ABBYY Ships FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition

ABBYY, a leader in intelligent document recognition and linguistic technologies, today announced the availability of ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition, an easy-to-use development tool that allows VARs, system integrators and corporate developers to customise the award-winning FineReader OCR application and integrate its interface and functionality into new or existing Windows applications. ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition is an ideal solution for rapid integration of OCR for use with document conversion, document recognition, and document imaging applications.

OCR Integration for Increased Efficiency in Document Processing
FineReader 7.0 Scripting Editions automation Application Programming Interface (API) makes it easy to integrate ABBYY OCR into document management systems, electronic archives, or any other external information system. Developers can quickly create efficient systems through customisation, extension and automation of the FineReader application. With the API, developers can:

• Customise and extend the FineReader interface and functionality to create efficient document processing operations such as adding, removing and modifying commands, menu functions, and buttons.
• Associate external data with particular internal FineReader OCR objects. For example, a document ID can be associated with pages in a batch.
• Create program scripts to automate recurring tasks, thereby streamlining repeated actions with a single menu command or button.

Using this functionality set, developers can design workstations to perform specific functions, such as scanning, registration or verification. This enhances the efficiency of the overall system because it limits the complexity of tasks per operator, increasing total throughput, simplifying training, and reducing the probability of operator mistakes.

With FineReader Scripting Edition integrators and VARs can take advantage of tested, proven, award-winning OCR applications by writing just a few lines of code, explained Alex Rylov, Technology Licensing Manager. Starting with a customisable ready-to-use OCR shell as a base saves time and allows quick development and rapid deployment.

ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition Features
FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition leverages the core OCR functionality offered through the FineReader 7.0 Corporate Edition application and the underlying 7.0 recognition platform, while also adding powerful tools just for Scripting Edition developers.

Featured highlights of FineReader Scripting Edition include:

• Superior Recognition Accuracy and Layout Retention.
  IPA technology and the multilevel document analysis (MDA) ensure that FineReader Scripting Edition delivers unprecedented recognition accuracy and retains the exact look of difficult printed documents: wrap-around text, columns, tables, non-rectangular pictures, vertical texts, HTML formatting, varying fonts or varying spacing between characters. Products based on FineReader technology have received more than 100 awards from independent IT magazines worldwide.
• PDF Recognition and Export.
  ABBYY FineReader 7.0 delivers the following PDF open and export functions:
  • High PDF conversion accuracy.
    FineReader Scripting Edition uses an intelligent PDF recognition process that compares the extracted text layer to a recognised file to ensure accuracy. In addition, FineReader converts the PDF files to images using Adobe PDF Library.
  • Multiple PDF output formats.
    PDF files scan be saved in a variety of formats including: text and pictures only, page image only, text over the page image, and text under the page image. Users can further select from two options for replacing text and background colour or replacing uncertain words with an image. FineReader Scripting Edition also offers the ability for users to edit recognised documents in the ABBYY FineReader editor, make changes to the file and save it in PDF with changes seamlessly integrated into the document. PDF documents can be Web optimised allowing for initial pages of a multi-page PDF document to be visible while the subsequent pages are still being downloaded.
• Native XML and MS Word XML Export.
  New XML support enables export of detailed information for recognised text. FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition offers both MS Word XML (for representation of data in RTF/MS Word format) and native XML export (for representation of data in original logic).
• Output to a Variety of Application Formats.
  In addition to PDF and MS Word XML, FineReader supports export or saving to many popular file formats including: HTML, PPT (XP and 2003), DOC, RTF, XLS, DBF, CSV and TXT. During export, FineReader also allows adjustment of the compression ratio or resolution of pictures when exporting to DOC, RTF, Word XML, PDF, and HTML.
• Barcode Recognition and Special Fast Extraction.
  FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition includes extremely fast functions to read popular 1D barcodes and 2D PDF417 barcodes, printed at any angle. This is an ideal function for use in fast document sorting, classification, or pre-processing during bulk document input.
• User-Friendly Interface and Easy Review and Editing.
  Designed to make the OCR process easier for end users, the FineReader 7.0 application offers an easy to follow Scan&Read Wizard and intuitive user interface with a What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG) text editor for comparing recognised results with the original image. In addition, the application offers MS Word 2003 integration launching the FineReader ZOOM window within Word for easier editing using MS Word tools.
• Advanced Network Support & License Management.
  Special program settings allow users to open scanned images or PDF files automatically from anywhere on the network or from an FTP server. It also includes Network License Manager, which makes the management of licensing and distribution of work between workstations in a network easier and more flexible. Developers can set up a single license in a network for several seats, concurrent and non-concurrent, or establish a shared page counter for use by all workstations across a network.
• FineReader XIX.
  FineReader XIX is a new option which supports recognition of old-style European Fraktur or Black Letter text from 1600 to 1937. It supports English, German, French, Italian, Spanish languages and special fonts like Gothic, Fraktur and Schwabacher.
• Professional Tools.
  FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition offers advanced professional tools to make the OCR process easier. These include morphological search, image-splitting features for scanning books or other documents, pattern training for creating custom languages, and duplex scanning.