I have about 1000 pdf files (that I can already convert to MS Word if
necessary).  I would like to take selected information from each pdf
(information found in specified locations, such as ID number,
variable1, variable2, etc) and insert those values into a single Excel
file or equivalent, ultimately to run analyses in SAS.  In other
words, I would like to condense specified data from around 1000 pdf
files into a single Excel file with a given structure.

A small challenge is that the pdf files have some incomplete data. 
For example one pdf file with all the data may list data as follows:
 
Site A            IDnumber 9001 
L2    121.1
L3    135.2
L4    119.9
L5    145.7
 
 
Another pdf file, with a missing value for L4 would read as follows:
 
Site B            IDnumber 9007
L2    187.1
L3    191.0
L5    209.1
 
 
An Excel (or equivalent) file generated by extracting data from the
above pdfs must read roughly as follows:
 
site  idno                L2           L3             L4            L5
A     9001                121.1        135.2          119.9        145.7
B     9007                187.1        191.0          .            209.1
 
 
(that is a period "." under L4 for number 9007)

My question is the following:  How can I automate this data entry for
less?  I need to enter the data to begin my thesis work, and there is
no budget allowance for data entry (which could take some time).

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Clarification of Question by khunjoe-ga on 15 Sep 2004 20:41 PDT

I don't know how to provide a shortcut to a file.  If you have an idea
about how I could do so, I will gladly.  Otherwise, I could email one
or a few files (the PDFs are less than 200KB.)

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Clarification of Question by khunjoe-ga on 18 Sep 2004 19:01 PDT

some additional snooping my part found someone at vernon@vernon.ch who
very expertly answered this question with a customized plug-in.

Can you provide shortcut to one of the pdf files to develop from?

I posted a reply earlier but it has not shown up yet.  I would be
happy to provide a shortcut to a few of the PDF files, but I don't
know how.  I have emailed googleanswers with some files to see if they
will post them to you.
I am open to any ideas you have about other ways to do this.