VS Code & Conda Environment Setup

Quick start

conda env create -f environment.yml
conda activate formfiller
python main.py -t misc input_csv

Detailed Instructions

1. Open VS Code in the FormFiller directory

   • Launch VS Code and open the FormFiller folder.

2. Place your input CSV files

   • Put your input CSV files into the inputs folder. This is required for processing forms.

3. Ensure Conda environment is active

   • Switch to any shell besides PowerShell (recommended: Command Prompt or Bash).
   • In VS Code, click the dropdown arrow next to the plus sign in the terminal panel to select your shell.
   • Run:

     conda activate formfiller

4. On a new machine

   • Create the environment using:

     conda env create -f environment.yml

5. Verify Python executable

   • Run:

     which python

   • This should show the path to the Python executable in your active environment.

6. Output files

   • The output will be either misc_big.pdf or nec_big.pdf depending on the type you specify.
   • If the file already exists, it will be overwritten.
     • To process your forms, use one of the following commands:

        python main.py -t nec "<input_file.csv>"
        python main.py -t misc "<input_file.csv>"

     • Replace <input_file.csv> with the name of your input file in the inputs folder.

ImageFormMapper

ImageFormMapper is a tool for mapping and filling out scanned forms using sample data. It allows you to position all the necessary elements for mass-printing filled forms. This has been succesfully used for 1099 MISC and NEC form filling at enterprise scale.

Form Mapping Reference

For detailed instructions on mapping form fields, see the FormMapping documentation.