Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
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Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Open any PDF file containing em-dashes, e.g. the PDF file linked to at the top of this page.
Find (Ctrl F) and search for em-dash.
All hyphens will be found too, even soft hyphens.
Find (Ctrl F) and search for em-dash.
All hyphens will be found too, even soft hyphens.
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • AMD Ryzen 5 3400G, 8 Gb
Review: http://www.softerviews.org/PDF-XChange.html
Review: http://www.softerviews.org/PDF-XChange.html
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Hi Bhikkhu,
Thanks for that - I see the same thing here in Adobe and the Editor, but not in the Viewer. I've forwarded this on to the Devs. to see what can be done and will post back later today/early tomorrow (the Dev. is in the Canadian office, I'm in the U.K.).
Cheers,
Thanks for that - I see the same thing here in Adobe and the Editor, but not in the Viewer. I've forwarded this on to the Devs. to see what can be done and will post back later today/early tomorrow (the Dev. is in the Canadian office, I'm in the U.K.).
Cheers,
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
Thank you.
Best regards
Will Travaglini
Tracker Support (Europe)
Tracker Software Products Ltd.
http://www.tracker-software.com
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
This bug still exists in build 319.
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • AMD Ryzen 5 3400G, 8 Gb
Review: http://www.softerviews.org/PDF-XChange.html
Review: http://www.softerviews.org/PDF-XChange.html
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Hi Bhikkhu,
Here's what I've heard back:
Thanks,
Here's what I've heard back:
We may implement an option to switch between the two behaviours, but I can't guarantee it and it's not likely to be considered a high priority at this time.There some ambiguity around this. Because many users may want current behavior too. Simple example: Currently if you will try to find the "google-moogle" in document that contains only "google—moogle" - it will be found as well. The vice-versa statement is true too. So our current behavior - its mostly like a feature, not a bug..
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
Thank you.
Best regards
Will Travaglini
Tracker Support (Europe)
Tracker Software Products Ltd.
http://www.tracker-software.com
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Well, at least you're in good company. Adobe Reader gets it wrong too.
Finding em-dash when searching for hyphen might make some sense, but finding hyphens when searching specifically for em-dash makes no sense at all to me. Users need to make a special effort to type an em-dash (or en-dash) in the Find dialogue.
If they want to find Google—Moogle with an em-dash then searching for Google-Moogle (with a hyphen will find it).

Finding em-dash when searching for hyphen might make some sense, but finding hyphens when searching specifically for em-dash makes no sense at all to me. Users need to make a special effort to type an em-dash (or en-dash) in the Find dialogue.
If they want to find Google—Moogle with an em-dash then searching for Google-Moogle (with a hyphen will find it).
Windows 10 Home 64-bit • AMD Ryzen 5 3400G, 8 Gb
Review: http://www.softerviews.org/PDF-XChange.html
Review: http://www.softerviews.org/PDF-XChange.html
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
HI Bhikkhu,
I will bring this up on tonight's meeting, but I can't promise whether it will be fixed or when.
Regards,
Stefan
I will bring this up on tonight's meeting, but I can't promise whether it will be fixed or when.
Regards,
Stefan
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
I have the same problem in a book with about 700 pages where I have to look for the wrong used hyphen instead of dash, for example: "The whole story - listen, my friend - is just fake." Seems as this problem was not fixed yet.
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Hi,
I am reading here from Will that the problem should not be present in PDF-XChange Viewer (the predecessor of PDF-XChange Editor).
PDF-XChange Viewer is still available for download and installation. You can install it next to PDF-XChange Editor.
So you can give it a try, for searching for em-dashes.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer
Keep us posted.
Willy
I am reading here from Will that the problem should not be present in PDF-XChange Viewer (the predecessor of PDF-XChange Editor).
PDF-XChange Viewer is still available for download and installation. You can install it next to PDF-XChange Editor.
So you can give it a try, for searching for em-dashes.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer
Keep us posted.
Willy
Last edited by Willy Van Nuffel on Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Hello Willy Van Nuffel,
Thanks for the suggestion!
And if I may add - there's also a portable version of the Viewer, so if it will only be needed for searching in a few files, a non-install version might be preferred!
Kind regards,
Stefan
Thanks for the suggestion!
And if I may add - there's also a portable version of the Viewer, so if it will only be needed for searching in a few files, a non-install version might be preferred!
Kind regards,
Stefan
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
For special searches I always use Infix PDF Editor. You can easily find ‘en dashes’ or ‘em dashes’, but also (double) spaces, or words/characters in Italic or Bold, or a specific font or size. I hope all these handy search options will be included in PDF-XChange Editor one day...
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Hello Joxon,
Thanks for sharing your experience! Hope others in this topic find it useful! And as for the Editor and support for such improvements to the search tool - I can not promise anything for the time being, but we will be discussing this internally!
Kind regards,
Stefan
Thanks for sharing your experience! Hope others in this topic find it useful! And as for the Editor and support for such improvements to the search tool - I can not promise anything for the time being, but we will be discussing this internally!
Kind regards,
Stefan
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
Hello, people of the past and future,
I can confirm that this bug still exists in the current PDF-Xchange Editor (and the current Adobe Acrobat) in March 2025.
The link in this discussion that promises a download of the old Viewer just leads to the Editor download. Guess the older program got phased out.
Infix gets it right, as reported.
Looking forward to you guys evening the race.
I can confirm that this bug still exists in the current PDF-Xchange Editor (and the current Adobe Acrobat) in March 2025.
The link in this discussion that promises a download of the old Viewer just leads to the Editor download. Guess the older program got phased out.
Infix gets it right, as reported.
Looking forward to you guys evening the race.
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Re: Bug: Searching for em-dash finds hyphens too
PDF-XChange Viewer is still available for download:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product/dow ... scontinued
Like PDF-XChange Support stated earlier: search and find for 'dashes' is currently rather a feature than a bug.
Kind regards.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product/dow ... scontinued
Like PDF-XChange Support stated earlier: search and find for 'dashes' is currently rather a feature than a bug.
Kind regards.
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