Add PDF creation and modification date to metadata?

DEVONthink Feedback
1

Currently, only some PDF metadata are copied to DT metadata on import (author, title, subject, URL and keywords). Other, lie creation and modification date, are ignored – although they’re available in the PDF, DT does not show them anywhere (see this sample PDF https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.CSWP.04162018).

Creation and modification date are standard PDF metadata (cf PDF - Wikipedia). I’d suggest adding them to the set of metadata visible in DT.

The creation date of a PDF is not the same as the creation date in DT (the latter reflecting the moment the file was added to DT). Some people (notably @jliebster, for example here Proper time format for creation date and modified date?) need the PDF creation date. While it is possible to get it with Apple/JavaScript-ObjC (and which is a PITA), it would be a lot easier if DT simply copied the date into its metadata section.

If there’s a naming clash between DT’s and the PDF’s creation date, the PDF one could be called PDFcreation date or so. The first request of this kind actually dates back to 2015 :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes
2

And the one by @jliebster is the second :slight_smile: Noted but no promises.

BTW: In case of the sample PDF the date retrieved from the document could also be used, e.g. via a smart rule or batch processing action Change Creation Date to Document Date.

3

A smart rule like this would be very handy. Frequently I’ve needed to move PDFs around for various reasons, and they all end up getting the same file creation date unrelated to their actual creation date.

4

Moving a PDF around… how?