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Auto-Recognize And Process A Form

Take the following steps to start a project and to add some code that creates a set of master forms and uses them to recognize and process a form using LEADTOOLS High Level Forms Interface:

  1. Start Visual Studio .NET.
  2. Choose File->New->Project... from the menu.
  3. In the New Project dialog box, choose either "Visual C# Projects" or "Visual Basic Projects" in the Projects Type List, and choose "Windows Application" in the Templates List.
  4. Type the project name as "Recognizing and Processig a Form" in the Project Name field, and then choose OK. If desired, type a new location for your project or select a directory using the Browse button, and then choose OK.
  5. In the "Solution Explorer" window, right-click on the "References" folder, and select "Add Reference…" from the context menu. In the "Add Reference" dialog box, select the ".NET" tab, browse to the "\LEAD Technologies\LEADTOOLS 17\Bin\DotNet\Win32" folder, and select the following DLLs:
    • Leadtools.dll
    • Leadtools.Barcode.dll
    • Leadtools.Forms.Auto.dll
    • Leadtools.Forms.DocumentWriters.dll
    • Leadtools.Forms.Ocr.dll
    • Leadtools.Forms.Processing.dll
    • Leadtools.Forms.Recognition.dll
    • Leadtools.Codecs.dll
    • Leadtools.Codecs.Tif.dll
    • Leadtools.Codecs.Fax.dll
  6. Add the following lines at the top of the Form1.cs/Form1.vb file:

    [C#]

                using Leadtools;
                using Leadtools.Codecs;
                using Leadtools.Forms;
                using Leadtools.Forms.Ocr;
                using Leadtools.Forms.Processing;
                using Leadtools.Forms.Recognition;
                using Leadtools.Forms.Auto;
                using System.IO; 
                
    

    [Visual Basic]

                Imports Leadtools
                Imports Leadtools.Codecs
                Imports Leadtools.Forms
                Imports Leadtools.Forms.Ocr
                Imports Leadtools.FOrms.Processing
                Imports Leadtools.Forms.Recognition
                Imports Leadtools.Forms.Auto
                Imports System.IO
                
    
  7. Add the following members to the Form1 class:

    [C#]

                  //Create the Auto Forms Engine
                  AutoFormsEngine autoEngine;
                  RasterCodecs formsCodec;
                  //Create a collection of OCR Engines
                  List<IOcrEngine> ocrEngines;
                  //Create the repository of master forms
                  DiskMasterFormsRepository formsRepository;
                
    

    [Visual Basic]

                  'Create the Auto Forms Engine
                  Dim autoEngine As AutoFormsEngine
                  Dim formsCodec As RasterCodecs
                  'Create a collection of OCR Engines
                  Dim ocrEngines As List(Of IOcrEngine)
                  'Create the repository of master forms
                  Dim formsRepository As DiskMasterFormsRepository
                
    
  8. Add the following code to the Load event of the form (Form1_Load()):

    [C#]

                  try
                  {
                     RasterSupport.Unlock(RasterSupportType.OcrAdvantage, "Enter valid key here");
                     RasterSupport.Unlock(RasterSupportType.Forms, "Enter valid key here");
                     RasterSupport.Unlock(RasterSupportType.Document, "Enter valid key here");
                     formsCodec = new RasterCodecs();
                     
                     //Create an OCR Engine for each processor on the machine. This 
                     //allows for optimal use of thread during recognition and processing.
                     ocrEngines = new List<IOcrEngine>();
                     for (int i = 0; i < Environment.ProcessorCount; i++)
                     {
                        ocrEngines.Add(OcrEngineManager.CreateEngine(OcrEngineType.Advantage, false));
                        ocrEngines[i].Startup(formsCodec, null, String.Empty, String.Empty);
                     }
                     //Point repository to directory with existing master forms 
                     formsRepository = new DiskMasterFormsRepository(formsCodec, @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\LEADTOOLS Images\Forms\MasterForm Sets\OCR");
                     autoEngine = new AutoFormsEngine(formsRepository, ocrEngines, null, AutoFormsRecognitionManager.Default | AutoFormsRecognitionManager.Ocr, 30, 80, true);
                  }
                  catch (Exception ex)
                  {
                     MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
                  }
                
    

    [Visual Basic]

                  Try
                     RasterSupport.Unlock(RasterSupportType.OcrAdvantage, "Enter valid key here")
                     RasterSupport.Unlock(RasterSupportType.Forms, "Enter valid key here")
                     RasterSupport.Unlock(RasterSupportType.Document, "Enter valid key here")
                     formsCodec = New RasterCodecs()
                     
                     'Create an OCR Engine for each processor on the machine. This 
                     'allows for optimal use of thread during recognition and processing.
                     ocrEngines = New List(Of IOcrEngine)()
                     Dim i As Integer = 0
                     Do While i < Environment.ProcessorCount
                        ocrEngines.Add(OcrEngineManager.CreateEngine(OcrEngineType.Advantage, False))
                        ocrEngines(i).Startup(formsCodec, Nothing, String.Empty, String.Empty)
                        i += 1
                     Loop
                     'Point repository to directory with existing master forms 
                     formsRepository = New DiskMasterFormsRepository(formsCodec, "C:\Users\Public\Documents\LEADTOOLS Images\Forms\MasterForm Sets\OCR")
                     autoEngine = New AutoFormsEngine(formsRepository, ocrEngines, Nothing, AutoFormsRecognitionManager.Default Or AutoFormsRecognitionManager.Ocr, 30, 80, True)
                  Catch ex As Exception
                     MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
                  End Try           
                
