Hack 15 Bookmark PDF Pages in Reader
Create and maintain a list of PDF pages for rapid access.
Web browsers enable you to bookmark HTML pages, so why doesn't Adobe Reader enable you to bookmark PDF pages? Here is a JavaScript that extends Reader so that it can create bookmarks to specific PDF pages. It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
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2.2.1 Bookmark JavaScript for Acrobat and Reader
Visit http://www.pdfhacks.com/bookmark_page/ to download the JavaScript in Example 2-1. Unzip it, and then copy it into your Acrobat or Reader JavaScripts directory. [Hack #96] explains where to find this directory on your platform. Restart Acrobat/Reader, and bookmark_page.js will add new items to your View menu.
Example 2-1. Adding bookmark functionality to Acrobat and Adobe Reader
// bookmark_page.js, ver. 1.0
// visit: http://www.pdfhacks.com/bookmark_page/
// use this delimiter for serializing our array
var bp_delim= '%#%#';
function SaveData( data ) {
// data is an array of arrays that needs
// to be serialized and stored into a persistent
// global string
var ds= '';
for( ii= 0; ii< data.length; ++ii ) {
for( jj= 0; jj< 3; ++jj ) {
if( ii!= 0 || jj!= 0 )
ds+= bp_delim;
ds+= data[ii][jj];
}
}
global.pdf_hacks_js_bookmarks= ds;
global.setPersistent( "pdf_hacks_js_bookmarks", true );
}
function GetData( ) {
// reverse of SaveData; return an array of arrays
if( global.pdf_hacks_js_bookmarks== null ) {
return new Array(0);
}
var flat= global.pdf_hacks_js_bookmarks.split( bp_delim );
var data= new Array( );
for( ii= 0; ii< flat.length; ) {
var record= new Array( );
for( jj= 0; jj< 3 && ii< flat.length; ++ii, ++jj ) {
record.push( flat[ii] );
}
if( record.length== 3 ) {
data.push( record );
}
}
return data;
}
function AddBookmark( ) {
// query the user for a name, and then combine it with
// the current PDF page to create a record; store this record
var label=
app.response( "Bookmark Name:",
"Bookmark Name",
"",
false );
if( label!= null ) {
var record= new Array(3);
record[0]= label;
record[1]= this.path;
record[2]= this.pageNum;
data= GetData( );
data.push( record );
SaveData( data );
}
}
function ShowBookmarks( ) {
// show a pop-up menu; this seems to work only when
// a PDF is already in the viewer;
var data= GetData( );
var items= '';
for( ii= 0; ii< data.length; ++ii ) {
if( ii!= 0 )
items+= ', ';
items+= '"'+ ii+ ': '+ data[ii][0]+ '"';
}
// assemble the command and then execute it with eval( )
var command= 'app.popUpMenu( '+ items+ ' );';
var selection= eval( command );
if( selection== null ) {
return; // exit
}
// the user made a selection; parse out its index and use it
// to access the bookmark record
var index= 0;
// toString( ) converts the String object to a string literal
// eval( ) converts the string literal to a number
index= eval( selection.substring( 0, selection.indexOf(':') ).toString( ) );
if( index< data.length ) {
try {
// the document must be 'disclosed' for us to have any access
// to its properties, so we use these FirstPage NextPage calls
//
app.openDoc( data[index][1] );
app.execMenuItem( "FirstPage" );
for( ii= 0; ii< data[index][2]; ++ii ) {
app.execMenuItem( "NextPage" );
}
}
catch( ee ) {
var response=
app.alert("Error trying to open the requested document.\nShould
I remove this bookmark?", 2, 2);
if( response== 4 && index< data.length ) {
data.splice( index, 1 );
SaveData( data );
}
}
}
}
function DropBookmark( ) {
// modeled after ShowBookmarks( )
var data= GetData( );
var items= '';
for( ii= 0; ii< data.length; ++ii ) {
if( ii!= 0 )
items+= ', ';
items+= '"'+ ii+ ': '+ data[ii][0]+ '"';
}
var command= 'app.popUpMenu( '+ items+ ' );';
var selection= eval( command );
if( selection== null ) {
return; // exit
}
var index= 0;
index= eval( selection.substring( 0, selection.indexOf(':') ).toString( ) );
if( index< data.length ) {
data.splice( index, 1 );
SaveData( data );
}
}
function ClearBookmarks( ) {
if( app.alert("Are you sure you want to erase all bookmarks?", 2, 2 )== 4 ) {
SaveData( new Array(0) );
}
}
app.addMenuItem( {
cName: "-", // menu divider
cParent: "View", // append to the View menu
cExec: "void(0);" } );
app.addMenuItem( {
cName: "Bookmark This Page &5",
cParent: "View",
cExec: "AddBookmark( );",
cEnable: "event.rc= (event.target != null);" } );
app.addMenuItem( {
cName: "Go To Bookmark &6",
cParent: "View",
cExec: "ShowBookmarks( );",
cEnable: "event.rc= (event.target != null);" } );
app.addMenuItem( {
cName: "Remove a Bookmark",
cParent: "View",
cExec: "DropBookmark( );",
cEnable: "event.rc= (event.target != null);" } );
app.addMenuItem( {
cName: "Clear Bookmarks",
cParent: "View",
cExec: "ClearBookmarks( );",
cEnable: "event.rc= true;" } );2.2.2 Running the Hack
When you find a PDF page you want to bookmark, select View 
Bookmark This Page, or use the Windows key combination Alt-V, 5. A
dialog will ask you for the bookmark's name. Enter a
title and click OK.
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To activate a bookmark, some PDF document (any
PDF document) must already be open in the viewer. This is due to a
quirk in Acrobat's JavaScript pop-up menu. Select
View Go To Bookmark, or use the Windows key combination
Alt-V, 6. A pop-up menu appears, showing your bookmark titles. Select
a title, and that PDF will open in the viewer and then advance to the
bookmarked page.
Remove a bookmark by selecting View Remove a Bookmark. A
pop-up menu will show all of your current bookmarks. Select a
bookmark, and it will be removed permanently.
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