Extract PDF data and automatically clean and structure it for data analysis

Extract PDF Data and Automatically Clean and Structure It for Data Analysis

Meta Description:

Struggling with messy PDF data? Here’s how I used VeryPDF Software to extract, clean, and structure PDFs for quick, reliable data analysis.


Every time someone emailed me a PDF report, I groaned.

Why?

Because I knew what was coming nextmanual copy-pasting, data errors, and hours wasted trying to clean the mess just to get it into Excel.

Extract PDF data and automatically clean and structure it for data analysis

I’d open a PDF with a perfectly formatted tablevisually. But under the hood? Completely unusable. No headers aligned. Rows merged. Sometimes it wasn’t even textit was an image.

I tried generic converters, but most gave me a junk dump. Some would lose half the numbers. Others wouldn’t work unless the PDF was “perfect” (which real-world documents never are).

So I went looking for a real solutionone built for people who actually deal with PDFs every day.

That’s when I found VeryPDF Software.


How I Discovered VeryPDF (And Why I Stuck With It)

I stumbled on VeryPDF while searching for a tool that could batch convert financial reports from scanned PDFs into clean spreadsheets. At first, it looked like just another converter. But after trying the command-line options and OCR features, I realised this tool was built for real-world document chaos.

Not just converting.

Actually extracting data intelligently.

And not just extractingcleaning and structuring it so it’s ready for analysis. No extra Excel gymnastics needed.


Key Features That Actually Make a Difference

Here’s what sold me:

1. Accurate Table Detection (Even When It’s Messy)

This is where most tools fail. But VeryPDF handled multi-line cells, irregular spacing, and rotated tables like a champ.

I ran it on a stack of scanned tax returns with complex layouts. Boomstructured tables in CSV format, columns aligned, and no weird formatting issues.

2. OCR That Works on Bad Scans

Not every PDF is high-res. Some are just office scanner garbage. Still, VeryPDF’s OCR engine managed to pull clean data from grainy pages.

You can fine-tune zone OCR, ignore headers, and even extract only what you need (like invoice numbers or total amounts).

Example:

I used it to pull customer totals from hundreds of invoices. Set a zone, batch processed itand got a single clean spreadsheet with no manual edits.

3. Automation via Command Line

I can batch process thousands of PDFs with one script.

No clicking. No dragging and dropping. Just set it and forget it.

Perfect for:

  • Analysts dealing with bank statements

  • Finance teams processing invoices

  • Legal firms reviewing contract data

  • Researchers scraping academic archives


Who Needs This?

If your job involves analysing data and your inputs come from PDFs, then you already know the pain.

This tool is a game changer for:

  • Data analysts: Pull structured rows directly from PDFs without cleanup.

  • Accountants: Extract line items and summaries from financial documents.

  • Operations teams: Convert supplier reports to Excel in one shot.

  • Legal teams: Identify patterns in large batches of scanned agreements.

  • Researchers: Extract tables from published studies and reports.


Why VeryPDF Over Other Tools?

Let’s be blunt.

Most PDF converters are designed for perfect documents. Real life doesn’t give you that.

What makes VeryPDF different?

  • Handles scanned PDFs with OCR, not just native ones.

  • Fine-tuned controlzone OCR, table detection, language setting, format output.

  • Batch processingbuilt for scale, not one-off jobs.

  • Command-line poweryou can integrate it into any workflow.

Other tools might give you a button to click.
VeryPDF gives you a system.


I Don’t Dread PDFs Anymore

Seriously.

I went from wasting 34 hours a week cleaning PDF data to getting clean output in under 10 minutes.

If you’re buried in scanned documents, reports, invoices, or contractsyou need this.

I’d recommend it to anyone trying to extract and clean data from PDFs.

Click here to try it out for yourself: https://www.verypdf.com


Custom Development Services by VeryPDF

Need something tailored?

VeryPDF does custom builds too.

They can create PDF tools, virtual printers, and document automation solutions across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Whether you need a PDF-to-Excel tool that works behind your firewall, or a printer driver that captures print jobs and turns them into searchable PDFs, they’ve got the chops.

They also build:

  • OCR engines with table recognition

  • API hooks to monitor file access

  • Barcode tools, form fillers, and PDF signing apps

  • Document viewers and converters for cloud or desktop

Need a one-of-a-kind solution?

