Inconsistent Use of “Application” and “Creator” in Document Property Fields

[rakunavi]

Hello all,

In PDF-XChange Editor, PDF-XChange Printer Standard, and PDF-Tools, the same document property may be labeled as either “Application” or “Creator,” depending on the context or the specific product. It would be preferable to standardize this terminology not only within PDF-XChange Editor but also across the entire product line.

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Hoping that the above information will be of some help to you.
Thank you so much for your continued support.

Best regards,
rakunavi

- PDF-XChange Editor PRO Version: 10.7.6 build 404
- OS Version: Windows 11 Pro / Home 25H2 Build 26200.7462
- PC Model: GMKtec Nucbox M7 Pro with HUION Kamvas Pro 19 / Lenovo IdeaPad C340-15IWL

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, rakunavi

It gets even more fun when you factor in that the actual PDF XMP core data is labelled as a "Creator" value, not an application value:

image.png

(This is also the term that the File explorer properties pane uses natively)
Yet Acrobat, the ones who created this standard and that particular data value - also use "application" in their document properties window:

image(1).png

Since the Standard and Tools are being used to "create" the document, and we allow customization of this value, we retain the "creator" terminology that is in use for creation tasks - however, the Editor mirrors Acrobats presentation in the main document properties, so it is to some degree intended that these items are different.
(This is in a similar vein to how "annotation" and "comment" are often used interchangeably in the PDF context).

I cannot promise that any change will occur given the above reasoning, but I will pass it along for consideration.

Kind regards,

[rakunavi]

Hello Daniel, thank you for contacting developers.

Since the topic of xmp:CreatorTool has come up, I'd like to share my thoughts on the matter.

I've long felt uneasy about extracting only the word “Creator” from “CreatorTool” and using it as a UI label. If we consider why Adobe—the very company that established the standard—internally uses xmp:CreatorTool but displays “Application” in the UI, I believe it reveals something important. When we break down “CreatorTool” into “Creator” and “Tool,” it seems clear that Adobe placed more emphasis on the “Tool” aspect, which is likely why they chose to display “Application” in the interface.

In other words, “Creator” was considered secondary in importance to “Tool.” I suspect Adobe deliberately avoided using “Creator” in the UI because of its strong human connotation, and instead adopted “CreatorTool” as the property name precisely because “Creator” alone would be ambiguous or misleading.

The “Creator” label displayed in the UI to indicate the software that generated the PDF is, in my view, a convention specific to PDF-related software that has been strongly influenced by the descriptions in ISO 32000-1:2008, the XMP specification, and, going further back, PostScript. It's not common practice in general-purpose software outside the PDF domain. If I were to choose a UI label that preserves the nuance of “CreatorTool,” I would opt for something like “Created with.” Using the word “Creator” to refer to something non-human feels unnecessarily confusing for general users.

Best regards,
rakunavi

[Sean - PDF-XChange]

Hi Rakunavi,

Thanks for the clarification and explanation - let's see what the development team think.

Kind regards,