Evals / pdf / Read a PDF

Answer a question about a file

How many pages does pub17.pdf have? Write just the number to pages.txt.

easysingledeft pdf info

The task

The reference answer shows the job can be done with deft. It is not an agent run.

deft pdf info pub17.pdf > pages.txt

Input

pub17.pdf 2.9 MB · 142 pages
Page 1Page 2Page 3

Reference output

pages.txt 287 B
ok pdf.info pub17.pdf  142 pages, letter, PDF 1.7
pages=142 version=1.7 width=612.0 height=792.0 paper=letter title="2025 Publication 17" author=W:CAR:MP:FP producer="Antenna House PDF Output Library 6.6.1437 (Linux64); modified using iText 2.1.7 by 1T3XT" images=1 fonts=26 forms=false
How a result is judged (1 check)
  • text: file = "pages.txt", contains = ["142"]

Runs

CodexWithout deftPassed2026-11-07

Time
55s
New tokens
9.8k
Total input
152.4k
Output tokens
0.9k
Commands
9
Failed
2

Trace

  1. I’ll locate the PDF in the current directory, read its page count, and write only that number to `pages.txt`.

  2. pwd && rg --files -g 'pub17.pdf' -g 'pages.txt'
    output
    pub17.pdf
  3. pdfinfo pub17.pdf (exit 127)
    output
    zsh:1: command not found: pdfinfo
  4. python3 -c 'import importlib.util; print(\"pypdf\", bool(importlib.util.find_spec(\"pypdf\")), \"PyPDF2\", bool(importlib.util.find_spec(\"PyPDF2\")))'
    output
    pypdf False PyPDF2 False
  5. mdls -name kMDItemNumberOfPages pub17.pdf (exit 1)
    output
    pub17.pdf: could not find pub17.pdf.
  6. python3 - <<'PY' from pathlib import Path p=Path('pub17.pdf').read_bytes() import re print('bytes',len(p)) print(re.findall(rb'/Type\\s*/Pages\\b.{0,300}?/Count\\s+(\\d+)',p,re.S)[:10]) print('count markers', re.findall(rb'/Count\\s+(\\d+)',p)[:30]) PY
    output
    bytes 3088632
[]
count markers []
  7. which mutool qpdf gs pdftotext strings; rg -a -o '/Type\\s*/Pages|/Count\\s+[0-9]+' pub17.pdf | head
    output
    mutool not found
qpdf not found
/usr/local/bin/gs
pdftotext not found
/usr/bin/strings
  8. gs -q -dNOSAFER -dNODISPLAY -c '(pub17.pdf) (r) file runpdfbegin pdfpagecount = quit'
    output
    142
  9. swift -e 'import PDFKit; import Foundation; let d = PDFDocument(url: URL(fileURLWithPath: \"pub17.pdf\"))"'!; print(d.pageCount)'"'
    output
    142
  10. printf '142\\n' > pages.txt

  11. 142

Output

pages.txt 4 B
142

CodexWith deft, skill installedPassedRead the skillUsed deft2026-11-07

Time
14s
New tokens
5.1k
Total input
72.2k
Output tokens
0.4k
Commands
4
Failed
0

Trace

  1. I’ll inspect the PDF page count and write only that number to `pages.txt` in the current directory.

  2. cat .agents/skills/deft/SKILL.md && pwd && rg --files -g 'pub17.pdf' -g 'pages.txt'
    output
    ---
name: deft
description: "Use deft instead of writing a script for file jobs: PDF merge/split/compress/watermark, image resize/convert/compress, video and audio trim/convert/compress, spreadsheets, Markdown to PDF/HTML, and YouTube downloads and subtitles."
---

# deft

One local command for file jobs. Prefer it over writing Python or shell scripts.

