PDF Search (Adobe Acrobat/Reader) is a very powerful tool that is much neglected. This webinar will demonstrate how to use FrameMaker-to-Acrobat TimeSavers to maximize search across one or more documents, gives you tips on how to encourage your users to use Search (and not Find), and shows you how to create pre-defined search phrases and a customized search form.

1. The Power of PDF Search
(Adobe Acrobat/Reader)
March 6, 2012
Shlomo Perets, microtype.com

2. 1 Before we start…
■ Webinar focus is features available for
end-users with Adobe Reader
■ No discussion on how to automate
features using specific authoring tools

3. 2 Find in current PDF
■ Basic options
● Whole words only
● Case sensitivity
● Include bookmarks
● Include comments

4. 3 Search current document
■ Additional options (show more options)
● Match Exact word or phrase
● Match Any of the words
(separated with spaces, not commas)
● Stemming
● Attachments

5. 4 Search selected folder
■ Additional options
● Match All of the words (+Proximity)
● Boolean query
● Metadata (e.g. title, subject, keywords)
■ Document title (as defined in the PDF
document properties) is displayed in
Search Results
■ Can refine the search (=search within
the previous results)

6. 5 Performance
■ Find / Search Document / Search Folders
are slow
■ Performance can be improved through
embedded indexes
(Document Processing > Manage
Embedded Index)

7. 6 Search selected index
■ Fast – pointers in a pre-built full-text index
are used (actual text is not searched)
PDX
(Index of a
collection of
PDF files)
■ Powerful – has all options available
■ Only works with local file access and
local networks, not in web environment

8. 7 Creating Full-Text Search index
■ Document Processing > Full Text Index
with Catalog
■ PDX and its support folder are part of
the document collection structure
(maintain relative links)

9. 8 PDFs changed after indexing?
■ “The document has been modified since
it was last cataloged. Some text may be
missing or could highlight incorrectly.”
(can choose not to show message again)
■ Acrobat Preferences, Catalog:
Turn on “Do not warn for changed
documents when searching”
(restart Acrobat after changing preference)

10. 9 Single PDF vs. multiple PDFs
Using books rather than chapters/topics
as the basic units in the PDF document
collection
■ Limits the usefulness of metadata
(Title, Keywords etc.)
■ Reduces the usefulness of the relative
weight of phrase being searched (number
of instances vs. total number of words)

11. 10 Make Search more visible
■ Provide a Search bookmark, button
■ Custom search form (where search
phrases may be saved)
■ Make pre-defined searches available

12. 11 Find/Search bookmarks
 ■ Bookmarks for both Find and Search
to expose the different functionality:
● “Find in this PDF”
● “Search document collection”
■ Especially needed with Reader X, where
the Search/Find icons and text box are
not displayed by default

13. 12 Pre-defined search bookmarks
Bookmarks with pre-defined search
queries through Acrobat JavaScript
(optional parameters, synonyms):
■ search.query("text phrase");
■ search.query("text phrase", "ActiveDoc" );
■ search.bookmarks=false; search.query("text
phrase", "ActiveDoc" );}

14. 13 Search page action
■ A page action defined for the first page
can open the Search panel automatically
when the PDF is opened

15. 14 Popup menus
 ■ Variable pop-up menus help avoid
overloading screen/page with links
(e.g. “Related Searches”), entries can
point to Acrobat Search with specific
phrases

16. 15 Custom search forms
 ■ Users can benefit from predefined
search phrases (Find/Search) or
queries (Advanced Search)
■ Users can save their own search queries,
with control over all search parameters
(useful when repeatedly performing
same/similar search operations)

17. 16 Reduce extra step for users
■ Attach the index to PDFs
(but not with web-based PDFs)
■ Alternatively, can provide a bookmark or
a link that “launches” the PDX file
(an Acrobat security message is displayed)

18. 17 Provide “How To” & examples
■ Users are often not familiar with
Search functionality
 ■ Include a page explaining how to use the
Search function, with sample queries
 ■ Can include a bookmark/link to a movie
showing an example

19. 18 Recommend user preferences
■ Preferences set locally by users affect
Search functionality (vary depending on
version)
● Always use advanced search options
● Range of words for Proximity searches
● Show document title in search results
■ Can create a bookmark or a link to the
Preferences dialog box

20. 19 “Highlight phrases” option
 ■ Can support adding highlight annotations
for specified search phrases
(through Acrobat JavaScript)
■ Requires enabling the PDF for
commenting