"Capture current page as PDF" unusable (Dev 2.0pb5)

DEVONthink Tips
1

The “Capture current page as PDF” button generates unusable results by failing to segment longer web pages.

Whereas OS X “Print to PDF” does a good job of segmenting into printable pages, “Capture current page as PDF” is failing to do so in 2.0pb5

Try, for example, with the interesting Devonthink review at:

stevenberlinjohnson.com/mova … 00230.html

You will get a PDF about 5 metres long, which can not be printed or even conveniently viewed on screen …

2

That’s intentional, it’s creating “web pdfs” which preserve exactly the original layout.

3

Well, intentionality is nice. Do “web pdfs” seem useful ?

How about a second button which gives page-segmented pdfs ?
These seem easier to:

  • Print
  • View on screen
  • Navigate and give specific references within …

Alternatively - perhaps an option to select the behaviour (segmenting or “web”) of the PDF button ?

4

There are users who differ with your perspective and wish to capture a Web page in non-paginated PDF.

That’s why providing this capture mode is intentional. And for you, paginated PDFs. :slight_smile:

There are already several ways to capture paginated PDFs.

5

Fair enough :slight_smile:

Note, however, that it was annoying to hit a button simply labelled “PDF” and to unexpectedly generate something unusual and, in fact, unusable (in my not untypical case).

Perhaps a more informative tooltip / label for this slightly specialised button would prove helpful.

Thanks !

6

This script creates a paginated PDF of the frontmost document:


-- Capture paginated PDF
-- Created by Christian Grunenberg on Fri Nov 10 2006.
-- Copyright (c) 2006-2009. All rights reserved.

tell application id "com.devon-technologies.thinkpro2"
	try
		if not (exists think window 1) or not (exists content record of think window 1) then error "No window/document is open."
		set theWindow to think window 1
		set theURL to URL of theWindow
		set theName to name of content record of theWindow
		set thePDF to paginated PDF of theWindow
		set theRecord to create record with {name:theName, type:PDF document, URL:theURL} in current group
		set data of theRecord to thePDF
	on error error_message number error_number
		if the error_number is not -128 then display alert "DEVONthink Pro" message error_message as warning
	end try
end tell
7

Excellent. Useful and instructive.
Many thanks.