    
  9. LEADTOOLS ships several sample master and filled forms which we will use for this tutorial. The path to the images is hard-coded to the default install location so if you chose another path, you will need to change it accordingly. Add a button to the form and set its Text property to "Recognize and Process Form" then double-click it and add the following code to its handler:

    [C#]

                  try
                  {
                     //For this tutorial, we will use the sample W9 sample filled form.
                     string resultMessage = "Form not recognized";
                     string formToRecognize = @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\LEADTOOLS Images\Forms\Images\W9_OCR_Filled.tif";
                     //Run the recognition and processing
                     AutoFormsRunResult runResult = autoEngine.Run(formToRecognize, null);
                     if (runResult != null)
                     {
                        FormRecognitionResult recognitionResult = runResult.RecognitionResult.Result;
                        resultMessage = String.Format("This form has been recognized as a {0} with {1} confidence.", runResult.RecognitionResult.MasterForm.Name, recognitionResult.Confidence);
                     }
                     MessageBox.Show(resultMessage, "Recognition Results");
                     ShowProcessedResults(runResult);
                  }
                  catch (Exception ex)
                  {
                     MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
                  }
                                
                
    

    [Visual Basic]

                  Try
                     'For this tutorial, we will use the sample W9 sample filled form.
                     Dim resultMessage As String = "Form not recognized"
                     Dim formToRecognize As String = "C:\Users\Public\Documents\LEADTOOLS Images\Forms\Images\W9_OCR_Filled.tif"
                     'Run the recognition and processing
                     Dim runResult As AutoFormsRunResult = autoEngine.Run(formToRecognize, Nothing)
                     If Not runResult Is Nothing Then
                        Dim recognitionResult As FormRecognitionResult = runResult.RecognitionResult.Result
                        resultMessage = String.Format("This form has been recognized as a {0} with {1} confidence.", runResult.RecognitionResult.MasterForm.Name, recognitionResult.Confidence)
                     End If
                     MessageBox.Show(resultMessage, "Recognition Results")
                     ShowProcessedResults(runResult)
                  Catch ex As Exception
                     MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
                  End Try
                                
                
    
  10. Add the following function to the class:

    [C#]

                  private void ShowProcessedResults(AutoFormsRunResult runResult)
                  {
                     if (runResult == null)
                        return;
                     string resultsMessage = String.Empty;
                     try
                     {
                        foreach (FormPage formPage in runResult.FormFields)
                        {
                           foreach (FormField field in formPage)
                           {
                              if (field != null)
                              {
                                 resultsMessage = String.Format("{0}{1} = {2}{3}",
                                                      resultsMessage,
                                                      field.Name,
                                                      (field.Result as TextFormFieldResult).Text,
                                                      Environment.NewLine);
                              }
                           }
                        }
                     }
                     catch (Exception ex)
                     {
                        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
                     }
                     if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(resultsMessage))
                        MessageBox.Show("No fields were processed", "Field ProcessingResults");
                     else
                        MessageBox.Show(resultsMessage, "Field ProcessingResults");
                  }                 
                
    

    [Visual Basic]

                  Private Sub ShowProcessedResults(ByVal runResult As AutoFormsRunResult)
                     If runResult Is Nothing Then
                        Return
                     End If
                     Dim resultsMessage As String = String.Empty
                     Try
                        For Each formPage As FormPage In runResult.FormFields
                           For Each field As FormField In formPage
                              If Not field Is Nothing Then
                                 resultsMessage = String.Format("{0}{1} = {2}{3}", resultsMessage, field.Name, (CType(IIf(TypeOf field.Result Is TextFormFieldResult, field.Result, Nothing), TextFormFieldResult)).Text, Environment.NewLine)
                              End If
                           Next field
                        Next formPage
                     Catch ex As Exception
                        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
                     End Try
                        If String.IsNullOrEmpty(resultsMessage) Then
                           MessageBox.Show("No fields were processed", "Field ProcessingResults")
                        Else
                           MessageBox.Show(resultsMessage, "Field ProcessingResults")
                        End If
                  End Sub
                                
                
    
  11. Add the following clean-up code to the FormClosing event handler:

    [C#]

                  autoEngine.Dispose();
                  foreach (IOcrEngine ocrEngine in ocrEngines)
                  {
                     if (ocrEngine != null && ocrEngine.IsStarted)
                     ocrEngine.Shutdown();
                  }
                                
                
    

    [Visual Basic]

                  autoEngine.Dispose()
                  For Each ocrEngine As IOcrEngine In ocrEngines
                     If Not ocrEngine Is Nothing AndAlso ocrEngine.IsStarted Then
                     ocrEngine.Shutdown()
                     End If
                  Next ocrEngine
                                
                
    
  12. Set the output folder of the project .exe to where LEADTOOLS .Net DLLs are installed. For example: \LEAD Technologies\LEADTOOLS 17\Bin\Dotnet\Win32.
  13. Run the project and test it. Click the "Recognize and Process Form" button which will load a sample form image, recognize and process it, and display the results.

    NOTE: If you encounter an "Invalid File Format" or "Feature Not Supported" exception, please refer to the topic Invalid File Format/Feature Not Supported.