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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.