Jump to a specific bookmark using JavaScript

Question

Hello,
I am able to successfully jump to a specific bookmark in a PDF document when I run the following code in the Debugging Console:
// Jump to "Monthly Summary"
for (var i=0; i<this.bookmarkRoot.children.length; i++) {
            if (this.bookmarkRoot.children[i].name.indexOf("Monthly Summary")!=-1) {
               this.bookmarkRoot.children[i].execute();
The problem is that I would like to be able to run this code in a folder level JavaScript file ,however, the above code does not work for me.
What must I change to make this code work in an external JavaScript file?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Linda

Answer 1

Since a bookmark only exist as an object in a PDF file how can it work as written as a folder level script without any control. All folder level scripts are run when the Acrobat/Reader application is started and possibly before any PDF file is opened. So your code will run but not find any bookmarks.
Have you tired to run this code when there is no open PDF file?
I get the following error when there is no open PDF:
this.bookmarkRoot is undefined
3:Console:Exec
TypeError: this.bookmarkRoot is undefined
3:Console:Exec
undefined
The "undefined" means there is no bookmarkRoot defined or found. Note bookmarks only exist within a PDF file that have bookmarks.
Next, once you get a PDF open, how are you going to get this code to run for the form when there is no way to identify the block of code to run?
As George has suggested you need to create/define a function and then call that defined function form within the PDF. Once a function is defined, that function can be called by the name of the function as part of the document level function for a PDF form, or as a field or bookmark action.
Since you have decided to place this code in the user's Acrobat JavaScript folder, how are other users going to call this code located on your system. Using your approach will require all users need to install your code on their system. If you were to put the code in the PDF as a document level script, the script it could execute upon opening the PDF. If one put it in as a document level function, then it could be called upon opening the PDF, as a bookmark, as a button, etc.
I would look for a function to open any bookmark in the PDF by bookmark name by searching for the existence of that named bookmark. With this approach, I could use the function in any PDF and execute any possible bookmark as needed.