Syntax: `deft <group> <command> [inputs] [-o output] [--options]`

Groups:
- `pdf`: Merge, split, compress, encrypt, forms, OCR, compare, convert
- `image`: Resize, crop, convert, compress, filters, montage, OCR
- `video`: Trim, crop, speed, convert, compress, GIF, frames (ffmpeg)
- `audio`: Convert, trim, merge, fade, speed, tag, normalize (ffmpeg)
- `doc`: Word/ODT/RTF: to text, Markdown, HTML, PDF; find and replace
- `slides`: PowerPoint: extract text, Markdown outline, PDF handout
- `data`: JSON/YAML/TOML/XML: convert, query with jq syntax, merge, diff
- `sheet`: Excel/CSV/ODS tables: filter, sort, join, pivot, convert
- `md`: Markdown to PDF, HTML, Word, EPUB; table of contents
- `html`: HTML to Markdown, text, Word, PDF; screenshots
- `epub`: E-books: info, to text, Markdown and PDF
- `email`: EML files: headers, text, attachments
- `contact`: VCF address books: to and from CSV
- `calendar`: ICS calendars: to and from CSV
- `gps`: GPX and KML tracks: convert, distance and time
- `youtube`: Info, download, audio, subtitles, thumbnail (yt-dlp)
- `file`: Any file: hash, duplicates, batch rename, base64, encoding
- `qr`: Cre
… 739 more characters
  3. deft pdf
    output
    deft pdf - commands (input -> output)
  info            pdf -> report       Pages, size, metadata, fonts, images
  compare         pdf... -> report    Compare two PDFs: text and pixels
  compress        pdf -> pdf          Make smaller: --level, --target-size 2MB
  crop            pdf -> pdf          Trim pages: --margin, --box, --auto
  decrypt         pdf -> pdf          Remove a password you know
  delete          pdf -> pdf          Remove pages: --pages 2,5-7
  encrypt         pdf -> pdf          Protect with a password (AES-256)
  extract-images  pdf -> image...     Save embedded pictures, unchanged
  extract-sheets  pdf -> csv|xlsx...  Save each table apart [beta]
  fields          pdf -> report       List form fields
  fill            pdf -> pdf          Fill a form from JSON: --data values.json
  flatten         pdf -> pdf          Bake forms into pages
  from-images     image... -> pdf     One page per image
  from-md         md -> pdf           Typeset Markdown as PDF
  grayscale       pdf -> pdf          Remove colour (Ghostscript)
  merge           pdf... -> pdf       Join PDFs in the given order
  meta            pdf -> pdf          Read or set metadata and bookmarks
  number          pdf -> pdf          Add page numbers: --format
  ocr             pdf -> pdf|txt      Make a scan searchable
  redact          pdf -> pdf          Black out for good: --box or --text
  repair          pdf -> pdf          Rebuild a damaged PDF (Ghostscript)
  resize          pdf -> p
… 892 more characters
  4. deft pdf info pub17.pdf
    output
    ok pdf.info pub17.pdf  142 pages, letter, PDF 1.7
pages=142 version=1.7 width=612.0 height=792.0 paper=letter title="2025 Publication 17" author=W:CAR:MP:FP producer="Antenna House PDF Output Library 6.6.1437 (Linux64); modified using iText 2.1.7 by 1T3XT" images=1 fonts=26 forms=false
  5. printf '142\\n' > pages.txt && cat pages.txt
    output
    142

  6. 142

Output

pages.txt 4 B
142

CodexWith deft, skill as AGENTS.mdPassed2026-11-05

Time
14s
New tokens
6.3k
Total input
77.6k
Output tokens
0.4k
Commands
4
Failed
0

Trace

  1. I’ll inspect the PDF page count and write the number to `pages.txt` in the current directory.

  2. deft pdf pages --help
    output
    deft pdf select - Keep and reorder pages: --pages 3,1-2

Usage: deft pdf select <pdf>... [-o <pdf|dir>] [options]
In: pdf (each handled separately)   Out: pdf (default <name>.selected.<ext>)

Options:
  --pages <pages>              Pages to keep, in output order (required)
  --password <text>            Password of an encrypted input
Common: -o --force --dry-run --json -j   (deft help common)

Examples:
  deft pdf select three-pages.pdf --pages 3,1-2 -o reordered.pdf
  deft pdf select report.pdf --pages 1