Reach out at http://support.verypdf.com/ to talk shop.


FAQs

Can VeryPDF extract tables from scanned PDFs?

Yes. It uses OCR technology to identify and extract tableseven from low-quality scans.

Can I automate PDF data extraction with VeryPDF?

Absolutely. The command-line version lets you run batch jobs and integrate it into scripts.

What output formats does VeryPDF support?

You can export to CSV, Excel, XML, and plain textdepending on your needs.

Does it work with multi-language PDFs?

Yes. OCR supports multiple languages, and you can specify the language in the settings.

What if I need a feature that’s not included?

VeryPDF offers custom development. You can request features or entirely custom solutions.


Tags or Keywords

  • Extract PDF data for analysis

  • Clean PDF tables automatically

  • OCR scanned PDFs to Excel

  • Batch process financial reports

  • VeryPDF data extraction tool

How to normalize messy tabular data during PDF to CSV extraction

How to Normalize Messy Tabular Data During PDF to CSV Extraction

Meta Description:

Struggling with inconsistent tables in PDFs? Here’s how I use VeryPDF Software to clean up and normalise tabular data during PDF to CSV extraction.


Every time I got a PDF with a table inside, I braced for chaos.

How to normalize messy tabular data during PDF to CSV extraction

One file had merged cells. The next had split rows. The one after that? Random headers in the middle of the table.

It was like wrestling with spaghetti. No matter what extraction tool I triedmost would either butcher the table structure or give up entirely.

But when you’re handling hundreds of these documents, especially in finance or logistics, you can’t afford to manually fix every row in Excel.

That’s when I stumbled on VeryPDF Software. And it changed everything.


The Pain of Inconsistent PDF Tables

You’ve seen it. A vendor sends over a PDF invoice where the columns look fine… until you run an extraction tool and everything turns to mush.

  • Multi-line cells get split into new rows.

  • Header rows repeat mid-table.

  • Sometimes, data starts halfway across the page.

  • Table borders are inconsistent or missing entirely.

If you’re doing this at scalethink accounts payable, shipping reports, or compliance documentationthis is a full-time job.


What VeryPDF Software Actually Does

I came across VeryPDF OCR to Any Converter Command Line, and I’ll be realit wasn’t flashy. But the functionality? Rock solid.

Here’s the deal:

  • You can extract tables from scanned or digital PDFs into CSVs.

  • It supports Zone OCR, meaning you can specify exactly where your table is on the page.

  • And most importantlyit has a normalization feature that restructures janky tables into proper tabular data.

This isn’t some overhyped SaaS with 47 submenus. It’s a command-line tool that just works. Once you know how to use it, you’re flying.


How I Use It to Normalize PDF Tables (With Examples)

Let’s break it down.

I was handling a batch of scanned customs formshundreds of pageswith tables that were all over the place. Here’s how I used VeryPDF to get clean CSVs:

1. Zone OCR Targeting

I used the command line to define the coordinates where the tables always appeared (even if formatting was messed up).

bash
ocr2any.exe -ocr -ocrrect 100,300,1500,1000 -format CSV input.pdf output.csv

That -ocrrect part? Gold. It tells the tool: “Ignore the rest. Just look here.”

2. Auto Row Detection & Column Merging

Some rows in the source files had cells that spanned multiple columns. VeryPDF handled this surprisingly well.

I added -ocrtable and -mergecolumn flags to force it to analyse the structure and correct any irregularities.

bash
ocr2any.exe -ocr -ocrtable -mergecolumn -format CSV input.pdf output.csv

And boomwhat used to be five hours of manual data cleanup turned into one clean command.

3. Batch Processing at Scale

The real win? I automated the whole folder using a basic batch script:

bash
for %f in (*.pdf) do ocr2any.exe -ocr -format CSV "%f" "%~nf.csv"

Now, I could dump a folder of PDF tables and get usable CSVs in minutes.


Why VeryPDF Over Other Tools?

I’ve tested Adobe Acrobat, Tabula, SmallPDF, even Python libraries like Camelot and PDFPlumber.

They’re fine… for simple files.

But when it comes to messy tables, scanned documents, or multi-language OCR, they fail hard.

VeryPDF’s edge is precision.

