Gears.IFilterHelper uses IFilters - plug-ins that allow to extract text from various formats.

IFilters is a "secret weapon of Microsoft" - the API and components that allow you to extract text from various formats. Microsoft uses IFilters in their applications like Microsoft Desktop Search, Microsoft SQL Server, Sharepoint and others for indexing and search in all kinds of documents.

IFilters is the most available method to add the high-quality supports of various document formats to your software.

For example, IFilters for MS Office file formats are already installed on the computer and the Windows operating system uses them.

What document formats supported by defalut?

By defalut Windows comes with the following installed IFilters:

What IFilters are installed?

Our IFiltersInfo example provides extended information about installed filters and supported documents formats on your system.

How to add support for a new document format?

To add support for a new format you have to install necessary IFilter only. Gears.IFilterHelper works with any well-written IFilters.

Available IFilters

IFilters are available for a lot of popular formats and are supported by software vendor. Microsoft provides the support of their formats - doc, docx, xls, ppt and etc. Adobe provides the support of the Adobe PDF format.