Support excluding values from numeric ranges (fixes #564, #790)

ChangeLog

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2024-01-01  Jay Berkenbilt  <ejb@ql.org>
+
+	* Support "x" before a group in a numeric range to exclude a group
+	from the previous group. Details are in the manual.
+
 2023-12-29  Jay Berkenbilt  <ejb@ql.org>
 
 	* When flattening annotations, preserve annotations without any

include/qpdf/QUtil.hh

@@ -442,7 +442,24 @@ namespace QUtil
     inline bool is_number(char const*);
 
     // This method parses the numeric range syntax used by the qpdf command-line tool. May throw
-    // std::runtime_error.
+    // std::runtime_error. A numeric range is as comma-separated list of groups. A group may be a
+    // number specification or a range of number specifications separated by a dash. A number
+    // specification may be one of the following (where <n> is a number):
+    // * <n> -- the numeric value of n
+    // * z -- the value of the `max` parameter
+    // * r<n> -- represents max + 1 - <n> (<n> from the end)
+    //
+    // If the group is two number specifications separated by a dash, it represents the range of
+    // numbers from the first to the second, inclusive. If the first is greater than the second, the
+    // numbers are descending.
+    //
+    // From qpdf 11.7.1: if a group starts with `x`, its members are excluded from the previous
+    // group that didn't start with `x1.
+    //
+    // Example: with max of 15, the range "4-10,x7-9,12-8,xr5" is 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 10, 9, 8. This is
+    // 4 through 10 inclusive without 7 through 9 inclusive followed by 12 to 8 inclusiuve
+    // (descending) without 11 (the fifth value counting backwards from 15). For more information
+    // and additional examples, see the "Page Ranges" section in the manual.
     QPDF_DLL
     std::vector<int> parse_numrange(char const* range, int max);
 

job.sums

@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ include/qpdf/auto_job_c_pages.hh b3cc0f21029f6d89efa043dcdbfa183cb59325b6506001c
 include/qpdf/auto_job_c_uo.hh ae21b69a1efa9333050f4833d465f6daff87e5b38e5106e49bbef5d4132e4ed1
 job.yml 4f89fc7b622df897d30d403d8035aa36fc7de8d8c43042c736e0300d904cb05c
 libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_decl.hh 9c6f701c29f3f764d620186bed92685a2edf2e4d11e4f4532862c05470cfc4d2
-libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_help.hh 62c40dcd827fcea261a9f432f457aac1331731199ee3530e40de763811ba158e
+libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_help.hh 838f4065f64dc3fbd493510fd21d8ab4e16ee2434592776f44f80cbe3045cb50
 libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_init.hh b4c2b3724fba61f1206fd3bae81951636852592f67a63ef9539839c2c5995065
 libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_json_decl.hh 06caa46eaf71db8a50c046f91866baa8087745a9474319fb7c86d92634cc8297
 libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_json_init.hh f5acb9aa103131cb68dec0e12c4d237a6459bdb49b24773c24f0c2724a462b8f
 libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_schema.hh b53c006fec2e75b1b73588d242d49a32f7d3db820b1541de106c5d4c27fbb4d9
 manual/_ext/qpdf.py 6add6321666031d55ed4aedf7c00e5662bba856dfcd66ccb526563bffefbb580
-manual/cli.rst f361df89dd212daf65e82df8b7b1f8a5e3554043c545f8e7cb14ba5ded21e04e
+manual/cli.rst d6d1ca82c936ffeaf137c586f988f80043db4c3b226d26fdf94f19a6005d012e
-manual/qpdf.1 def5ee093f342b222da7e1890cf44145fb7ee7f8024e75d1668f560b7f7f20d6
+manual/qpdf.1 10dc52d32a6d8885ce4e4292875ee7fe8e7a826ef3fc28db5671be413bcaacc7
 manual/qpdf.1.in 436ecc85d45c4c9e2dbd1725fb7f0177fb627179469f114561adf3cb6cbb677b

libqpdf/QUtil.cc

@@ -1303,6 +1303,10 @@ QUtil::str_compare_nocase(char const* s1, char const* s2)
 std::vector<int>
 QUtil::parse_numrange(char const* range, int max)
 {
+    // Performance note: this implementation aims to be straightforward, not efficient. Numeric
+    // range parsing is used only during argument processing. It is not used during processing of
+    // PDF files.
+
     static std::regex group_re(R"((x)?(z|r?\d+)(?:-(z|r?\d+))?)");
     auto parse_num = [&max](std::string const& s) -> int {
         if (s == "z") {
@@ -1375,12 +1379,22 @@ QUtil::parse_numrange(char const* range, int max)
             first = false;
             auto first_num = parse_num(m[2].str());
             auto is_span = m[3].matched;
-            int last_num;
+            int last_num{0};
             if (is_span) {
                 last_num = parse_num(m[3].str());
             }
             if (is_exclude) {
-                // XXX
+                std::vector<int> work;
+                populate(work, first_num, is_span, last_num);
+                std::set<int> exclusions;
+                exclusions.insert(work.begin(), work.end());
+                work = last_group;
+                last_group.clear();
+                for (auto n: work) {
+                    if (exclusions.count(n) == 0) {
+                        last_group.emplace_back(n);
+                    }
+                }
             } else {
                 result.insert(result.end(), last_group.begin(), last_group.end());
                 populate(last_group, first_num, is_span, last_num);

libqpdf/qpdf/auto_job_help.hh

@@ -286,12 +286,19 @@ value, even if the file uses features that may not be available
 in that version.
 )");
 ap.addHelpTopic("page-ranges", "page range syntax", R"(A full description of the page range syntax, with examples, can be
-found in the manual. Summary:
+found in the manual. In summary, a range is a comma-separated list
+of groups. A group is a number or a range of numbers separated by a
+dash. A group may be prepended by x to exclude its members from the
+previous group. A number may be one of
 
