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Capacitor Document Scanner

Npm package version

This is a Capacitor plugin that lets you scan documents using Android and iOS. You can use it to create apps that let users scan notes, homework, business cards, receipts, or anything with a rectangular shape.

iOS Android
Dollar-iOS Dollar Android

Install

npm install capacitor-document-scanner
npx cap sync

Examples

Basic Example

import { Capacitor } from '@capacitor/core'
import { DocumentScanner } from 'capacitor-document-scanner'

const scanDocument = async () => {
  // start the document scanner
  const { scannedImages } = await DocumentScanner.scanDocument()

  // get back an array with scanned image file paths
  if (scannedImages.length > 0) {
    // set the img src, so we can view the first scanned image
    const scannedImage = document.getElementById('scannedImage') as HTMLImageElement
    scannedImage.src = Capacitor.convertFileSrc(scannedImages[0])
  }
}

Here’s what this example looks like with several items

Limit Number of Scans

You can limit the number of scans. For example if your app lets a user scan a business card you might want them to only capture the front and back. In this case you can set maxNumDocuments to 2. This only works on Android.

import { Capacitor } from '@capacitor/core'
import { DocumentScanner } from 'capacitor-document-scanner'

const scanDocument = async () => {
  // limit the number of scans to 2
  const { scannedImages } = await DocumentScanner.scanDocument({
    maxNumDocuments: 2
  })

  // get back an array with scanned image file paths
  if (scannedImages.length > 0) {
    // set the img src, so we can view the first scanned image
    const scannedImage = document.getElementById('scannedImage') as HTMLImageElement
    scannedImage.src = Capacitor.convertFileSrc(scannedImages[0])
  }
}

Remove Cropper

You can automatically accept the detected document corners, and prevent the user from making adjustments. Set letUserAdjustCrop to false to skip the crop screen. This limits the max number of scans to 1. This only works on Android.

import { Capacitor } from '@capacitor/core'
import { DocumentScanner } from 'capacitor-document-scanner'

const scanDocument = async () => {
  // skip the crop screen
  const { scannedImages } = await DocumentScanner.scanDocument({
    letUserAdjustCrop: false
  })

  // get back an array with scanned image file paths
  if (scannedImages.length > 0) {
    // set the img src, so we can view the first scanned image
    const scannedImage = document.getElementById('scannedImage') as HTMLImageElement
    scannedImage.src = Capacitor.convertFileSrc(scannedImages[0])
  }
}

iOS

iOS requires the following usage description be added and filled out for your app in Info.plist:

Read about Configuring Info.plist in the iOS Guide for more information on setting iOS permissions in Xcode

Documentation

scanDocument(…)

scanDocument(options?: ScanDocumentOptions | undefined) => Promise<ScanDocumentResponse>

Opens the camera, and starts the document scan

Param Type
options ScanDocumentOptions

Returns: Promise<ScanDocumentResponse>


Interfaces

ScanDocumentResponse

Prop Type Description
scannedImages string[] This is an array with either file paths or base64 images for the document scan.
status ScanDocumentResponseStatus The status lets you know if the document scan completes successfully, or if the user cancels before completing the document scan.

ScanDocumentOptions

Prop Type Description Default
letUserAdjustCrop boolean Android only: If true then once the user takes a photo, they get to preview the automatically detected document corners. They can then move the corners in case there needs to be an adjustment. If false then the user can’t adjust the corners, and the user can only take 1 photo (maxNumDocuments can’t be more than 1 in this case). : true
maxNumDocuments number Android only: The maximum number of photos an user can take (not counting photo retakes) : 24
responseType ResponseType The response comes back in this format on success. It can be the document scan image file paths or base64 images. : ResponseType.ImageFilePath

Enums

ScanDocumentResponseStatus

Members Value Description
Success 'success' The status comes back as success if the document scan completes successfully.
Cancel 'cancel' The status comes back as cancel if the user closes out of the camera before completing the document scan.

ResponseType

Members Value Description
Base64 'base64' Use this response type if you want document scan returned as base64 images.
ImageFilePath 'imageFilePath' Use this response type if you want document scan returned as inmage file paths.

License

Copyright 2022 David Marcus

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.