Image to Text – OCR Scanner iOS App Source Code

Introduction

The Image to Text - OCR Scanner iOS App is a powerful tool that allows users to scan images and extract text from them using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. The app is designed to recognize text in various fonts, sizes, and languages, making it a valuable tool for individuals and businesses alike. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of using the Image to Text - OCR Scanner iOS App source code to build your own OCR-based app.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• Xcode 12 or later
• iOS 14 or later
• A Mac with macOS 10.15 or later
• The Image to Text - OCR Scanner iOS App source code (available on GitHub or other repositories)

Step 1: Setting up the Project

1. Open Xcode and create a new project by selecting "Single View App" under the "iOS" section.
2. Choose a project name, team, and organization identifier, and click "Next".
3. Choose the location where you want to save your project and click "Create".
4. Open the project in Xcode and navigate to the "General" tab.
5. Under "Linked Frameworks and Libraries", add the following frameworks:
   • Core Graphics
   • Core Image
   • Core Text
   • QuartzCore
6. Under "Embedded Binaries", add the following binaries:
   • tesseract-ocr-ios

Step 2: Integrating the OCR Engine

1. Download the Tesseract OCR engine from the official GitHub repository and add it to your project.
2. Create a new file called "TesseractOCR.h" and add the following code:

   
   #import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@interface TesseractOCR : NSObject

• (instancetype)initWithLanguage:(NSString *)language;
• (NSString )recognizeText:(UIImage )image;

@end

3. Create a new file called "TesseractOCR.m" and add the following code:
```objc
#import "TesseractOCR.h"

@implementation TesseractOCR

- (instancetype)initWithLanguage:(NSString *)language {
    self = [super init];
    if (self) {
        _tesseract = [[Tesseract alloc] initWithLanguage:language];
    }
    return self;
}

- (NSString *)recognizeText:(UIImage *)image {
    CGImageRef cgImage = image.CGImage;
    Tesseract *tesseract = _tesseract;
    NSData *data = [NSData dataWithBytes:cgImage.data length:cgImage.bytesPerRow * cgImage.height];
    NSString *text = [tesseract recognize:data];
    return text;
}

@end

1. In your app delegate file, import the TesseractOCR header file and create an instance of the TesseractOCR class:

   
   #import "TesseractOCR.h"

@interface AppDelegate : UIResponder

@property (strong, nonatomic) UIWindow window; @property (strong, nonatomic) TesseractOCR tesseractOCR;

@end

@implementation AppDelegate

• (BOOL)application:(UIApplication )application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary )launchOptions { self.tesseractOCR = [[TesseractOCR alloc] initWithLanguage:@"eng"]; return YES; }

@end

**Step 3: Implementing the OCR Functionality**

1. Create a new file called "OCRViewController.h" and add the following code:
```objc
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface OCRViewController : UIViewController

@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIImageView *imageView;
@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UITextView *textView;

- (IBAction)recognizeText:(id)sender;

@end

1. Create a new file called "OCRViewController.m" and add the following code:

   
   #import "OCRViewController.h"
   #import "TesseractOCR.h"

@implementation OCRViewController

• (void)viewDidLoad { [super viewDidLoad]; self.tesseractOCR = [[TesseractOCR alloc] initWithLanguage:@"eng"]; }

• (IBAction)recognizeText:(id)sender { UIImage image = self.imageView.image; NSString text = [self.tesseractOCR recognizeText:image]; self.textView.text = text; }

@end

3. In your storyboard file, drag and drop a UIImageView and a UITextView onto the view controller scene.
4. Connect the UIImageView to the "imageView" outlet in the OCRViewController.h file.
5. Connect the UITextView to the "textView" outlet in the OCRViewController.h file.
6. Create a new outlet for the "recognizeText" button and connect it to the "recognizeText" action in the OCRViewController.m file.

**Step 4: Testing the App**

1. Run the app on a physical device or simulator.
2. Take a photo or select an image from your camera roll using the app.
3. Tap the "Recognize Text" button to extract text from the image.
4. The extracted text should be displayed in the text view.

**Conclusion**

Congratulations! You have successfully implemented the Image to Text - OCR Scanner iOS App using the Tesseract OCR engine. This tutorial has walked you through the process of setting up the project, integrating the OCR engine, implementing the OCR functionality, and testing the app. With this knowledge, you can now build your own OCR-based app for extracting text from images.