Python check flags shifted columns and empty rows in PDF-extracted tables

PDF table extraction can look correct on screen yet fail downstream when merged cells shift columns, headers get read as data, or page breaks drop rows. The article presents a short pdfplumber-based script that runs right after extraction to check table structure. The check flags rows with inconsistent cell counts, fully empty rows, and headers that don't match an expected column list. It cannot detect well-formed values that are simply wrong, so the author suggests comparing totals against the source. For tables with merged headers, the author recommends explicit table_settings and running the check per header block.