Merge PDFs from parent folder with multiple folders containing pdfs into output dir with same tree folders

[robert.cristian]

Hello,
I cant seem to figure out how to create same tree folders for my output merge.

I have 20 folders with pdfs beggining with a unique 24 chars code. I want only to merge pdfs from that folder into an output folder with same name.
EX:
letters\john\20210000542 letter.pdf
letters\john\20210000542 appendix.pdf
letters\john\20210000589 letter.pdf
letters\john\20210000589 appendix.pdf

letters\michael\20210000542 letter.pdf
letters\michael\20210000542 appendix.pdf

Output:
lettersoutput\john\20210000542 letter.pdf
lettersoutput\john\20210000589 letter.pdf
lettersoutput\michael\20210000542 letter.pdf

Im stuck at merging all files with that code and cant set a desired folder path. i dont want pdfs with same code from other folders to get merged just the ones from that folder.

thank you!

[Palaniyappan (Forum Leader)]

Hi

Welcome to uipath forum

For folder creating we can use CREATE FOLDER activity

Create Folder

and create the one we need and mention the same in the below activity

https://docs.uipath.com/activities/docs/join-pdf-files

This activity will help us join all the list of pdf files by mentioning the list of filepaths of that folder

So the steps involved will be

—use a assign activity like this

arr_filepath = Directory.GetFiles(“yourfolderpath”)

Where arr_filepath is a array of string variable

—use a CREATE FOLDER activity to create the folder we want

—then use this arr_filepath.ToList variable as input to JOIN PDF activity and mention the above created folder as well

Cheers @robert.cristian

[prasath17 (Guru)]

@robert.cristian - Please try like below…

My Input Folder and Files - Like you shown above…

1. For Each - Type Argument → String

   Directory.GetDirectories("Letters\")
   

2. Inside For Each, first use Create Folder activity. Below code will create John and Michale folders under LettersOutput folder

   "LettersOutput\" + path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(eachfolder)
   

3. Join PDF Files…

 File List = Directory.GetFiles(EachFolder)
OutputFileName = "LettersOutput\" + path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(eachfolder) + "\" + path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(Directory.GetFiles(Eachfolder)(0)).split()(0) + " Letter.pdf"

My Ouptut

Hope this helps…

[robert.cristian]

Thank you all for your input, im almost there. At the moment its joining all pdf in folders i want separate files for each letter&appendix with same code. If i have 2 letters and 2 appendix for ex. it joins all of them

Should figure it out doesnt seem to complicated. For my other project i used merge pdf instead of join and i had to use matching files in order to obtain this

[prasath17 (Guru)]

@robert.cristian

At the moment its joining all pdf in folders

But this is what you initial requirement right???

“Output:
lettersoutput\john\20210000542 letter.pdf
lettersoutput\john\20210000589 letter.pdf
lettersoutput\michael\20210000542 letter.pdf”

@robert.cristian

i want separate files for each letter&appendix with same code. If i have 2 letters and 2 appendix for ex. it joins all of them

Please show us or share a sample structure for input and output…

[robert.cristian]

So i have these letters:

F files:

G Files:

As you can see i have the 201500000000000134110000 code both in F and G folder

I dont want to merge from both directories just the ones in the same dir and the outcome should be:

Output\F\201500000000000134110000 13411_2015 letter.pdf
Output\F\201500000000000134770000 13477_2015 letter.pdf

Output\G\201500000000000134110000 13411_2015 letter.pdf
Output\G\201600000000000077550000 7755_2016 letter.pdf

From joining them i got only one pdf with all letters in each outcome folder like this:

one pdf with all 4 pdfs from the source directory

[prasath17 (Guru)]

@robert.cristian - This is very tricky …but somehow I have managed to do it with one exception…

1. First I am reading all the files in the Letters folder and renaming any with " letter" with spaces…So this will give me as belowl

letters\john\20210000542.pdf
letters\john\20210000542 appendix.pdf
letters\john\20210000589.pdf
letters\john\20210000589 appendix.pdf

From this I am getting unique file name pdfs and getting second copy file and merging them together…

Merge_PDFs_UsingUniqheChars.zip (460.4 KB)

If you run the attached workflow as is, you will lettersoutput folders gets created with the merged pdfs inside.

Hope this helps…

[robert.cristian]

Works like a charm! Thank you very much! Really apreciate the help