Bookmark Navigation Issues 1

[Shrout1]

I work for a company that is curently in the midst of a large digital archiving contract - scan files in, convert to PDF. I have the job of creating a list of bookmarks in an index page which mirrors the the file structure of the original binders. Question: Is there some way to work more fluidly with the bookmarks? Every time that you select a bookmark to re-name it or work with it you lose the highlight when you are done, i.e. it becomes inactive. I am looking for some way to uze the arrow keys, the tab button - something - that will allow me to navigate through without the mouse. I am using a simple macro program that spits out the keystrokes you record to it, and it would save a lot of time were I able to simply move straight down the list of bookmarks rather than have to use the cursor each time. If anyone knows a good way of going about this, I'm all ears - thanks!

P.S. Looks like you can work with Acrobat using VB - that sounds like my kind of thing. Would you use Visual Studio 6 for this or is there some type of an app that is designed solely around Acrobat?

 

[ctarr]

Yes, VS6 allows you to program for adobe. You've got to of course reference their dlls. The documentation is extremely limited and examples are even fewer.

But, you can move from bookmark to bookmark. You have to use the

acroexch.pdbookmark

object (to work with bookmarks) and you can invoke the

menuitemexecute("NewBookmark")

to create a bookmark and use the

getbytitle()

to move from bookmark to bookmark. I then use the

settitle()

to change it from untitled to its new name. Unfortunately, there is no better way to work with Bookmarks.

This of course means that you have know what name you want to give the bookmark. With this you could loop through a list of names and update the PDF's on the fly. Thus no need to use the mouse or arrow keys!

PlanetPDF gives lots of examples as well as the object browser in VB. Don't get frustrated if you can't find the right object or correct syntax, just post it here and we'll help.

Craig

 

[Shrout1]

I wish that I could work with Acrobat through VB6 - the question was a tad more academic than anything else. I just started up and I'm not sure that the company would be willing to spend the money required for me to get a copy. By using recorded keystroke macros I can accomplish the same tasks at probably 70% the speed I would be able to were it fully automated. A VB program would be very nice, but then I also have to take into account the fact that I would have to develop it - another lengthy venture were I to build it into what I want.

But thank you! The post was quite helpful, and were I able to develop a program I'm sure it would be even more so. Anyway, thanks a lot!