  • Zone control gives you sniper-level targeting.

  • Normalization logic is actually built for chaos (not ideal inputs).

  • It’s command-line friendly, so you can automate everything.

And it doesn’t need an internet connection. That matters for sensitive data.


If You Work in Any of These Fields, You Need This

  • Accountants dealing with supplier invoices

  • Logistics teams processing shipping manifests

  • Legal firms reviewing structured case reports

  • Compliance departments normalising government PDF reports

  • Data analysts scraping tabular info from PDFs for BI dashboards

If your PDF tables aren’t pristine, this tool is a game-changer.


Final Take

If you’ve been stuck manually cleaning CSVs or dealing with broken PDF extractions, VeryPDF Software is the fix.

It’s not fancy. It’s not bloated. But it gets the job done.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone who works with messy or inconsistent PDF tables.

Start extracting clean data, fast:

Try VeryPDF here


Custom PDF Solutions from VeryPDF

VeryPDF doesn’t just sell toolsthey build custom ones.

If you’ve got a niche use case, weird file formats, or need automation at scale, they’ve got you covered.

They build PDF tools for Windows, Linux, macOS, mobile, and the cloud. They support tech like Python, C++, .NET, JavaScript, and more.

Need a virtual printer that saves to PDF? OCR for table extraction? Barcode reading? Digital signatures? Font embedding?

Yepthey do all that too.

Hit them up to build something specific: http://support.verypdf.com/


FAQs

1. Can VeryPDF handle tables inside scanned PDFs?

Yes. It uses OCR to extract tables even from image-based PDFs.

2. Does it support batch processing?

Absolutely. You can point it to a folder and run conversions on multiple files with one command.

3. Can I extract tables from a specific part of the page?

Yesuse Zone OCR with coordinates to define exactly where to scan.

4. What if the table structure is inconsistent?

VeryPDF’s normalization tools help reconstruct proper rows and columns even from messy inputs.

5. Do I need internet access to use it?

Nope. Everything runs locally on your machineperfect for secure environments.


Tags / Keywords

  • normalize PDF table data

  • extract tables from scanned PDF

  • messy PDF to CSV conversion

  • VeryPDF OCR command line

  • PDF to structured CSV data

  • Zone OCR for tables

  • clean up PDF table extraction

  • batch extract PDF tables

Batch export PDF to Excel and CSV while preserving original document structure

Batch export PDF to Excel and CSV while preserving original document structure

Meta Description:

Tired of messy PDF conversions? Learn how I batch exported structured PDFs to Excel and CSVclean, fast, and without losing formatting.


Every report felt like a mountain.

I used to spend hours every week manually copying tables from PDF reports into Excel. Financial statements. Survey results. Monthly performance data. You name it.

Batch export PDF to Excel and CSV while preserving original document structure

And every time I thought I had a rhythm, a new layout would throw it off. Cells misaligned, headers split across rows, totals missing. I tried a few free convertersthey worked on basic files, but anything complex? Complete chaos.

That’s when I found a tool that finally nailed it: VeryPDF Software.


How I finally cracked clean PDF-to-Excel batch exports

I needed something that could handle batch exports, not just one-off files.

And most importantly, it had to preserve the original structureI’m talking multi-row headers, merged cells, and all the alignment that makes financial or technical documents readable.

So what is this tool?

It’s called VeryPDF OCR to Any Converter Command Line. You’ll find it here: https://www.verypdf.com

This isn’t one of those shiny apps with a bunch of popups. It’s built for people who want control. It runs from the command line, meaning I could integrate it straight into my workflowno clicks needed.

Perfect for:

  • Accountants dealing with complex financial PDFs.

  • Legal teams needing to extract contract clauses or tables.

  • Researchers managing thousands of structured PDFs.

  • Operations teams generating CSV reports from logs or invoices.


Key features that actually made my life easier

Intelligent structure recognition

Not just OCRsmart layout detection.

I ran a batch of 300 survey PDFs, each slightly different. It preserved:

  • Header rows, column alignment

  • Footnotes and annotations

  • Multiple tables per page

This wasn’t just a copy-pasteit was a proper data export.

Batch automation with real control

One of the best parts?

bash
ocr2any.exe -ocr 2 -exportformat XLS -ocrmode 2 -batch *.pdf -outfolder output/

With one command, I could convert hundreds of PDFs into clean, readable Excel files. No GUI nonsense. Just speed.

