Export Search Results

[info]

I'm searching through multiple PDF documents using XChange Viewer. Is there a way to export the search results to file?
Thanks in advance,

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi info,

"Export search results" is confirmed as a feature for PDF-X Viewer 2011 expected to be ready Q2 this year.

[info]

Great! Thank-you.

Do you know if HTML creation with linking will be part of that functionality?

I have 15 years worth of daily newspapers in PDF docs. As you can imagine, a search on any given word or phrase takes a long time (although it works beautifully in XChange compared to Reader!). It would be nice to create an HTML file that mirrors the functionality in the Search Summary window, without having to re-run the search.

But even a flat text file with document name and page number (like in the summary) would be helpful.

Thanks again for the quick response,

[Chris - PDF-XChange]

Hi Info,

I am not sure if that functionality will be included, will check and if not we can enter a feature request for a future version of the new viewer as the initial release feature list has been capped to ensure a timely release.

I'll find out on Monday from the development team and get back to you on it.

Best,
Chris

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi info,

the final functionality of this is not something that we can document at this time. It is not likely at this point that the export will be HTML with linking capabilities. If this were to be considered it would be for some release after the initial V3 launch.

Maybe you would like to elaborate on how you would envisage this linking working. I'm not sure I completely understand what it is you are asking for.

regards

[info]

I understand, and thanks.

The functionality I need would go something like this:

Let's say I do a search on a set of PDF documents, 4,000 accumulated daily newspapers, or 2,000 scholarly papers, or whatever. In the search summary window, it shows me all the instances of the name, or word, or phrase that I'm interested in. The results are listed by document title and page number, and I can click on any of those items and immediately that section of the paper will come up, with the search result highlighted. It works beautifully.

I’d simply like to save those results. If I could export to a text file, that would be nice – a content-specific index gets created for later reference. If I could export to an HTML file, with local links to my stored documents intact, that would be even better. The idea is just to easily return to previously found search results without having to search again. (It takes quite a while to run each time.)

Hope that clarifies. And thanks again for your attention.

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Thanks for the added detail info,

I see what it is you are trying to achieve. I'm thinking this would be difficult to get the reference into the exported file because HTML for example would have no way of accessing the appropriate place inside the PDF document. Another issue would be that your exported file would be dependent on all the documents being in the same relative location to both the HTML file and the document when the search was performed.

Given these constraints I think there might be little we could do here. I suggest we wait and see how the proposed V3 export feature works and revisit this idea then. It may be that you could reload your saved search into the Viewer and have your references work with what is already planned.

At this point we must wait and see what "Saved Searches" in V3 actually looks like.

[info]

The ability to reload the search results would be great!

But I understand the need to wait and see what develops...

Thanks for all the help and input. I like the program, and like where you seem to be headed. You might as well master this standard as Reader doesn't "read" as well as it should.

With high hopes, and thanks again!

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi info,

We are all very excited about V3. If you would like to be notified about it's release, you can make appropriate settings in your Account on our web site. When logged in, on your main page is a box for setting your communication preferences:



"New Product Notifications" is what you want.

cheers.

[dredre2027]

Wow. Just tried PDF-XChange for first time today. Faster and more stable than the two other PDF readers I've had to juggle between. Plus this search feature is amazing. Works better than google desktop too for finding actual documents that GDS might overlook.

Only other feature I'd also love to see would have a way of exporting search results.

My current tested search found 298 documents, 306 entries. Would love to be able to keep a list of the file names that contained my search results. Not necessarily need to highlight search results, just the file names. Then I could move or manipulate the files into categories as needed later. I have some 26,000 pdfs and would love to be able to sort and delete some of them, once I knew which ones contained the info I need and which ones don't.

Thx