PDF Scanner app iOS 13+, Swift 5 – We Scan

Introduction

With the rise of digital documentation and the need for paperless workflows, scanning documents has become an essential task for many individuals and businesses. iOS devices have made it possible to scan documents using the built-in Camera app, but this process can be cumbersome and often requires additional editing steps. To simplify the process, Apple introduced the PDF Scanner app in iOS 13, which allows users to scan documents quickly and easily. In this tutorial, we will explore how to use the PDF Scanner app in iOS 13+ and create a custom scanning experience using Swift 5.

Prerequisites

• iOS 13 or later
• Xcode 11 or later
• Swift 5 or later
• Basic understanding of Swift programming language

Getting Started with the PDF Scanner App

To get started with the PDF Scanner app, follow these steps:

1. Open the Camera app on your iOS device.
2. Tap the "Scan Documents" button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Position the document in the frame, making sure it is flat and centered.
4. Tap the "Scan" button to capture the image.
5. The app will automatically detect the edges of the document and crop the image.
6. You can then save the scanned document as a PDF file or share it via email or messaging apps.

Creating a Custom Scanning Experience with Swift 5

To create a custom scanning experience using Swift 5, we will use the AVCaptureMetadataOutput class to capture the image of the document and the PDFKit framework to generate the PDF file.

Step 1: Create a New Project

Create a new single-view app project in Xcode and name it "PDF Scanner".

Step 2: Add the AVCaptureMetadataOutput Class

In the ViewController.swift file, add the following import statement:

import AVFoundation

Then, create a new instance of the AVCaptureMetadataOutput class:

let metadataOutput = AVCaptureMetadataOutput()

Step 3: Configure the Camera

Create a new instance of the AVCaptureSession class and add the camera input:

let captureSession = AVCaptureSession()
let cameraInput = AVCaptureDeviceInput(device: AVCaptureDevice.default(for:.video)!)
captureSession.addInput(cameraInput)

Add the metadataOutput to the capture session:

captureSession.addOutput(metadataOutput)

Step 4: Implement the Scanning Logic

Create a new function to capture the image of the document:

func captureImage() {
    metadataOutput.setMetadataObjectsDelegate(self, queue: DispatchQueue.main)
    captureSession.startRunning()
}

Implement the metadataOutput delegate method to capture the image:

func metadataOutput(_ output: AVCaptureMetadataOutput, didOutput metadataObjects: [AVMetadataObject], from connection: AVCaptureConnection) {
    if let metadataObject = metadataObjects.first as? AVMetadataMachineReadableCodeObject {
        if metadataObject.stringValue!= nil {
            // Capture the image of the document
            let image = AVCaptureVideoPreviewLayer(session: captureSession).metadataOutputImage
            // Save the image as a PDF file
            let pdfData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image)!.pdfData
            // Save the PDF file to the Documents directory
            let documentsDirectory = FileManager.default.urls(for:.documentDirectory, in:.userDomainMask).first!
            let pdfURL = documentsDirectory.appendingPathComponent("scanned_document.pdf")
            try? pdfData.write(to: pdfURL)
        }
    }
}

Step 5: Display the Scanned Document

Create a new UIWebView or UIDocumentPicker to display the scanned document:

let webView = UIWebView(frame: view.bounds)
webView.loadRequest(URLRequest(url: pdfURL))
view.addSubview(webView)

Or:

let documentPicker = UIDocumentPickerViewController(url: pdfURL, preview: true)
present(documentPicker, animated: true, completion: nil)

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to use the PDF Scanner app in iOS 13+ and create a custom scanning experience using Swift 5. We have also implemented the scanning logic using the AVCaptureMetadataOutput class and generated a PDF file from the captured image. By following these steps, you can create a custom scanning app that meets your specific needs.