Text tool enhancement request...

[DSSavant]

A) Currently when the user selects the Text Tool, they are forced to Left Mouse Click and then Drag to create a text "box" in which to enter in text. The evil empire's product, Acrobat, on the other hand allows the user to simply Left Mouse Click and release (mouse up) at a given point. If the user did not create a "box" then Acrobat will create one for them of about 60px or so.

B) As the user types into the default text box created by Acrobat, the box will grow to accommodate however much text is entered. This is a true user convenience.


My current customer base that is currently using Acrobat and has become very accustomed to the above two behaviors. It would be great if the viewer could be enhanced with the same behaviors. If there is a way to do this in a programmatic manner, I would appreciate a hint. I will be looking at seeing if I can intercept mouse clicks, active tools, and possibly placing annotations on the page for the user. This would take care of (A) above but I can't see how I could possibly hack (B) into existence.

[John - Tracker Supp]

Hi,

We already offer something very similar ....

Provided the Typewriter Tool is selected - the user can select any point on the page and start tying - the only difference being that the typewriter tool must be selected - whilost I can see the marginal benefit of the default action in some cases - I can also see others complaining that they dont like this as a user could inadvertently type something on a page not realising that the Viewer had focus in a multiple Window/Screen system and text could end up where its not wanted.

I will put the on the 'wish list' for discussion internally and see what others here think.

Thanks for the input as always.

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi, DSSavant.

A) Currently when the user selects the Text Tool, they are forced to Left Mouse Click and then Drag to create a text "box" in which to enter in text. The evil empire's product, Acrobat, on the other hand allows the user to simply Left Mouse Click and release (mouse up) at a given point. If the user did not create a "box" then Acrobat will create one for them of about 60px or so.
B) As the user types into the default text box created by Acrobat, the box will grow to accommodate however much text is entered. This is a true user convenience.

We will improve behavior of our textbox by your suggestion. Thanks. Wait for next build.

Best
Regards.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello DSSavant,

And thanks for the suggestions from me as well.
As per the devs request I have made a ticket in our internal system:
#1201: Text tool enhancement request...
So that this can be scheduled and resolved in due time.

Best,
Stefan

[DSSavant]

Thanks!

Will the next scheduled build be in September? I tried to figure out your release cycle but didn't have enough information.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello DSSavant,

The release cycle is usually every 4 to 6 weeks, but with the focus now on finalizing the next major versions - it's been disrupted a bit. So you could see builds in consecutive weeks as well as 8 weeks apart.

I have sent you a PM with a link to a custom build which you could download the latest .msm files.

Best,
Stefan

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello Dan,

Ticket 1201 is resolved, and the build with the fix should be released later today.

Best,
Stefan

[DSSavant]

I have installed the latest and greatest build on two different machines. Once on my development box and once on a very clean VM that has never seen the product.

V 2.5, Build 198, 8/8/2011
PDFXCview.exe, 9/1/2011, 11,118KB
PDFXCviewAx.dll, 9/1/2011, 1,040KB

My OS's are Win7 64-bit and Server 2008 64-bit.

So, the question is when I have a PDF up and I click on the Text Tool, I am still required to Left Mouse click-down-and-hold, drag to create a box to type into, and then release. Acrobat simply requires a quick Left Mouse click-down-up at which point it creates a default box for you - large enough to start typing something meaningful (more than a few characters).

It was my understanding from reading this post that this feature was added to the product in the latest release. Did I miss-understand? Was it added to this version or version 3.X?

Again, thanks in advance.

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi, DSSavant.

I checked it again - the "Text Box" tool works properly: it creates the new text-box on the page by one mouse-click.

The your V2.5, Build 198, 8/8/2011 is too old - may be it is one special build (197 + urgent_fix_for_dev), look to about-box - it should contain advanced special marker.

Please check again: your app. uses the LATEST 198 build of SDK? Also try our LATEST standalone viewer...

Best
Regards.

[DSSavant]

I thought the date on the install was off as well. I just installed again and got the same exact results. I think your website is wrong - do this and see if I'm stoned:

Go to:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product/downloads/sdk

Downloaded the most recent "PDF-XChange Viewer Pro SDK" via the "DOWNLOAD NOW" button. The following page will load:

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product ... k/download

I downloaded, installed to a Clean machine (no Tracker software). Ran the viewer and the About Box is the same as I indicated above - 8/8/2011. And you are correct, the earlier version does not have the Text Tool updates.

Would you like me to send you a link to a video from my VM showing the exact steps?

[DSSavant]

I have found that your installer is installing the wrong version but the Merge Module is installing the proper version dated September 16, 2011.

I will follow up with a link to a video showing the exact steps to reproduce the problem.

[DSSavant]

Please view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZWIDcmkMdk

Shows a clean VM via the Add/Remove control panel, file system, download of product, install, PDF creation, text box failure, wrong about box.

[Ivan - Tracker Software]

Please try download the SDK again - we had fixed issue on the server and now everything should be ok.

[DSSavant]

Fixed. Yet another happy customer.

[Paul - PDF-XChange]