Linking to within a PDF using named destinations

Gloria,

Thanks for all the information you've posted. I've used links to destinations in PDF files produced from FrameMaker frequently with no problem. I've also created PDF files from Word that contain links to destinations in another PDF file.

I remember that the various versions of Word require different methods to create the link to a destination. That was a problem for me because I was collaborating with someone using a different version of Word--links would work for me or links would work for her, but not both.

Now I'm trying to use Word XP to create a link to a destination and I see no way to do that. The Hypertext dialog lets me link to a bookmark, but it has no way of parsing PDF files to let me link to a destination there. I think I used to (in a previous version of Word) be able to type in "#destination" at the end of the link, but I can't be sure. Any ideas on how to do this in Word XP?

Thanks.

Jeanie

Don't know if anyone is following this post, but here is a bit more info. Apparently PDF files no longer have to be on a Web server, at least for Acrobat (or Reader) 8.1 and IE 7. Not sure about IE 6.

Tests by a co-worker indicate that a hyperlink in an HTML file, to a PDF on the reg. file system, will work - both for link to a named destination and to a page no. For example: href="mypdffile.pdf#page=265 or href="mypdffolder\mypdffile.pdf#mydest (that is, with the complete HTML code for a link).

More info in case anyone out there is following this post. First, if you...
1. Click a link to a named destination in PDF file.
2. Scroll in the file, then close on a page other than the named. dest. page.
3. Very quickly click the link again.

...the link may go to your last location, not the named dest. If you wait just a few sec., though, the link will work again. I'm thinking our users won't be clicking a link that quickly. Also, that there is some cache clean-out going on that takes just a little bit of time.

Second, see Parameters for Opening PDF Files for details on different ways to specify the file to open, either programmatically or with a URL.

I was looking at the Adobe Parameters for Opening PDF Files again, and see the following URL limitations, which may apply to what you are doing.

URL limitations

• Only one digit following a decimal point is retained for float values.
  
• Individual parameters, together with their values (separated by & or #), can be no greater then 32 characters in length.
  
• You cannot use the reserved characters =, #, and &. There is no way to escape these special characters.
  
• If you turn bookmarks off using a URL parameter when a document had previously been saved with bookmarks on, the bookmark scrollbars are displayed at first, and only disappear once Acrobat obtains enough streamed information to render the full page.

Leslie and Errol,
My testing is showing that named destinations are working with the following software: Adobe Reader 8.1, Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2, Windows XP Professional (2002 SP2). Other testing observations:

1. The HTML file and the PDF file must be on a Web server; the link is using a URL, not a file system location. (Well, not true - the HTML file can be on local computer, not the Web server, but that doesn't really make sense. But PDF must be on Web server.)

2. My links are in the form: http://servername/serverpath/mypdf.pdf#MyDestination

3. Acrobat Professional cannot be on the system along with Reader. In my case, our users will have only Reader, so it's fine. (Just means I cannot test on my own work system - have to use a lab computer with only Adobe Reader on it. This also means I have not tested a system with only Acrobat Professional.)

4. The Adobe Reader option to display PDF in Web browser must be set. This option is in Edit > Preferences > Internet. This is the key setting, but I suppose other settings might play a role. I can let you know what they all are if it gets to that.

5. The PDF file was created from a Word 2007 .doc file (not .docx), using PDFMaker (provided by Acrobat Professional 8.1). The compatibility level was set to Acrobat 8.0 (PDF 1.7). I can't imagine why FrameMaker or any other app. that allows you to create PDFs wouldn't work.

6. For my initial testing, the destinations were defined in Acrobat Professional (not via a PRINT field in Word. Still have to test that.)

7. Destination names are case sensitive. So if you define "MyLink" in the PDF file, but create a link in the HTML file to "mylink," Adobe Reader will not recognize it and the destination parameter will be ignored (file will open to first page).

Whew! Hope this list gives you something to go on. Let me know if further questions.

--Gloria Mc