Index Data Import

[tyronefield]

We currently use your PDF explorer in-house and we think that it's great. We're looking to use it with one of our clients, but before we send them off to purchase a site licence we need to overcome a problem.

Each of their PDF's has a uniquie name/number and we will need to use that name/number to carry out a lookup on one of their internal databases and read back 5 additional index fields which we would then like to automatically insert into your system, possible by writing the additional indexes directly into your database.

Is this possible? Are there better methods?

[RTT]

You can use the Export and Import features of PDF Explorer. You need to export the PDFE grid that correspond to the files you want to update to a .csv file (File>Export grid fields...), select all the fields of the right list, except the custom ones if not used, and save the grid to the .csv file. Now you need to use an external tool to edit the .csv file in order to populate the metadata from your custom database. Probably MS Excel can do the job. Keep only the filename, diskserial, disklabel and disktype fields unchanged. All the rest can be changed to latter import.

When done, you just need to Import again the .csv using the PDF Explorer File>Import wizard to enter the new metadata into PDF Explorer database and edit it also in the pdf files.

[tyronefield]

Thanks for the prompt response.

We've just worked out that we can carry out the manual process, but we really need to automate this. The process will need to run every night, so it's not really practical to do it using menu's. Is there anyway we can automate?

[RTT]

[quote:1wfu25y7]The process will need to run every night, so it's not really practical to do it using menu's. Is there anyway we can automate?[/quote]

No, no automation possible with current version.

I don't know what's the PDFE role in your system. You want to use it only to edit the PDF files metadata or it is used also for PDF files management?
Probably, with a command line tool to set the PDF files metadata (next version of PDF-ShellTools will have command line interface functions to get/set metadata), and with a PDF Explore FoldersMonitor (Database>IndexerSettings>FoldersMonitors) pointing to folders where these files are, and you get what you need.
From your system you run the command line tool to set the metadata, and PDFE folder monitor detects the PDF file changes and update PDFE database accordantly.

[tyronefield]

We are planning to use your product to offer our clients a simple, yet effective way to manage their PDF files. Each day additional PDF's get added to the folder structure which requires additional indexes to be automatically set. We were planning to use a 'Task Automation Folder > Edit into fields' to auto populate new documents with dummy data which would allow us to indentify newly added items and run a program to update the additional index fields.

We do have technical people on-board, but to be honest we can't work out how your database fits together so we will need some sort of process from yourselves.

I have looked at the PDF-ShellTools but as your say the product we want isn't there yet. Any ideas on when it will be?

[RTT]

I have looked at the PDF-ShellTools but as your say the product we want isn't there yet. Any ideas on when it will be?

The new PDF-ShellTools version is almost ready so probably next week a new release goes online.

[tyronefield]

That's great. I'll keep an eye on the website and download the new version when it's ready.

Thanks again.

[RTT]

New PDF-ShellTools release is now online

[tyronefield]

I'll check it out. Many thanks"