PDF XChange Forum

I find that custom page numbers created in the "Number Pages" function on one computer do not survive being transferred to another.

To elaborate, let's say I use Number Pages to create custom page numbers that are a combination of text and a sequence of page numbers for a subrange of a document. This could be like "January 2022 1", "January 2022 2", "January 2022 nn", etc. for a sub range starting on, say, page 222. I have done this on my main PC. The document file gets saved in a folder that is automatically synced to Microsoft's cloud storage service, OneDrive. Then, if I open the corresponding file on my laptop (both using the same licensed version of PDF-XCE) from the mirrored sync folder everything about the document is as was created except the custom page numbers.

Any idea what's going on? Or NOT going on?

Hello, PHK

Page numbering most definitely does survive migration from one device to the next, it is part of the docuemnt itself after all. My expectations are one of two things is happening here.
1. the most likely, your second device does not have "use logical page numbers" enabled in the preferences: 2. less likely, but perhaps the server you are fetching the document from has not finished propagating the new version of the file so that it is accessible for the other device. If you save the changes, and then wait a few minutes before opening on the other device, are the changes then present?

Kind regards,

Thanks, Daniel, for your quick reply.

However, it is not your point #1 as both have "use logical pages numbers" ticked as preference options. I keep both 'puters operating the same by exporting and importing settings in "Manage Settings". I will have to see about your point #2.

Hello, PHK

Alright, keep me posted if that ends up having been the cause. If that isnt it, Ill need to confer with my colleagues for their input.

Kind regards,

It turns out that the real problem was that, somewhere along the line, the logical page names were deleted entirely and without my knowledge, leaving me with the impression that the two versions of the file differed only with respect to the presence of logical page names!

So, I accept your description of the migration as including logical page names. But I am not sure how to diagnose what I did to wipe out the logical page names .

Hello, PHK

I am not certain what could have resulted the removal of logical numbering, I hope you will let us know if you discover it.

Kind regards,

TrackerSupp-Daniel wrote: ↑Sat Jan 15, 2022 12:04 am ... let us know if you discover it...

It was not hard to discover: logical page names do not survive Combine Files.

Occasionally, I like to append new files to an existing file as I discussed previously here, see https://forum.pdf-xchange.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=37955. As a proper "Append Files" does not exist yet, I use Combine Files. I add files that are the target file and the new files I want to add to the target file and Combine. If I had created logical page names in any of those files, they will not appear in the new combined document.

So, if the DevTeam considers adding a "Append Files" function it would be nice if logical page names survived like everything else.

Hello PHK,

The "Logical Page Numbers" are stored globally for the whole document (as they are ranges that could update when you add/delete pages), so yes - when you create a new PDF file via combining, any logical page number ranges from the source documents are indeed not preserved.

I see that in that other topic a ticket was created for the Append Files feature.

Kind regards,
Stefan

Thanks, Stefan.

Is there any movement on the issue of either "Append Files" or Logical Page Names to survive Combine Files after 34 months since I first raised this?

Hello, PHK

To be quite honest, I cannot seem to find the ticket which stefan mentions, however, I did find one specific to combine pages which I created for you in another, more recent thread.
RT#7039: FR: combine files option to retain logical page ranges

Currently this ticket is still unassigned, so it is not yet seeing Dev attention, but I will attempt to raise the priority for you.

Kind regards,

Thanks for your help, Daniel.

You might be a bit surprised at how important this issue is for me. So important that I have created an awkward workaround that is better than nothing to bridge me over to the time when the more elegant functionality is in the app.

First, you have to understand that I firmly believe that the PDF format will allow the World to migrate documents away from Gutenberg-Bible sized page formats (or similar) to more opened-dimensioned sheets that present information more usefully and conveniently than legacy page formats. For instance, when I get periodic reports (monthly statements, etc.) I don't just save the pages as they were sent to me. I merge them into larger sheets that might incorporate a year's worth of reports onto a single sheet so that I can zoom and scan that single sheet to see that data of interest. The current strictures of 300"x300" maximum sheet size work reasonable well for these purposes. I like to give these individual large sheets Logical Page names so that I can navigate easily from one sheet to another in the Thumbnails panel. So, when I get a new report that I want to append to an existing sheet, I combine that file with the 'old' sheet, ordering the added files in the Combine Files tool so that the 'old' file is at the top of the list followed by the 'new' files. In that way, the new document has the 'old' pages at the top followed by the new pages which I then merge with the appropriate new pages. The problem that this thread addresses is that any Logical Page names I had assigned to the pages get eliminated. There is no provision in the app to either preserve their assignments or even save them for future use.

My workaround is to create Bookmarks that consist of the actual page numbers and their respective Logical Page names like this: [nn tttt] where the nn is the true page number and tttt is the Logical Page name in the keeper document. This has the effect of preserving the sequencing of the sheets from the 'old' and adding the new pages at the bottom where I can manipulate them without disturbing the old sequencing. Then when I have a new document with the pages properly merged I add the Logical Page names in the Thumbnails by copying the Logical Page name (tttt as above) [Ctrl-C] and pasting to the appropriate sheet (the true page of the nn above) and pasting to the Thumbnail [F2][Ctrl-V]. And then I save this new document replacing the old document.

It ain't pretty but it works. It would be much better to have a simple functionality in the app to do this, I hope it is noted.

Hello, PHK

We are quite aware of how important it is for you, but unfortunately that does not correlate to making it any easier for us to implement, nor does it allow me to offer a promise of increased priority, at least until we see greater demand.

Kind regards,

Oh, certainly don't do it just for me!

A few weeks ago, I started a thread seeking a way of having a more intelligent use of logical page names/numbers and one of my entries described in some detail what I was doing. If you're interested, see Nov 20 above.

But this extract below is the relevant part after which I will share with you my refined workaround.

PHK wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2024 6:19 pm ...
The problem that this thread addresses is that any Logical Page names I had assigned to the pages get eliminated. There is no provision in the app to either preserve their assignments or even save them for future use.

My workaround is to create Bookmarks that consist of the actual page numbers and their respective Logical Page names like this: [nn tttt] where the nn is the true page number and tttt is the Logical Page name in the keeper document. This has the effect of preserving the sequencing of the sheets from the 'old' and adding the new pages at the bottom where I can manipulate them without disturbing the old sequencing. Then when I have a new document with the pages properly merged I add the Logical Page names in the Thumbnails by copying the Logical Page name (tttt as above) [Ctrl-C] and pasting to the appropriate sheet (the true page of the nn above) and pasting to the Thumbnail [F2][Ctrl-V]. And then I save this new document replacing the old document.

It ain't pretty but it works. It would be much better to have a simple functionality in the app to do this, I hope it is noted.

What I have found useful to do is to create a Bookmark that links to a subject page, either by whole-cloth creation or selected page text. Then, I copy that Bookmark title, use the simple Select tool, and paste the title onto the Thumbnail with Rename. The steps looks like this:

• Select Text [or otherwise use custom text],

• Add Bookmark,

• Copy,

• Select,

• Rename,

• Paste, and

• Enter.

If I had the slightest bit of JS skill, I would create a JS tool that did that for me but I don't. Maybe someone out there could do it easily.

Or even better yet, an app tool could be created to execute these simple steps into one easy-to-use tool. But I know DevTeam is not eager to take on new assignments so I would be loathe to actually ask for it.

Hello, PHK

I am glad to see you have a working process and am sorry to say that I am not well versed enough in JS to offer such a solution myself. By extension, this is a bit too niche to see a new feature made explicitly for it, unless we see a large volume of users confirming that they need to do this same process with great frequency.

Kind regards,

Thanks; I get it.