-- a,b,c    pages a, b, and c
+- <n>        where <n> represents a number is the <n>th page
-- a-b      pages a through b inclusive; if a > b, this counts down
+- r<n>       is the <n>th page from the end
-- r<n>     where <n> represents a number is the <n>th page from the end
+- z          the last page, same as r1
-- z        the last page, same as r1
+
+- a,b,c      pages a, b, and c
+- a-b        pages a through b inclusive; if a > b, this counts down
+- a-b,xc     pages a through b except page c
+- a-b,xc-d   pages a through b except pages c through d
 
 You can append :even or :odd to select every other page from the
 resulting set of pages, where :odd starts with the first page and

libtests/qtest/numrange.test

@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ my @nrange_tests = (
     ["1-6,8-12:even",
      "numeric range 1-6,8-12:even -> 2 4 6 9 11",
      0],
+    ["x1",
+     "error at * in numeric range *x1: first range group may not be an exclusion",
+     2],
+    ["4-10,x7-9,12-8,xr5",
+     "numeric range 4-10,x7-9,12-8,xr5 -> 4 5 6 10 12 10 9 8",
+     0],
     );
 foreach my $d (@nrange_tests)
 {

manual/cli.rst

@@ -1274,12 +1274,19 @@ Page Ranges
 .. help-topic page-ranges: page range syntax
 
    A full description of the page range syntax, with examples, can be
-   found in the manual. Summary:
+   found in the manual. In summary, a range is a comma-separated list
+   of groups. A group is a number or a range of numbers separated by a
+   dash. A group may be prepended by x to exclude its members from the
+   previous group. A number may be one of
 
-   - a,b,c    pages a, b, and c
+   - <n>        where <n> represents a number is the <n>th page
-   - a-b      pages a through b inclusive; if a > b, this counts down
+   - r<n>       is the <n>th page from the end
-   - r<n>     where <n> represents a number is the <n>th page from the end
+   - z          the last page, same as r1
-   - z        the last page, same as r1
+
+   - a,b,c      pages a, b, and c
+   - a-b        pages a through b inclusive; if a > b, this counts down
+   - a-b,xc     pages a through b except page c
+   - a-b,xc-d   pages a through b except pages c through d
 
    You can append :even or :odd to select every other page from the
    resulting set of pages, where :odd starts with the first page and
@@ -1303,6 +1310,10 @@ section describes the syntax of a page range.
   of pages from the first to the second. If the first number is higher
   than the second number, it is the range of pages in reverse.
 
+- A number or dash-separated range of numbers may be prepended with
+  ``x`` (from qpdf 11.7.1). This means to exclude the pages in that
+  range from the previous range that didn't start with ``x``.
+
 - The range may be appended with ``:odd`` or ``:even`` to select only
   pages from the resulting range in odd or even positions. In this
   case, odd and even refer to positions in the final range, not
@@ -1350,6 +1361,16 @@ section describes the syntax of a page range.
      - pages 7 and 9, which are the pages in even positions from the
        original set of 5, 7, 8, 9, 12
 
+   - - ``1-10,x3-4``
+     - pages 1 through 10 except pages 3 and 4 (1, 2, and 5
+       through 10)
+
+   - - ``4-10,x7-9,12-8,xr5``
+     - In a 15-page file, this is 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 10, 9, and 8 in
+       that order. That is pages 4 through 10 except 7 through 9
+       followed by 12 through 8 descending except 11 (the fifth page
+       from the end)
+
 .. _modification-options:
 
 PDF Modification

manual/qpdf.1

@@ -377,16 +377,26 @@ value, even if the file uses features that may not be available
 in that version.
 .SH PAGE-RANGES (page range syntax)
 A full description of the page range syntax, with examples, can be
-found in the manual. Summary:
+found in the manual. In summary, a range is a comma-separated list
+of groups. A group is a number or a range of numbers separated by a
+dash. A group may be prepended by x to exclude its members from the
+previous group. A number may be one of
 
 .IP \[bu]
-a,b,c    pages a, b, and c
+<n>        where <n> represents a number is the <n>th page
 .IP \[bu]
-a-b      pages a through b inclusive; if a > b, this counts down
+r<n>       is the <n>th page from the end
 .IP \[bu]
-r<n>     where <n> represents a number is the <n>th page from the end
+z          the last page, same as r1
+
 .IP \[bu]
-z        the last page, same as r1
+a,b,c      pages a, b, and c
+.IP \[bu]
+a-b        pages a through b inclusive; if a > b, this counts down
+.IP \[bu]
+a-b,xc     pages a through b except page c
+.IP \[bu]
+a-b,xc-d   pages a through b except pages c through d
 
 You can append :even or :odd to select every other page from the
 resulting set of pages, where :odd starts with the first page and

manual/release-notes.rst

@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ Planned changes for future 12.x (subject to change):
     - When flattening annotations, preserve hyperlinks and other
       annotations that inherently have no appearance information.
 
+  - CLI Enhancements
+
+    - Introduce ``x`` in the numeric range syntax to allow exclusion
+      of pages within a page range. See :ref:`page-ranges` for
+      details.
+
 11.7.0: December 24, 2023
   - Bug fixes: