PDF XChange Forum

Dear Dev- and Supp-Team,

as I understand it, the session files "...xcesession" contain absolute paths to the pdfs that shall open, such as C:/user/...

However, this essentially prohibts portability and cooperation. At my organization, we are planning to implement a file-annotation system based on PDF XChange Editor and Sessions. However, this little issue makes things quite complicated.

To give you a picture:
We have numerous folders in a main directory, each folder being named by a docketing number. In each folder, there are several pdfs belonging to that docketing number and there is a session-file in there, too. This session-file shall open the pdf files in that folder or in subfolders (I would assume that it would be difficult to open pdfs from other docketing-number-folders with relative paths then).

Therefore, please consider implementing session-files with relative path.

As an alternative, it might help us to be able to access the session files and/or write our own ones. Is this possible with the SDK-products?

Also, please let me know if I have overlooked something.

Cheers and Thank you!

Hello User4455,

I like the idea, but what should this path be relative to? Sessions are not document related. All I can think about is making those files relative to the Editor exe, but I don't see how this would help you if the documents are on other disk.

Cheers,
Alex

Thanks, Sasha, for the quick response.

I am not sure, if I fully understand how sessions work, then.
I just know the terms "absolute path" and "relative path" from my old coding days.... long time ago ^^
And to me "relative path" essentially mean portability and independency of specific drive-letters in Windows.

But I hope I got my idea across?!
The key would be that other persons/other machines can open the session, for instance when the folder with docs and sessions is on a network drive and the machines use different drive-letters for that drive. Another use-case would be that the folder with docs and session is on a portable drive, such as on an usb-stick.

"relative to the exe" would, in my understanding, not provide for such portability. Rather, the path should be relative to the session-file.

Cheers

Hello User4455,

Making the path relative to the session file sounds usable indeed. I think we can introduce such an option in the Manage Sessions dialog. Though this will make relative paths only if the session file and opened files that are being saved are on the same disk.

Cheers,
Alex

Yes, the session file and the pdfs must be on the same disc and - in my case - in the same folder (pdfs might be in subfolders).

I must admit, that I do not use the "manage sessions"-dialog at all. I always just click file->sessions->save current session to file. I always open sessions by browsing through my folders.

Are the options in that dialog of a global nature? Meaning: If I check your new option, will my newly saved session-file be automatically be based on relative path? Or do I have to go through the "manage session"-dialog to achieve this?

In any case, my idea is that anyone can click on the session file and open the pdfs, and if I copy the folder with session and pdfs on a usb drive, my colleage can open everything.

OK, sorry to bother you that much, I just wanted to be sure to get my idea across.

Cheers and thank you!

Hello User4455,

We've made a formal request for this feature #4886: Feature Request: Session-files with relative paths.
You will have to tick that option only once and it will be available for all of your future operations, until you uncheck it or reset the Editor's settings.

Cheers,
Alex

Great, thank you so much!
Keep up the good work! I really appreciate the Editor!

Hello guys,

This feature is implemented and is being tested already. If all goes well this should be available for the 334 build. Cheers,
Alex