Real Bookmarks

Forum for the PDF-XChange Editor - Free and Licensed Versions

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MoCommodore
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Real Bookmarks

Post by MoCommodore »

I requested this feature 4 years ago for PDF-XChange Viewer, and nothing happened!!! Here it is again for PDF-XChange Editor:

Is it possible to have a feature in PDF-XChange Editor to mark a page as "I have read until this page", so next time I can continue my reading from that point?
Current PDF-XChange Editor remembers the last page, but it is not enough. Because If I move or rename the PDF file, PDF-XChange Editor does not remember the last page anymore, since "the last page" pointer is not saved in the PDF itself. Also, it cannot be synced over different devices.
Right now, I create a book mark name "READ", and save the PDF. But every time I want to update the page that I read, I have to update the bookmark manually.
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Will - Tracker Supp
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by Will - Tracker Supp »

Hi MoCommodore,

Thanks for the post - I will place a feature request for this, but please note that feature requests do not represent a promise to implement the feature, only a promise that it will be given serious consideration.

Thanks,
If posting files to this forum, you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded.
Thank you.

Best regards

Will Travaglini
Tracker Support (Europe)
Tracker Software Products Ltd.
http://www.tracker-software.com
MoCommodore
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by MoCommodore »

Hi. It's me again with the same request after 5 years :lol: Any news?
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello again MoCommodore,

I am afraid that for such a feature to work - the information will need to be recorded inside the PDF file, and the PDF Specification does not give provisions for it, so it is unlikely that this can be implemented, as writing information inside a file that is not conforming to the PDF specification is not good practice.
Some features we can implement even if no provision is made in the specification directly - but for those we do store the information in the software, and it will e.g. only work in our products, but will not break compliance. So that is why we do remember where you were in the file, but have to do it outside of the file itself.

It should be pretty straight forward and quick to create bookmarks with the Editor. Just select some text from the current line you are on, and Press Ctrl-Shift-B (or right click -> Create Boomark), and you will now have one to the current page. You can then remove the previous "READ" bookmark and continue from the new one the next time you get back to reading this file.

Regards,
Stefan
Willy Van Nuffel
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by Willy Van Nuffel »

You could also think about a solution via the "Open to page" parameter (File > Document Properties... > Initial View).

Unfortunately, you will have to change the page number (in the Open to Page parameter) and also have to 'Save', every time you leave the document.

Maybe some automation for this can be done by writing a javascript.
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Thanks for the suggestion Willy,

Modifying the "Initial View" directly via JS does not seem to be possible.
It might be possible to store the "ViewState" and then place a document level JS that will restore to that ViewState, but I am really not sure if this can be implemented as a button on a toolbar that can add such code to PDF files, or how practical such an implementation will be.
In any case - this is indeed a possibility worth looking at!

Cheers,
Stefan
MoCommodore
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by MoCommodore »

Thanks for your solutions, but these are not handy and easy to use.

This feature can be implemented as saving a normal bookmark in PDF. Like, pressing a button on a toolbar creates a new, or updates the existing, fixed bookmark, like "--- READ ---", to the current page, and it is placed as the first bookmark in the PDF. You may let the user decide if the file will be saved with this change or not.
Willy Van Nuffel
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by Willy Van Nuffel »

Maybe there is a simplified solution ...

Once you have put a bookmark in a PDF (via CTRL+SHIFT+B), named it "---READ---" or "MyBookmark" or whatever, you can use this bookmark in the future for keeping note of the location where you would like to return the next time:
- make sure that the Bookmarks pane is open,
- make sure that you are at the location that you would like to mark as destination
- now, just right mouse click on your "---READ---" bookmark
- click "Set Destination"

It might be that MoCommodore is already working like that.

TIP:
If there already are bookmarks in the PDF at the time you create/add your own bookmark, just drag-and-drop it to the top of the list.
Attachments
Goto Read - Set destination.png
MoCommodore
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by MoCommodore »

This is exactly what I've been doing for some time :)
I'm looking for a "one-click solution" that does all these steps :-D
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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Real Bookmarks

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

Hi MoCommodore

I found the old feature request. It was rejected with the comment from the developers:
The user may place the sticky note to the desired page and save the document. Next time after reopen the document user may open the Comments pane and click that annotation to navigate to the corresponding page.
You should have been notified that the request was rejected and the explanation given. I see that you were not notified. My apologies for that.

In all honesty I do not see this changing. :-(
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
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