I set it up to run nightly using Windows Task Scheduler. Woke up to clean data every morning.

Output flexibility: Excel and CSV

Depending on who I was sending the data to, I could flip between .xlsx and .csv. Clean column separation every time. No weird encoding issues. No phantom characters.


Why it beats other tools I’ve tried

I tested this against two big-name converters.

Both failed on:

  • Multi-line headers

  • Nested tables

  • PDFs with rotated text

VeryPDF handled it. Every. Single. Time.

And since it’s command-line based, I could script around itfilter files, rename outputs, or zip the results. Try doing that with a GUI tool.


This solved real problems for me

Here’s what changed:

  • 4+ hours/week saved on manual cleanup.

  • No more fighting with broken rows in Excel.

  • Reliable exports that don’t need double-checking.

If you’re working with structured documents, this tool gives you serious leverage.


I’d recommend it in a heartbeat

If you’re stuck reformatting PDFs manually, you need to try this.

This tool isn’t flashy. It’s effective.

Click here to try it out: https://www.verypdf.com

Or better yetstart your free trial now and save hours this week.


VeryPDF Custom Development Services

Need something even more specific?

VeryPDF doesn’t just sell softwarethey build custom tools for:

  • Windows, Linux, and macOS automation

  • OCR, barcode recognition, and layout analysis

  • Virtual printers and API hooks

  • PDF security, digital signatures, and DRM

  • Real-time file monitoring and print job capture

  • Document conversions in the cloud or on-prem

They’ve got deep experience across Python, C/C++, .NET, HTML5, and more.

If you need a solution tailored to your workflow, get in touch here: http://support.verypdf.com/


FAQs

1. Can I use VeryPDF to extract tables from scanned PDFs?

Yes, it supports OCR-based extraction from scanned documents, preserving rows and columns accurately.

2. Does it work with password-protected PDFs?

Yes, as long as you provide the correct password, the tool can process secured documents.

3. How do I batch convert hundreds of PDFs?

Use a wildcard in the command line (like *.pdf) and specify the output folder. It’s fast and scalable.

4. Can I schedule automatic conversions?

Absolutely. Use Task Scheduler (Windows) or cron (Linux/macOS) to automate the process.

5. What file formats does it support for output?

It supports Excel (.xlsx), CSV, Word (.doc/.docx), and plain text (.txt) formats.


Tags/Keywords

  • batch export PDF to Excel

  • convert PDF tables to CSV

  • preserve document structure in Excel

  • automate PDF data extraction

  • VeryPDF OCR to Any Converter Command Line

Convert PDF files to Excel while retaining page layout and font consistency

Convert PDF files to Excel while retaining page layout and font consistency

Meta Description:

Tired of broken layouts when exporting PDFs to Excel? Here’s how I preserved page structure and fonts using VeryPDF.


Every time I got a financial report in PDF, I braced myself.

Convert PDF files to Excel while retaining page layout and font consistency

The formatting would be a disaster once I dumped it into Excel. Fonts were all over the place. Tables misaligned. I’d waste hours just cleaning things upmerging cells, retyping numbers, and fixing columns that mysteriously shifted.

Sound familiar?

That’s when I started hunting for a tool that could convert PDF files to Excel while retaining page layout and font consistency. After trying half a dozen “top-rated” tools that didn’t deliver, I landed on VeryPDFand I’ve stuck with it ever since.


Why I gave VeryPDF a shot

I wasn’t just looking for another converter. I needed one that could:

  • Keep tables exactly where they were.

  • Preserve font styles so it still looked professional.

  • Handle bulk files in one shot.

  • Work with both native and scanned PDFs.

VeryPDF Software came up in a niche forum thread. Someone mentioned it could export PDFs to Excel without ruining the formatting. I was sceptical, but desperate enough to give it a spin.

Turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made for my workflow.


What makes VeryPDF different?

1. Layout stays locked in place

Most tools just toss your content into Excel like it’s spaghetti. You get jumbled cells and broken lines. But with VeryPDF, it was like looking at a mirror image of the original PDF.

I tried it with a 70-page quarterly financial reportcolumn widths, header rows, and tables were exactly where they should be. It even handled multi-level table structures like a pro.

