DC Pro Portfolio Search: cross-format still possible?

Report · Oct 08, 2018

I've used the multi-format search feature of Acrobat Portfolios for years to quickly search PDFs and MS Office files. I was on Acrobat Pro XI until last week when my company pushed DC Pro. There is no going back.

Now, when I create Portfolios with Powerpoint, Excel, Word, PDF, etc. the search feature only returns hits from embedded PDFs. I don't want to convert all files to PDFs as this makes working with Excel within portfolios (Preview etc.) unpleasant. I've looked for ways to embed an index which used to be possible in Acrobat X and went through every option I could find but no go.

I am hoping that this incredibly powerful cross-format search hasn't been eliminated in DC Pro. According to this, it is still there;

Overview of PDF Portfolios

Searching

Search one or all files in a PDF Portfolio. You can even search non-PDF component files.

Examples of things I've tried:

1) Select one powerpoint file with text, create a portfolio, save the portfolio. Open the portfolio, open the Portfolio search tool, search for a known word --> No results

2) Select one powerpoint, one pdf, create a portfolio, save the portfolio. Open the portfolio, open the Portfolio search tool, search for a known word in both documents --> Only the search result from the PDF appears

3) Web searches on Adobe forums and other help sites

Report · Oct 09, 2018

Hi OldGuyInTheClub,

Sorry for the inconvenience. I tried searching words on portfolio file having PDFs, Excel sheet, powerpoint, word file.

I got hits count from all type of files.

Could you please share the portfolio file(if not confidential).

Are you getting this issue on all portfolio files?

Thanks

Sanchi

Report · Oct 10, 2018

Thank you, Sanchi. The actual files can't be sent as they are company sensitive. Is it possible to attach files through the forum? I can try to create a test portfolio tomorrow from work and post it. I don't see that feature in the posting toolbar.

While I do that, I wanted to mention that my office machine runs Windows 7. I was wondering if Acrobat relies on any Windows services to perform the actual searching. When I try to run the portfolio search feature, the little donut icon appears and then the search ends quickly showing no results. It feels like it is calling an API or service, not getting it, and exiting gracefully but not throwing an error. Maybe that service has been stopped by my firm's IT group and needs to be restarted.

As an aside, during my research/testing II found this demo Portfolio at http://dev.datalogics.com/cookbook/portfolios/portfolio-sample.pdf

I downloaded it to my home Mac which has Acrobat DC Reader (not Pro). The PDF has a Word doc, Powerpoint, Spreadsheet, a PDF and an image. I have not yet tested this on my Windows machine.

Mac portfolio search:

The Powerpoint file contains the words security, badges, and contractor. The Portfolio search tool returns zero results for these.

The spreadsheet contains the words project, commencement, and architect. Search finds project in the Powerpoint but not the spreadsheet. Commencement and architect return zero results.

The word systems appears in both the Powerpoint and PDF but search only finds it in the PDF.

I understand I am mixing a few issues here but I think the broader point is that something is not quite right with Portfolio Search on DC.

Report · Oct 10, 2018

Hi OldGuyInTheClub,

You can send file on sancjain@adobe.com.

Also, could you please confirm that MS office is installed on your office machine(Win 7) and on your Mac machine as well?

Thanks

Sanchi

Report · Oct 10, 2018

Thank you, I will create a test file and send to you later today.

Yes, I have MS Office 2010 on my Win7 machine and Mac Office 2011 on my home machine. I can open the files in their native format from Portfolios on both machines.

For reference: I downloaded and tried the demo portfolio on my Win7 machine. Similar search problems but with somewhat different results

Win7 portfolio search:

The Powerpoint file contains the words security, badges, and contractor. The Portfolio search tool returns zero results for these. (same as Mac)

The spreadsheet contains the words project, commencement, and architect. Search finds architect in the jpeg but not the spreadsheet. Commencement and project return zero results. (different from Mac)

The word systems appears in both the Powerpoint and PDF but search only finds it in the PDF. (same as Mac)

Report · Oct 11, 2018

Sanchi - Unfortunately, I am not allowed to send even innocuous test files to you due to company policy. I am hopeful that the demo Portfolio above will serve as a basis for discussion. I am observing a lot of weird behavior with Portfolios now that I am digging deeper into them. Basically, different computers with Acrobat process Portfolios differently. Two examples are above - Win 7 and Mac find different things when they find anything at all.

Additionally, I took a different PDF portfolio consisting of files from my work machine and tested it on three other work Win 7 machines running DC Reader. I created this file on Machine 1) below using Pro XI because that's the only machine that has any full-up Acrobat installed. The other 2 only have DC Reader so I used DC Reader on all three machines as a consistency check.

Machine 1) Search does not return any results. Portfolio does not show previews on thumbnails for PPT but does for Word and Excel. Preview works on all filetypes

Machine 2) Search returns all the results as expected! Portfolio does not show previews on thumbnails for PPT but does for Word and Excel. Preview does NOT work for Powerpoint but does for Word and Excel.

Machine 3) Search does not return any results.Portfolio does not show previews on thumbnails for PPT but does for Word and Excel. Preview works on all filetypes. (Same as Machine 1)

It looks to me like there may be some setting deep within Acrobat Reader that may control whether files can be previewed, searched, etc. Also, it seems like Acrobat tools make calls to OS services for search and/or preview which, if not running, will cause some Acrobat features to fail.

Muddy waters but I hope there's a way to clear them up...

Report · Oct 15, 2018

I give up. I've tried further experiments with both XI Pro and DC Pro on multiple machines. Portfolios are no longer reliable. Search works on some (but not Powerpoint preview), Powerpoint preview works on some (but not search.) DC Pro on some machines writes Portfolios that cause it to crash when it tries to read them. Windows and Macs behave differently. It is a shame - Portfolio was one of the most powerful, reliable, and consistent features of full-up Acrobat despite the annoying featuritis imposed with every new release. It was reason enough to argue to have Acrobat licensed for our enterprise.

Report · Oct 15, 2018

Hi OldGuyInTheClub,

Sorry for the inconvenience you getting in Portfolio files.

Could you please tell us, are you getting such issues after October update?

Thanks

Sanchi

Report · Oct 16, 2018

I don't know if/when updates are installed. These are enterprise installations and if updates happen, they are not coordinated with the users.

I don't understand why there is such a variation among different machines running the same Windows OS. Or why a Mac has issues with a demo PDF.

Do you have any comments on my testing, e.g. the demo file from the website? Do you have any information on the services or plugins Acrobat uses to implement search and/or preview? How about why these problems persist whether I use XI Pro or DC Pro to create Portfolios?

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Hi,

I have tested sample-portfolio file shared by you, on Mac we are getting search hits although for some words like 'security' search count is varying. But it could be possible because in case the Portfolio contains non-PDF files, we use OS services to get the word list. For example, for Win 10, OS can give you word list for Word/PowerPoint/Excel files, without the need for any software. However, on Win 7, you’ll need MS Office installed if you need hits from Word/PowerPoint/Excel files. So the search hits will be dependent on the OS environment, including the software installed. That's why such variations have been observed.

I hope you are not getting such issue with every portfolio file.

Thanks

Sanchi

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Sanchi,

All my work machines have fully licensed MS Office suites. I have Office 2011 for Mac on my home machine.

Search works on some machines but Powerpoint preview does not work (Word and Excel will preview). On other machines, I can see Powerpoint, Word, and Excel previews but not search.

I have never had this problem in many years of using Acrobat Pro, going through many versions. Portfolio was rock solid until recently.

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DC Pro Portfolio Search: cross-format still possible?