Search PDF

Some years back, I started scanning my physical library into my computer for my personal use. To date, I have aprox. 8 gig of pdf files. I have been using Copernick to scan the pdfs when I want to look something up.

For example say I want to look up something on "grace" I use Copernic and search and within seconds I have all the places in those pdf files that have "grace" in them. I do set up indexes and such to help me filter, once I make the initial search.

Here's my question.... does anyone do something like this? How do you search the pdf's you have? Is there a better way I might do this? I have looked into sql but the problem is the pdf's.

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Comments

JT (alabama24)

PDF's are weird because its more like a briefcase. A PDF can be something like a word doc OR a photograph... and both might look the same to the user.

If you have PDF's more along the lines of word docs, you could try and convert them to .docx files and import as "personal books." The only real tricky part is the conversion. In some cases it is a snap... in other cases it isn't worth bothering with.

Scott D.

I use XYplorer: Scripting, Live Filtering, Advanced Search (regex, Boolean, content search, visual filters), Catalogs, Tags, Text Tags, Color Labels, Categories, Virtual Folders, Custom Trees, Task cueing, copy handler, external copy handlers, Instant Preview (pane, thumb down, or pop-up -- even of PDFs, Excel, Word -- as well as image files), etc, etc, etc.

www.xyplorer.com

Scott D.

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1150547#Comment_1150547

... A PDF can be something like a word doc OR a photograph... you could try and convert them to .docx files and import as "personal books." The only real tricky part is the conversion....

I was going to write how to do this (import pdf or image pdf as Lgs Prsnl Bk) -- but thought it would be better to put that into a separate post:

https://community.logos.com/forums/p/198495/1150594.aspx#1150594

xnman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1150595#Comment_1150595

Scott David ----

Thanks for the info. I will explore XYplorer. Copernic has worked ok for me but I think I have pushed it to it's limits.

One thing... when I scan a book (which is time consuming) I scan it to an "editable pdf" file. That way I can search the pdf (and even make notes in the file).

The reason I do all this is simple. I find that I can search the whole book (after it's scanned) to find info in the book otherwise I have to remember what book, what page number, etc the info is in.

Before I started this....I had a massive Excel workbook whereby I kept notes as I would read the books. I find with Copernic or some such... I find it quickly and don't have to keep the Excel database.

And the simpler something is... the better my mind can remember it. [8-|] me being a simple minded person.... or so my wife says!

Glad to see I'm not the only one that does this. As Logos picks up these books (I'm hopelessly optimistic) then I'll delete them out of my pdfs.

Scott D.

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1150646#Comment_1150646

Hey xnman! The reason I focused the above "How to Convert PDF Image files to Logos Personal Books" on building IMAGE PDF Books (as opposed to OCR / Text) -- is that's the more difficult (eccentric) process. Within that process, one could much more easily convert an OCR PDF to Word.

But please reach out if you have any particular questions for me (regarding PDF Xchange, XYplorer, Excel, etc). [:D]

I hear what you're saying about Excel and organizing. I have a massive Excel "Database" for my book collection. It's both "BEAUTIFUL and AWFUL" [:O]

But, I can instantly find absolutely everything I need regarding my resources -- with the push of a button (using the Command Buttons you see in Row 1). I have a link to this file on my Logos toolbar: