Link to specific page from extern application

[SiliasPD]

Hi there,

I've been looking for a posibility zu insert hyperlinks in an external applications (for example in text editors like word or obsidian) to not just only open a pdf-document from that application, but directly jump to a specific page.

Is this possible in pdf-x Change Editor?

Thanks in advance!
Regards,
SiliasPD

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

The PDF-XChange Editor can not only accept command line arguments to open a PDF at a specific page, you can even specify a zoom level and the viewable area.


Take a look at the options for the /open parameter from this page: https://help.pdf-xchange.com/pdfxe ... ns_ed.html


/open - please note that /A can also be used for this command.

This command opens documents from a specified file and determines the custom view location, search words and highlight rectangles as necessary.

Syntax
/A <param1>=<value1>[;<param2>=<value2>[;...]][=OpenParameters] <filename>

Parameters
•nameddest=<destName> – specifies a named destination in the PDF document.
•page=<pageNum> – uses an integer value to specify a numbered page in the document. The document’s first page has a pageNum value of 1.
•comment=<commentID> – specifies a comment on a given page in the PDF document. Use the page parameter before this command. For example:
•page=1;comment=452fde0e-fd22-457c-84aa-2cf5bed5a349
•zoom=<scale>[,<left>,<top>] – sets the zoom and scroll factors using float or integer values. For example, a scale value of 100 indicates a zoom value of 100%. Scroll values left and top are in a coordinate system where 0,0 represents the top left corner of the visible page regardless of document rotation.
•view=Fit|FitH[,<top>]|FitV[,<left>]|FitB|FitBH[,<top>]|FitBV[,<left>] – sets the view of the displayed page using the keyword values defined in the PDF language specification. For more information, see the PDF Reference. Scroll values left and top are floats or integers in a coordinate system where 0,0 represents the top left corner of the visible page, regardless of document rotation. Use the page parameter before this command.
•viewrect=<left>,<top>,<width>,<height> – sets the view rectangle using float or integer values in a coordinate system where 0,0 represents the top left corner of the visible page, regardless of document rotation. Use the page parameter before this command.
•pagemode=<bookmarks|thumbs|none> – displays bookmarks or thumbnails. The default setting is none.
•scrollbar=1|0 – turns scrollbars on or off.
•search=<wordList> – opens the Search pane and performs a search for the words in the specified word list. All matching words are highlighted in the document. The words list must be enclosed in quotation marks and separated by spaces. It is only possible to search for single words. For example: search="sample search words" will locate and highlight the words sample, search and words. When searching for multiple terms they must be adjacent in the content, i.e. separated by only white space/simple punctuation, or they will not be identified.
•highlight=<left>,<right>,<top>,<bottom> – highlights a specified rectangle on the displayed page. Use the page parameter before it. The rectangle values are integers in a coordinate system where 0,0 represents the top left corner of the visible page, regardless of document rotation.
•fullscreen[=yes|no] – when enabled, the document will open in full screen mode.
•password=<password> – specifies the password string to open silently a password-protected document.
•usept[=yes|no] – when specified, all values for positioning are absolute and measured in points (1/72 inch).


Examples

PDFXEdit.exe /A zoom=1000 "c:\example.pdf"

PDFXEdit.exe /A "page=255;zoom=200;pagemode=thumbs;search=lazy dog" "c:\example.pdf"


I hope that helps.

[krstoevan]

hi

i agree with you that in a link using pdfxce.exe /a xxxx yyy could do that.

BUT do you mind somehow make it to be less click-ness?

in mindmaps, in onenote, in obsidians, 1 simple Rt click is ok.

for pdfxce, even i used macros,

i have to
1. paste the command
2. fill in the destination
3. fill in the file location.

it hurts
thx

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

Hi krstoevan,

I agree it could be simpler. Let me speak to the deva who are responsible for this and see what they think.

Hang on - Dan has pointed out that I have this backwards. Do you want to add text to a Mind Map that points to a page in a PDF? I'm not sure how we influence that.

Or is your comment about wanting an easier way to create the string that you use in other apps.

Sorry if I am being obtuse here.

[Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team]

Hi krstoevan.

We can suggest to you one solution that might simplify your task significantly. In Editor's Preferences > Launch Apps please add a new item with the following params:

params again:
/K echo PDFXEdit.exe /A "page=%p" "%1"

Then open any pdf that you need to open the in certain positions from another app. In right bottom corner of pages view window you will see the drop-down menu:

to launch that doc in the external apps. When you click there the newly added item - the Editor will launch the standard system's console with printed command line ready to copy and paste to your app. Like this:

HTH.

[krstoevan]

hi,
thanks

similar to this,

but,

can you suggest a method that i could simply get the /A nameddest=xxx "file location in UNC" for me?

i.e.

suppose i have opened file-a.pdf

how could i as auto as possible, get the /A nameddest=xxx "file location in UNC" as you just show?
thanks

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello, krstoevan

At this moment, the only way to get this in any semi-automatic way, would be following the steps Vasyl provided above.
Looking to the future, we are looking at the possibility of an option which would allow you to possibly right-click on a page and acquire something along those lines, pointing to that page. Do note that this is not a promise that this will be implemented, only that we are considering it as something for the future.

Kind regards,

[krstoevan]

hi,

yes your method works, and from now on it will save me sometime.
BUT the parameter you are using is page number,
which could change if i add/delete pages.

could the dev somehow ADD "nameddest" to the parameters table?

that will help.

currently it's almost 1 click to get /A page=xxx file-path,

i wish what i get is /A nameddest=xxxxx file-path.

thanks

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello, krstoevan

No it is not possible to pull the Named Destination for use with such a command, If you wish to use named destinations, you will need to do that manually.

Kind regards,

[krstoevan]

hi,
i saw it's NOT possible now.

I am suggesting it, suggesting using nameddest also.

this is a customer feedback, to make pdfxce better.

pls kept it, may be enter it into some sort of database, and implement it whenever possible.

thanks.

ps: and it's a reasonable demand

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello, krstoevan

I am afraid that, for the time being, this request was rejected as something that is a bit too niche. If one day we see significantly increased demand for command line controls that can accomplish this, we may reconsider.

Kind regards,

[krstoevan]

well, if pdfxce is not capable,
i am not sure posts mentioning competitors will got removed.

for me, i also use obsidian, which handle .md files, indeep like .txt files.
they got addons like
a. pdf annotator
b. markmind (paid)

both allow birectional hyperlink from that .txt file to exact PARAGRAPH on a pdf.

these 2 seems can highlight and annotate, likely wont have so much features as pdfxce.

for me,
i found that they only load and dont save/modify pdf,
so i'll use pdfxce to edit it(draw, add notes etc), and THEN refresh them in obsidian.

i.e. they can work together.

[krstoevan]

just like nokia, too big a ship, cant response to customers' feedback, finally sunk like Titanic.

pdfxce is good, i hope it wont sunk that way.

[krstoevan]

hi,
didn't notice you also use obsidian.
see my last notes.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello, krstoevan

We do not mind posts mentioning other apps which offer features that are helpful for tasks like this. So long as the sole purpose of a post is not to advertise an alternative/competitor, simply mentioning them (especially for comparison in relation to a request/report) is not at all an issue.
There are indeed ways that you can accomplish what you need to accomplish, but it will simply take you an extra step. In this particular case, you cna use the script Vasyl mentioned to get the "link location" text, and then you just need to change the "page=1" section to "nameddest=Title". The link will then work exactly as you need it to, you just have to manually add the named destination information into the output.

Kind regards,

[krstoevan]

hi,

1. my nameddest are indeep timestamps like 20230416T002345
it's not easy to manually input there.
if you can program %p to be page number, i am sure you can program %d or whatever to be the chosen nameddest.
you just dont' want to make my life easier.

2. indeep i'll use pdfxce to edit pdf files, while when view, use some other tools. recently many fancy note applications become alive, mostly use markdown.

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

Hi krstovan,

you just dont' want to make my life easier.

I would suggest that it is not personal, it's not that we don't want to make your life easier, simply that we have literally hundreds and hundreds of feature requests. Right now there are 631 the new and open formal feature request tickets.

A consequence of this is that we are always needing to be prudent about what we add. Feature bloat is a very real thing and our software is already loaded to the hilt with features and capabilities, if the devs have rejected this they have good reason. This particular request was considered too "niche", we do not have crowds clamoring for it I am afraid.

[krstoevan]

I just wish it becomes the 632th features request ticket.

the reason why no other asked for,

is because they don't know it can be done.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hello, krstoevan

While we could make a feature request for this, doing so would only serve to take up valuable Dev time organizing, assigning, reviewing, and then realizing that this is not something that we will approve in the first place, finally seeing a rejected flag. We have bypassed that whole process and skipped to the end, to get a faster answer for you as well as save our small team a deal of administrative work/time, which could better be put towards other requests that are slated for implementation.

I should also note that our ticketing system is internal, so regardless of a ticket being made for, that would not help to "propagate" the idea to others.

Kind regards,