Debenu PDF Workshop for Excel

[Blindbo]

I've used this utility (previously PDF Arts Workshop) to read a directory of pdf files, list the path to each file in it, and list the number of pages within each document all in a new excel spreadsheet. We could also batch print these files by highlighting rows and using the 'plug-in' print button.

The software does not work with Excel 2013 and I am hoping to find something that will.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Bob

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Bob, this product sounds interesting...

Does it just automatically pick up that Excel is installed or associated to say .xls or .xlxs files - or is there a place to select a specific .exe in Denubu? If you can, perhaps try using OpenOffice.


Stephen Marsh

 

[Blindbo]

The way it works is as an addin to Excel (appears to work up to 2007). You click the addin and then navigate to the folder a folder of files. It then will create the spread sheet within excel listing (by rows) the complete path to the file under a field titled "Location" and the page count in another field (there is some more metadata it can glean, but I don't use it). You can then manipulate your spreadsheet as normal (I have a number of criteria that I apply to result in a unique sort). Finally, I use the program then to print my files in the sorted order. It just steps down the records and prints the files from a network folder to our printer, using the new sorted list.

Yes, really cool and really easy and not compatible with the new Excel.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Blindbo, as with most development, knowing that it can be done is the first step...then all you need to do is work out how! The product page states that these are macros. So if it was possible to do this in the older versions of Excel, newer versions should be able to do the same too. All you need to do is work out what the differences are.

There are some good ideas here which do part of the job (all of this presumes MS Windows):

How to list files in a directory to worksheet in Excel?

or

http://www.howtogeek.com/98064/how-to-print-or-save-a-directory-listing-to-a-file/

Then it is just a matter of working out how to automate printing from such a list in Excel. Sadly, this method does not return page count or other PDF metadata.

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Have a look at this tool and see if it provides some of the functions that you are looking for, including PDF page count:

http://www.infonautics.ch/directorylistprint/
http://www.infonautics.ch/directorylistprint/dlp-pro-example.htm (PDF metadata does appear to be extracted)

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One can also batch print multiple documents from the installed printer in devices and printers.

Acrobat Pro can also perform batch printing.


Stephen Marsh