2. Font preservation actually works

This one shocked me. VeryPDF retained the original fontsincluding bold, italic, and even weird ones I didn’t expect it to recognise. That mattered, especially for compliance documents where font consistency is part of the review process.

3. Batch conversion without choking

I dumped 25 files into the command line and let it rip. It converted them all to Excel without timing out or throwing errors. No crashes. No half-finished jobs. Just done.

Here’s how I set it up in the CLI (command-line interface):

lua
ocr2any.exe -ocr 2 -bitcount 8 -excel -outfolder C:\output *.pdf

Simple. Fast. No fluff.


Who needs this tool?

If you deal with structured PDFs and need to get them into Excel fast without babysitting the layout, this is for you.

Here’s who benefits most:

  • Accountants & auditors pulling data from scanned financials

  • Legal teams reviewing contract clauses in Excel

  • Procurement officers analysing PDF invoices

  • Data analysts extracting tables from reports

  • Admin teams stuck converting old PDF forms

You don’t need to be a tech expert. If you can use basic commands or scripts, you’re good.


Why I recommend VeryPDF over others

Let’s be honest. There are a ton of PDF converters out there. I’ve tried Adobe Acrobat Pro, Nitro, SmallPDFyou name it.

Here’s what I ran into:

  • Adobe: decent accuracy, but layout breaks often.

  • Online tools: size limits, watermarks, security concerns.

  • Freeware: hit or miss, usually junk.

VeryPDF just works.

And it works offline, which means no data leaks, no upload delays, no cloud dependency.


Final thoughts? I’m not going back.

Before VeryPDF, I spent more time fixing Excel outputs than I did analysing the actual data.

Now? I convert PDFs and move on.

If you’re in finance, law, admin, or just tired of PDF chaos, I’d highly recommend this to anyone who deals with large volumes of PDFs. It’s clean, consistent, and surprisingly powerful.

Try it for yourself here: https://www.verypdf.com


Need a custom solution?

VeryPDF goes way beyond standard tools.

They offer custom development services tailored for Linux, Windows, macOS, serversyou name it. Whether you need a PDF printer driver, OCR layer, file monitoring system, or something more complex, they can build it.

They’ve built tools with:

  • Python, C++, C#, JavaScript, .NET

  • Virtual printer drivers (PDF, EMF, TIFF)

  • Document format analysis (PDF, PCL, PRN, Office)

  • OCR + barcode + layout recognition

  • API hooks to intercept Windows file and print jobs

  • Cloud-based PDF editing, conversion, digital signatures

  • Security tools for PDF DRM, font locking, and print control

Got a wild idea or a tricky workflow?

Reach out to them at: http://support.verypdf.com


FAQs

Can VeryPDF convert scanned PDFs to Excel?

Yes. It uses OCR to process scanned documents and can output editable Excel files with preserved layout.

Does it support batch conversion of multiple PDFs?

Absolutely. You can convert folders full of PDFs in a single command-line job.

Will it retain fonts and styles from the original PDF?

Yes, VeryPDF accurately retains font faces, sizes, bold/italic styling, and cell formatting.

Is it safe for sensitive documents?

VeryPDF runs offline. Your files never leave your machinegreat for legal or financial documents.

Can I automate PDF to Excel conversion tasks?

Yes. VeryPDF’s command-line tools are perfect for scripting and task automation.


Tags / Keywords

  • convert PDF files to Excel while retaining page layout

  • PDF to Excel with font preservation

  • batch PDF to Excel command line

  • extract PDF tables accurately

  • OCR PDF to Excel for accountants

Export multilingual text from tables in PDFs with UTF-8 encoding support

Export multilingual text from tables in PDFs with UTF-8 encoding support

Meta Description

Export multilingual tables from PDFs without losing characters or formattingVeryPDF makes it stupid simple with real UTF-8 encoding support.


Every time I had to pull data from a multilingual PDF table, I braced for chaos.

Export multilingual text from tables in PDFs with UTF-8 encoding support

Korean names scrambled into question marks. Arabic numbers misread as gibberish. Even basic French accents came out looking like corrupted code.

I work with international vendors, and the data we deal with isn’t just in English. Pulling structured data from PDF tables across multiple languages was a nightmareuntil I found VeryPDF Software.

