Searching Content of a Displayed PDF

[Bitz]

Search engine great for words but is there a way to search for decimal outlined paragraphs in legal documents? For example I would like to find paragraph 3.1. but unfortunately the engine finds 1.3.1. and 3.1.1.1 - how might I limit to a specific string of numbers?
Appreciate,
Bitz

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi Bitz

did you try using the Option in the Search Pane to search "Whole Words Only"?

Use the binoculars Icon to open the Search pane (CTRL+Shift+F)



When I search the manual this way it brings up only the 2.2 results, without selecting "Whole Words Only" I get 2.2 as well as 12.212 for example.

does that give you what you need?

[Bitz]

Yes I did, checked Whole Words Only. If you search the manual for 4. you will find first 2.4 - so the same problem exists there. Hope there are other thoughts.
Bitz

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

hi again Bitz, if you search for " 2.4 " does it not give you what you want?

[Bitz]

No.... if you search for a major paragraph such as 4.1 and there is a paragraph 2.4.1 which logical precedes, you find 2.4.1 first, then later find 4.1. In a long document there may be 25 4.1's nested in paragraphs such as 1.1.4.1.1 and 1.2.4.1 and you have to wade through all of them before getting to 4.1.

Bitz

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi again Bitz

perhaps I wasn't explicit about the spaces and quotes. By using quotation marks you can force the search to include the white space in the search. That in combination with "Whole Words Only" allows you to be more specific than what you have shown.

Using the PDF-XChange Viewer manual as an example if I search for the string 2.1 I get this which is similar to what you have reported.



If however I search for " 2.1" I get only those results that have a space preceding the 2.1:



Compare that to a search for "2.1 " where the space is after the 2.1:



And were it in the document a search for " 2.1 " would result in only the 2.1 that stands alone with a space on either side:



Does that help?

Now if we really want to get powerful we should consider using regular expressions. I think I feel a feature request coming on...

[Bitz]

Paul, You have made my day. Sorry I missed the significance of the quotation marks the first time you explained. You understood my question clearly and that solution works perfect.

We are using PDF's exclusively for the many documents on our community web site and have just added our Declaration, Bylaws and Rules and Regulations (a combined document of about 100 pages) which had to date been distributed in a loose leaf binder. This should save a lot of trees<g>. I personally convinced the Board change to a searchable pdf and to change change the outlining from I,1.01,a,ii etc to a pure decimal. I pitched the value of quick access to a specific paragraph by searching for the decimal number. I fear they may have run me out of town tared and feathered if not for PDF-XChange Viewer and especially you.

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi Bitz,

I'm glad the results are what you need, now you need not hide in the Briar Patch...

[BobM]

Hi again Bitz

...snip

Now if we really want to get powerful we should consider using regular expressions. I think I feel a feature request coming on...

Vote +1

I'd love to be able search with regexps. Are there any plans for incorporating this functionality?

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello Bob,

We will check with the guys in our dev team and me or Paul will advise here shortly.

Best,
Stefan

[Paul - PDF-XChange]

Hi BobM,

we don't have any plans at present to incorporate regex into the search. I've added it to the wish list and it may be that a plugin ensues, or it may never happen, much will depend on demand I suspect.

hth

[BobM]

Paul,
Thanks for the status update.
Bob

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]