR codes?

IronOCR handles the detection of QR codes by enabling barcode reading through the `Configuration.ReadBarCodes` setting, which allows it to extract QR code data including its format, value, and location.

What is the role of `OcrResult` in text extraction?

The `OcrResult` object plays a crucial role in text extraction by holding the extracted text and accompanying details such as the position, dimensions, and direction of text elements, as well as barcode information.

How can I ensure accurate text extraction with IronOCR?

To ensure accurate text extraction with IronOCR, make sure to provide high-quality input documents and properly configure settings like `Configuration.ReadBarCodes` for barcode detection to optimize OCR performance.

Chaknith Bin
Chaknith Bin
  Chat with engineering team now
Software Engineer
Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience.
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