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Question

Linking to within a PDF using named destinations

Forum|Forum|18 years ago
August 24, 2007
55 replies
50273 views

This topic is moved from the Feature Request forum. Leslie and Errol wrote:
We're talking about make a large manual that consists of many PDF files arranged in a hierarchy. It begins with an HTML file where the user chooses a topic that takes them to a PDF file that serves as a table of contents. The user then chooses a specific topic. Here's the issue. The specific topic is NOT always the first page of the corresponding PDF. Named destinations are set correctly. If you open the TOC PDF in Adobe (and not the IE plugin of Adobe) the links work correctly to the appropriate destinations. If however, you follow the links from the original HTML file, it uses the Adobe plugin inside IE. The links to the destinations DO NOT work in this case - it only takes you to the first page of the PDF on the topic, NOT the specific destination within the document.

The problem is described here:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=326332

We're looking for a workaround. The new version of Adobe Reader 8 does the same thing. We can't use another browser because the manual is set for mass distribution in a corporate environment and changing the destinations to page number works, but it's endless amounts of data entry.

Any ideas??? We were thinking maybe using an eBook reader that opens PDFs instead of IE?

Your help would be much appreciated.
Leslie and Errol.

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_Gloria_Mc_Author

Participating Frequently

Thx David. The parameter "nameddest" is supposed to work, although Adobe itself omits it from their URL examples in the "Parameters for Opening PDF Files" document. Personally, I've never used it.

One problem may be that when you include it you exceed the character limit specified by Adobe. "Individual parameters, together with their values (separated by & or #), can be no greater then 32 characters in length." Your example, "nameddest=M5.8.newlink.somename" is itself precariously close to that limit.

But it is never needed, so the best bet as you suggest, is to omit it.

-GMc

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_David_Fass_

Participating Frequently

I just want to add a note to this discussion: I had a problem linking from HTML to a named destination in PDF. I was using the following general syntax:

http://localhost:8080/folder/book.pdf#nameddest=M5.8.newlink.somename

where "M5.8.newlink.somename" is the text of the named destination. These names are generated by FrameMaker PDF export, hence the "Mn.8.newlink" prefix.

The above syntax was recommended by several sources I found on the web, and it works in Firefox but not in IE. (IE simply goes to the last page of the document. Not good.) However, the following syntax DOES work in both Firefox and IE:

http://localhost:8080/folder/book.pdf#M5.8.newlink.somename

In other words, leave off the "nameddest" property, and just place the destination name immediately after the # sign. I believe this is what Adobe's official propaganda actually advises, but there is so much contrary information out there, I thought adding this note might help someone out.

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_Gloria_Mc_Author

Participating Frequently

Jennifer,
I see you are not using the PDF's native bookmark pane, but rather you are using a Web page with hyperlinks that include target frame of "body." I can only guess that the browser is not happy with this arrangement/HTML command and thus the links don't work. I am not an HTML person; maybe someone else can help.

Why don't you just define the PDF to include bookmarks and use Adobe's native bookmark pane? That is what I tested. In that case, your URL would be to the PDF file, not an HTML file. E.g., http://www.childaction.org/prototypes/YourFile.pdf. You can include an open parameter in that URL to force the bookmarks panel to open -
http://www.childaction.org/prototypes/YourFile.pdf#pagemode=bookmarks.

If you must use the HTML page, then hopefully someone w/knowledge in that area will speak up.

--GMc

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_Jennifer_Kaye_

Participant

Hi Gloria,
Thanks for your feedback. I have a sample of what I'm talking about that I've just posted. I currently have Acrobat 6.0 Professional for the PDF creation (resulting in PDF 1.5), and the version of the Reader plug-in I use doesn't seem to make a difference (though I have updated to 8.0 just to be safe!). I've used named destinations instead of page numbers because the documentation I've seen online indicates that destinations are better supported across versions and browsers.

http://www.childaction.org/prototypes/test.html

If I choose any chapter in the menu frame to start out with, the destination works. If I then choose another chapter, nothing happens. To make something happen, I have to back up to the start page and then choose another link. Each destination works by itself, but not one after another. IE and Firefox both have this same behavior.

If I can confirm FOR SURE that upgrading to 8.0 Pro for creating the PDF will fix it, I'm sure I can get management to approve a license for me. Can you confirm this is the functionality I'm missing?