Result fields: pages
  3. deft pdf
    output
    deft pdf - commands (input -> output)
  info         pdf -> report      Pages, size, metadata, fonts, images
  compress     pdf -> pdf         Make a PDF smaller: --level, --target-size 2MB
  delete       pdf -> pdf         Remove pages: --pages 2,5-7
  from-images  image... -> pdf    One page per image, in the given order
  from-md      md -> pdf          Typeset a PDF with headings, tables, code, images
  merge        pdf... -> pdf      Join PDFs in the given order
  number       pdf -> pdf         Add page numbers: --format "{n} of {total}"
  rotate       pdf -> pdf         Turn pages clockwise: --angle 90, --pages
  select       pdf -> pdf         Keep and reorder pages: --pages 3,1-2
  split        pdf -> pdf...      One file per page, or --every N, --ranges 1-3,4-
  to-images    pdf -> png|jpg...  Render pages to images: --dpi, --pages
  to-text      pdf -> txt         Extract text (form feed between pages)
  watermark    pdf -> pdf         Stamp text or an image on pages: --text, --image
More: deft pdf <command> --help
  4. deft pdf info pub17.pdf --json
    output
    {"elapsed_ms":142,"items":[{"facts":{"author":"W:CAR:MP:FP","fonts":26,"forms":false,"height":792.0,"images":1,"pages":142,"paper":"letter","producer":"Antenna House PDF Output Library 6.6.1437 (Linux64); modified using iText 2.1.7 by 1T3XT","title":"2025 Publication 17","version":"1.7","width":612.0},"inputs":["pub17.pdf"],"ok":true,"outputs":[],"warnings":[]}],"ok":true,"op":"pdf.info","v":1}
  5. printf '142\\n' > pages.txt

  6. 142

Output

Its files were not kept in this run. The last line of the trace is its own report.

Claude Opus 5.5Without deftPassed2026-11-07

Time
23s
New tokens
9.6k
Total input
71.5k
Output tokens
0.9k
Commands
0
Failed
0

Trace

    Output

    pages.txt 3 B
    142

    Claude Opus 5.5With deft, skill installedPassedRead the skillUsed deft2026-11-07

    Time
    17s
    New tokens
    10.6k
    Total input
    76.6k
    Output tokens
    0.4k
    Commands
    0
    Failed
    0

    Trace

      Output

      .claude/skills/deft/SKILL.md 2.1 KB
      ---
name: deft
description: "Use deft first for any simple, direct operation on local files, whatever the type: convert, read, extract, edit, compress, merge, split, compare or inspect. Try it before writing a script or one-liner. If unsure, run deft find; if it says no command does this, use another tool. Not for programming work: to read, write or change source code, skip it."
---

# deft

One local command for file jobs. Prefer it over writing Python or shell scripts.

Syntax: `deft <group> <command> [inputs] [-o output] [--options]`

Groups:
- `pdf`: Merge, split, compress, encrypt, forms, OCR, compare, convert
- `image`: Resize, crop, convert, compress, adjust, montage, OCR
- `video`: Trim, merge, convert, compress, subtitles, GIF, frames (ffmpeg)
- `audio`: Convert, trim, normalize, denoise, cut silence (ffmpeg)
- `doc`: Word/ODT/RTF: to text, Markdown, HTML, PDF; find and replace
- `slides`: PowerPoint: extract text, Markdown outline
- `sheet`: Excel/CSV/ODS tables: SQL query, pivot, merge, split, convert
- `json`: JSON: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `toml`: TOML: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `xml`: XML: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `yaml`: YAML: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `md`: Markdown to PDF, HTML, Word, EPUB; table of contents
- `html`: HTML to Markdown, text, Word and PDF
- `epub`: E-books: info, to text, Markdown and PDF
- `gps`: GPX and KML tracks: convert, distance and time
- `qr`: Create QR codes and barcodes; read QR codes

How to use it:
1. Run `deft <group>` to list commands, or `deft find "<what you want>"` to search. If it says `no command does this`, use another tool.
2. Run `deft <group> <command> --help` for options and examples.
3. `deft convert <in> -o <out.ext>` converts between formats by extension.
4. Results are one line starting with `ok`, `partial` or `error`; add `--json` to parse them. Errors include a `hint:` with the fix.

Inputs are never overwritten; pass `--force` or `--in-place` to allow it. Globs and directories work as inputs; several inputs run in parallel.

If `deft` is not installed, ask the user, then follow https://github.com/firstprayer/deft/blob/main/docs/INSTALL.md
      pages.txt 3 B
      142

      Claude CodeWithout deftNot run yet

      Claude CodeWith deftNot run yet