plugin creation

[Guest]

Hi!

I am new to acrobat plugins.  I am having set of tools developed in acrobat java script like auto bookmarking.  I wanted to convert this into plugins using c++.  I dont know where to start and how to start.  Can any one help me on this?  How to create?  Which platform is required to create plugin?  How to create .api file?

Ariv

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

All the information you need is in this thread, but with all the back and forth, you may have missed aspects of it, or misinterpreted something, so let’s take a step back and summarize:

Regardless of the ultima target application (Acrobat or Reader), all plugin development is done with Acrobat. The only cost involved at that time is the cost of Acrobat (either as a one time payment for the perpetual license, or as a reoccurring charge for the subscription) - and of course the time you will need to learn to use the SDK.

If you want to deploy your plugin just to users who already have Acrobat (or will buy Acrobat to run your plugin) then you are done.

If you want to also make the plugin run with the free Reader, you need to get the Reader Integration license and the associated key. This requires that you pay a fee to Adobe and get approval from Adobe for your specific plugin and it’s functional. Adobe may not approve the plugin for Reader integration if it would create functionality that is already in Acrobat (in this case, the assumption is you would just buy Acrobat for everybody who needs to use this functionality).

So, forget about Reader at this point and learn about how to use the plugin API with Acrobat. And, if your company is not willing to pay for Acrobat, you can forget about the whole process, that’s actually the cheapest part of it all - especially considering how much time you will have to invest in order to become proficient in the plugin API.

[Test Screen Name]

I think you are trying to find a way to do this without a budget. You cannot.

To summarize, for I hope the last time.

1. To develop plug-ins you will need Acrobat (paid for)

2. EITHER

(a) every end user will need Acrobat also, their own paid for copy,

OR

(b) you will need to negotiate and your company will need to pay for a Reader key so your end users can work in Reader.

[Test Screen Name]

Please follow our advice. Start with the simplest plug-in. We are not interested in your results with a more complicated one until you have loaded a simple one. That is difficult enough.

[Test Screen Name]

You need to use the exact version in the documentation for your SDK. Once you are an expert you may be able to convert your project to run in another release.

[Test Screen Name]

> once i build a plugin in visual studio, only a couple of libraries and .api file gets generated.

The API is the complete deliverable - what you or others install to Acrobat.

> but the output of the plugin does not appear on the console.

That's correct. Plug-ins are not command line tools to write to the console. GUI apps don't write to the console.

If you want to write information, open a file. If you want to inspect the file while Acrobat is running, use Open (Append), Write, Close for each line.

[sheenam94333193]

sorry but i did not understand your answer at all. Please elaborate or send a link for the same

[Test Screen Name]

You can suppose what you like, but that isn't what will happen, and it isn't what we'd expect to happen. Find an alternative. I explained how you can make output. You can also use breakpoints to discover what your plug-in is doing. This can be awkward, but it is well worth the effort.

[sheenam94333193]

so you mean that the actual functionality of the plugin can only be seen once it gets enabled to Acrobat??

and until then, debugging using breakpoints from visual studio might help??

[Test Screen Name]

I don't understand your question. "Enabled to Acrobat" is not a familiar term.

The plug-in only runs when it is loaded by Acrobat Pro. Until you run it in Acrobat Pro, nothing will run, nothing exists, there is no output, no breakpoints have any effect, nothing.

Imagine your question as "how can I get results from my EXE file without running it" and you will see that your question is difficult for us to answer.

More details:

1. a plug-in is loaded by Acrobat Pro when you start Acrobat Pro, if it is in the right folder, and built correctly.

2. Acrobat Pro runs the PluginMain routine, which must do certain setup. If the setup is not done correctly, the plug-in is unloaded and forgotten.

3. The setup must define some callbacks. These could include menu items in Acrobat (this is easiest for testing).

4. The plug-in code is not touched until the callbacks are needed. For example, if you added a menu item in Acrobat, then a routine in your code will be executed when the end user selects the menu item.

If you are trying to write a plug-in from scratch, stop and throw this away.

[sheenam94333193]

ok last question...

So when i run/build the solution file of  BasicPlugin(i.e BasicPlugin.sln file) in visual studio, even at that time also i cannot know the functionality of that file by putting breakpoints in visual studio before .api file gets created??

[Bernd Alheit]

You can see the functionality of the plugin in the source code of the plugin.

[sheenam94333193]

exactly... the source code which is opened in visual studio(or more precisely three files of a sample plugin including .cpp files and a PIMain.c file)...right??

then why is the output not visible there?

[Test Screen Name]

The output is not visible because you HAVE NOT RUN IT.  You run it inside Acrobat. I do not know how to make this reply more clear for you.

[Bernd Alheit]

You must use the plugin in Acrobat. It will not create output in Visual Studio.

[sheenam94333193]

hello.... I wanted to start the free trial of adobe acrobat dc for a week. And even for that  i was asked to enter the card details by selecting either one of the subscription types. i chose monthly,.. and 1196rs were deducted from my account.

And now there is no way to cancel the plan or remove my card details which means i will be charged this amount every month.

can you please tell me how can i rollback this subscription?

[Test Screen Name]

I think you may be looking for something like the iPhone emulator in Mac, which allows you to preview and debug iPhone apps without installing to iPhone. This is needed because of Apple's rules.

There is no need for an emulator for Acrobat. We just use Acrobat. I may have said: you cannot do your project without a budget for Acrobat. There is no work around, or emulator, or preview or trick. Just pay for it, or don't write plug-ins.

[Test Screen Name]

Contact Adobe customer service immediately. There is a very limited time for a refund, before you automatically commit to a contract.  But why would you cancel? You cannot do this project if you don't have Acrobat, why would you even start it?

[sheenam94333193]

i need to cancel for now because i put my card details and not the company's

[Test Screen Name]

Then you must contact Adobe Customer Services. WE CANNOT DO THIS IN THE FORUM.

[sheenam94333193]

the sample plugin is finally integrated with the Acrobat DC.

now, i want to write a plugin that highlights certain text from the pdf opened in adobe.

can you please guide on this??

like which methods and API have to be used because the .cpp file codes of the sample plugins are completely foreign to me

[Bernd Alheit]

It is all available in the Acrobat SDK:

Acrobat DC SDK Documentation

[sheenam94333193]

it would be great if you could give a sample code that does this functionality

[Test Screen Name]

Why do you want sample code, when you aren't going to run Acrobat??

Have you looked at the SDK documentation? There are thousands of pages of methods, and you won't want to read all that for the first day, but there is a lot of necessary information. You will also need basic knowledge of PDF internals and graphics models - see the PDF Reference.

[sheenam94333193]

ofcourse i will be running acrobat. i am running it.

i read the documentation.

it was all really verbose.

the layer architecture and gazillion methods of the APIs.

so, it would be convenient if you could tell me a few particular methods to concentrate on for highlighting text in pdf

[sheenam94333193]

also, each plugin in the sample plugin has 3 files...example: basicplugin.cpp, basicpluginInit.cpp and PIMain.c

what is the purpose of three files???

and what to write in all theses 3 files while developing my custom plugin?