Let me walk you through how this tool saved my sanity and gave me back hours of my week.


How I Found the One Tool That Actually Gets Multilingual PDFs

I didn’t want a pretty UI. I didn’t care for some fancy online conversion dashboard. I needed accuracy.

I stumbled onto VeryPDF while Googling something like “how to export Arabic and Chinese text from PDFs with UTF-8 support.” Honestly, I was sceptical. But this command-line tool did something others didn’t: it let me extract table data from PDFs with full UTF-8 supportno character corruption, no retyping.

This tool isn’t for people who want drag-and-drop fluff. It’s for people who need bulletproof PDF extraction.


Here’s What It Does (and Why It Works So Well)

VeryPDF Software is a command-line utility that lets you extract content from PDF filesincluding tableswhile preserving multilingual characters using UTF-8 encoding.

It’s aimed at people who:

  • Handle invoices, tables, reports, or forms in multiple languages

  • Need clean, structured exports into Excel, CSV, or text files

  • Care more about accuracy than appearances

If you’ve got scanned PDFs in Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, etc.this tool respects the text. Period.


3 Features That Made a Huge Difference for Me

1. Full UTF-8 Encoding Support

This is the make-or-break feature. With UTF-8 enabled, I could finally extract Korean, Russian, and Japanese without broken characters.

Example: I processed a batch of 2,000 PDFs from a supplier in South Korea. Every name and line item came through correctly into Excel. Before VeryPDF? I’d have to manually fix over half the entries.

2. Table Structure Recognition

You’re not just getting raw text. It identifies rows and columns from PDF tables and preserves the layout when exporting.

Bonus: I didn’t have to clean up messy CSV files. Columns matched. Rows lined up. It just worked.

3. Command Line Flexibility

You can automate everything. I wrote a batch script that processes incoming PDFs from five vendorseach in a different languageand spits out clean, usable data.

Zero mouse clicks. Just results.


Why Other Tools Failed Me (and Why VeryPDF Didn’t)

I tried some big-name converters. You know the ones.

They’d look great on screen, but they butchered non-English text. Arabic got reversed. Chinese characters turned into weird placeholder symbols. CSV exports were unusable. I’d end up spending more time fixing the output than just retyping the data.

VeryPDF gave me control.

And more importantly, it respected the integrity of the content.


If You Work with Multilingual Documents, This Is the Tool

So many people I know in finance, logistics, and procurement struggle with thisespecially those dealing with Asia, the Middle East, or Europe.

If you’re doing data extraction from multilingual PDF tables, don’t waste your time with tools that choke on non-English characters.

I’d highly recommend VeryPDF to anyone who needs fast, accurate, multilingual PDF processing.

Click here to try it out for yourself: https://www.verypdf.com


Need Something Custom? VeryPDF Does That Too

Not every business fits inside a prebuilt tooland that’s fine. VeryPDF also offers custom development services.

Whether you’re running Windows, Linux, macOS, or a hybrid cloud system, they can build a PDF solution that fits. Their team has built everything from Windows virtual printer drivers to PDF security tools, OCR table extraction, and even file system-level hooks for tracking print jobs.

They know PDFs inside out, and they work in whatever language your system’s built inPython, Java, .NET, C++, HTML5you name it.

Need OCR for scanned PDFs in multiple languages? Need table detection with visual layout analysis? Need to intercept and convert print jobs automatically?

Talk to them here: http://support.verypdf.com/


FAQs

1. Can VeryPDF extract tables from scanned PDFs in different languages?

Yes. With OCR enabled, it supports multiple languages including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and more.

2. Does the tool preserve the original table layout?

Yes. It keeps row and column structures intact when exporting to formats like CSV or Excel.

3. Can I automate PDF extraction in bulk?

Absolutely. The command-line interface allows batch processing with custom scripts.

4. What file formats does it support for export?

You can export to plain text, CSV, Excel (XLS/XLSX), and morewhile preserving UTF-8 encoding.

5. Is UTF-8 encoding enabled by default?

It can be enabled using command-line options, making sure multilingual characters are preserved during export.


Tags/Keywords

  • export multilingual PDF tables

  • UTF-8 PDF extraction

  • extract tables from PDFs

  • multilingual OCR tool

  • batch PDF table conversion