Thanks again!
Jennifer

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_Gloria_Mc_Author

Participating Frequently

Jennifer,
I tried a test of one file with three bookmarks redefined to go to named destinations, and they all worked correctly on the Web. This is in a PDF 1.7 (Acrobat 8.x) file. Which version of Acrobat/Adobe do you have and what PDF version was the file created as? Remember that Acrobat 7 doesn't work, and the Adobe Reader Internet setting must be set to "Display PDF in browser." If these aren't the problems, then could it be a browser setting? Maybe someone else can help.

Jeff,
You are correct about the problem with manually entering destinations in a Word file. As Aandi said, there is at least one company that purports to help. The one I found is Evermaps AutoBookmark. This plug-in allows you to edit and manage bookmarks, links, and named destinations. The literature says that with it, you can automatically generate named destinations from bookmarks. I have not tested this product. It's fairly inexpensive (something around $150). Let me know if you try it and it works.

--GMc

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_jefforthober_

Participant

Hi All:

I have a similar issue in that I am using Adobe Acrobat to generate a manual in PDF from word. All works great, including bookmarks. Except that destinations are not automatically generated. Destinations are needed because an automatic system would be nice to bring the reader to a certain point in the document from a program. The only way I can see to do this is using the Adobe SDK and the only way to go to a certain point in a document is to use destinations.... Why can't one goto a bookmark automatically and / or convert all bookmarks to destinations easily? Having to manually input destinations in Word is a real issue.

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_Aandi_Inston_

Participating Frequently

I believe third party plug-ins exist to do this, but I can't recall
the names.

Aandi Inston

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_Jennifer_Kaye_

Participant

Hello group,
I'm having a similar problem Gloria described with named destinations that seem to get stuck at the first. In my case, however, it doesn't seem to matter whether I wait a few seconds or a few minutes.

I have a large PDF handbook being placed onto a website with a navigation frame on the left. The navigation frame links to named destinations in the PDF. The first link that is clicked works like a charm. Clicking for a different destination doesn't do anything at all - not even reload. If I click out of the PDF and then back in, perfect the first time, and then zilch again for any subsequent clicks.

Has someone else encountered this and/or found a solution?

Much thanks!
- Jennifer

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_Gloria_Mc_Author

Participating Frequently

Jeanie,
With Word 2007 and Acrobat 8.1.1, the URL (with #Destination included) is correctly processed from Word into a PDF file. The subsequent link (to a URL such as http://myserver/myfile.pdf#mydestination) works correctly. This is true for a .doc file and for a .docx file.

The URL is entered into Word's Insert > Hyperlink dialog box Address field either by typing or pasting the base address, then manually adding the #Destination part. (You are right, there is no way to see/access the destinations from within the Word Insert Hyperlink dialog box. Word doesn't know anything about the destinations.)

The PDF is created in Word 2007 by Saving as Adobe PDF. The PDF option to "Add Links to Adobe PDF" option is selected.

If you don't have Word 2007 and Acrobat 8.1.1, you may have to upgrade - that's all I can think of.

--Gloria Mc

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_Jeanie_Shoemaker_

Participating Frequently

Gloria,

I want to create links in Word files, convert Word to PDF, and then put the PDF on our web server. The links will go from the Word/PDF file to another PDF file (also on the web server) that contains a named destination.

My question is more about how to create the links in Word XP. The dialog doesn't seem to offer a way for me to add the "#destination" part of the link. I tried typing that in as part of the path for the link, but when I look at the link properties in Acrobat8, the named destination is not part of the link. Even before I put the file out on our web server, I can see that the link won't go to the destination.

Thanks.

Jeanie

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_Gloria_Mc_Author

Participating Frequently

Jeanie,
In what type of file do you want the link to work? In the Word files? That doesn't seem to work unless the PDF file is on a Web server. However, links to PDFs in the file system(relative or absolute path) seem to be working with Acrobat 8 files if the link is in an HTML file (created from Word). In both cases, the URL is appended with #DestinationName. I don't think this works with a non-Web-based PDF (PDF #1 links to a destination in PDF #2) created from the Word file. In fact I just did a quick test and the hyperlinks to the destinations seem to disappear when clicked!

Hope this helps.
--GMc

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