Acrobat catalog plugin and visual studio

[JoePIFS]

Hi, I have been trying to write an app that will allow a PDF(s) file to be indexed (create a pdx file set). SO this user does not have to open acrobat to create the full text catalog manually.  After much research and reading and dead ends I believe I have finally come up with a plan of action. Acrobat DC Pro comes with a "catalog" plugin that appears to be able to create a PDX file. It seems the best method for me to access this catalog plugin (API?) is to write a C++ application to call the catalog functions. I have not developed in C++ for a while but I used to. I downloaded Microsoft Visual Studio to create my app.Now I have hit a deadend again. Trying to find some example of using Visual Studio to access the acrobat plugin but getting nowhere.  I have been through the SDK but can't seem to make any head way. Any example of calling any of the acrobat plugins would be helpful - like the search plugin. Thanks for any advice.

[Bernd Alheit]

There doesn't exists a public API for this plugin.

[JoePIFS]

Hi Bernd, thanks for replying. As usual I am confused by your answer. I have purchased Acrobat PRO DC - doesn't that give me access to the catalog plug in? 

Thanks again, Joe

[Bernd Alheit]

You can create a pdx file in the UI of Acrobat. Acrobat uses the catalog plugin for this.

[JoePIFS]

Hi Bernd, first let me clear something up, when I say "as usual I am confused by your answer" that is not any reflection on you or your answer. But more a reflection on my frustration with making progress on this project. I have NEVER had such difficulty getting information / examples on anything I have worked on before. Adobe provides a ton of docs but I am finding it difficult to make progress.

So, in response to your latest answer. I do not want to open the acrobat UI and create a PDX file. I want to write an app, not a plugin, that calls the acrobat catalog plugin, (specifically teh function catalogbuildindex()), that will create a pdx file. Is your last answer saying the only way I can create the pdx file is through the UI? 

[Bernd Alheit]

The plugin can only be used in Acrobat. You can't use the plugin in a other app.

[JoePIFS]

Ok, so the confusion grows!!! Can I call an acrobat API to build the pdx file? Or is the only way to create a PDX file set is through the acrobat UI?  Because all the adobe docs I read and the initial conversation we had with our adobe contact said this could be done.

[Bernd Alheit]

All information about the Acrobat APIs is available in the Acrobat SDK.

[Test Screen Name]

You won't find info because there is no programming interface to this Acrobat function, so far as I know. Just because Acrobat can do it, doesn't mean you can automate it. 

[JoePIFS]

Thanks for replying. So Berndt has told me that I can not create an outside app to call the acrobat catalog plugins functions.  I have seen other documents in the acrobat sdk, "developing acrobat applications using java script", that reference "search", "catalog" and "index" objects which seem to create PDX file sets. Can I create an app using javascript, outside of the UI, that uses these objects to create a PDX file?  I do apologize if these questions seem silly but I am new to this acorbat environment and honestly some of the documentation/information seems misleading. I was hopng to initially avoid javascript but if that is the only way then so be it. Or it would be good to have someone tell me that the only way to create a PDX file set is in the acrobat UI. Thanks, Joe

[Bernd Alheit]

With the Javascript index object you can build the index, but you can't create a new index.

[Test Screen Name]

I agree, there doesn't seem to be a way to build an index. But there is more in JavaScript than I remembered. What would be your objection to JavaScript anyway? It would be way easier than writing a C++ plug-in if that was your original proposal. Or was it? You seemed to be suggesting that C++ would avoid having to run Acrobat. Yet Acrobat is the app; all automation is done by Acrobat. There is no separate programmer tool coming with Acrobat, that runs without it.

[JoePIFS]

Ok- this is not exactly what I was hoping to hear but this may be the most useful information I have received so far. THANK YOU both! So in the documentation it keeps referring to "building" and "rebuilding" an index. But I think "build" is not create - it is more update, correct?  I was hoping to avoid javascript only because I have more experience with C++. And no I was not planning to create a plugin but instead an outside app that calls some acrobat api to "create" a pdx file. Not looking too good right now.  I am now looking into using DDE and I see some references to "filebuild" for a pdx file but I am wondering if that is more of an update than a create.  Thanks again for the information.

[Bernd Alheit]

Info: A PDX file is a text file with the information of the catalog index.