data-id=apple-event-objects-and-apple-events

Apple Event Objects and Apple Events

This chapter describes the supported Apple event objects, with descriptions of each object’s elements and properties, and the supported Apple events.

data-id=objects

Objects

Acrobat presents the following objects to the Apple event interface:

data-id=50532410_25583

data-id=annotation

annotation

An annotation on a page in a PDF file that corresponds to PDAnnot, an internal Acrobat class. This object was formerly known as PDAnnot.

Acrobat also has two built-in annotation objects. For more information, see Link Annotation and Text Annotation.

Plural form

Annotations

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
bounds
a list of small real
The boundary rectangle for the annotation in PDF space (left, top, right, bottom).
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
color
‘RGB’
The color of the border around the annotation.
contents
international text
Text annotations only. The textual contents of the note.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
destination page number
integer
Link annotations only. The page number to appear in the PDF window when the annotation link is activated.
destination rectangle
a list of small real
Link annotations only. The boundary rectangle (specified in user space) for the view of the destination. Coordinates are specified in the following order: left, top, right, bottom.
fit type
constant
Link annotations only. Determines how the destination rectangle is fitted to the window when the link is activated. Values are: Left Top Zoom, Fit Page, Fit Width, Fit Height, Fit Rect, Fit BBox, Fit BB Width, Fit BB Height These are described in the PDF Reference.
index
integer [r/o]
The annotation’s index within the page object.
modification date
date
The date and time the annotation was last modified.
name
string
Text annotations only. The annotation’s label.
open state
Boolean
Text annotations only. Whether the annotation is open.
subtype
international text [r/o]
The subtype of the annotation.
zoom factor
small real
Link annotations only. If fit type is Left Top Zoom, this specifies the zoom factor; otherwise it is ignored. Setting this property automatically sets fit type to Left Top Zoom.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_98408

data-id=application

application

The Acrobat or Acrobat Reader application itself.

Elements

Element
Accessed by
document
name, numeric index
PDF Window
name, numeric index
menu
name, numeric index
menu item
name

Properties

Property
Class
Description
active doc
reference
The active document.
active tool
international text
The type of the currently active tool. See the Acrobat and PDF Library API Reference for a list of tool names.
anti_alias text
Boolean
Determines whether to anti-alias text and monochrome images.
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
case sensitivity
Boolean
Determines whether searches are case- sensitive.
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
default zoom factor
small real
The default zoom factor, in percent, used for displaying new documents. For example, a value of 100 corresponds to a zoom factor of 1.0 (100%).
default zoom type
constant
The default zoom type when opening a new document. Valid values are no vary, fit page, fit width, fit height, and fit visible width.
download entire file
Boolean
Determines whether to download the entire file.
frontmost
Boolean
Determines whether Acrobat is the frontmost application. Value can be set to true only.
fullscreen click advances
Boolean
Determines whether mouse click advances in fullscreen mode.
fullscreen cursor
Boolean
Determines whether to hide the cursor in fullscreen mode.
fullscreen escape
Boolean
Determines whether the Esc key can be used to exit fullscreen mode.
fullscreen loop
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether the document’s pages are displayed in a loop while in fullscreen mode.
fullscreen timer delay
integer
The number of seconds to advance to the next page in fullscreen mode.
fullscreen transition
international text [r/o]
Default fullscreen transition.
highlight color
‘RGB ‘
Color used to highlight selections.
maximum documents
integer [r/o]
Maximum number of open documents.
name
string [r/o]
The application’s name.
note color
‘RGB ‘
A list of three values between 0 and 65535 representing the color of the border around text annotations. For example, the following sets the note color to deep blue:set the note color to {0, 0, 32768}.
note font name
international text
Deprecated.
note font size
integer
Deprecated.
open in place
Boolean
Determines whether to open cross-document links in the same window.
page layout
international text
Default page layout. Values are: Single Page, Continuous, Facing, and Continuous - Facing.
page units
international text
Default page display units: Points, Inches or Millimeters.
PS level
integer
Deprecated. Set the PostScript level when using save or print pages commands.
save as linearize
Boolean
Determines whether to save the document as optimized for the web.
show splash at startup
Boolean
Determines whether the splash screen is shown at startup.
skip warnings
Boolean
Determines whether to skip warning dialog boxes during program execution.
shrink to fit
Boolean
Deprecated.
text note label
international text
The text that will appear in the title bar of all newly created text notes.
toolbar visibility
Boolean
Determines whether the toolbar is visible.
UI language
international text [r/o]
A three-character language code identifying which language is used in the Acrobat user interface. Example: ENU represents English.
use fullscreen timer
Boolean
Determines whether to use a timer to advance pages in fullscreen mode
version
string [r/o]
The version number of the application.
whole word searching
Boolean
Determines whether searches are applied to whole words only.

Related methods

data-id=avpageview

AVPageView

Note

Deprecated. Use PDF Window instead.

data-id=50532410_75140

data-id=bookmark

bookmark

A bookmark on a page in a PDF file. Corresponds to Acrobat’s PDBookmark object.

Note

This object was formerly known as PDBookmark.

Plural form

Bookmarks

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
destination page number
integer
The page number to which the PDF Window goes when the bookmark’s action is performed.
destination rectangle
list of small real
Boundary rectangle (specified in user space) for the view of the destination when the bookmark’s action is performed. Coordinates are specified in the following order: (left, top, right, bottom). * Set this only after setting fit type.
fit type
constant
Controls how the destination rectangle is fitted to the window when the bookmark’s action is performed. Possible values: Left Top Zoom: Sets a specified zoom and a specified location on the page. Fit Page: Sets the zoom factor so that the entire page fits into the window. Fit Width: Sets the zoom factor so that the width of the page fits into the window. Fit Height: Sets the zoom factor so that the height of the page fits into the window. Fit Rect: Sets the zoom factor so that the specified rectangle fits into the window. Fit BBox: Sets the zoom so that the rectangle enclosing all marks on the page (known as the bounding box) fits into the window. Fit BB Width: Sets the zoom factor so that the width of the bounding box fits into the window. Fit BB Height: Sets the zoom factor so that the height of the bounding box fits into the window.
index
integer [r/o]
The bookmark’s index within the document.
name
international text
The bookmark’s title.
zoom factor
small real
The zoom factor used when fit type is Left Top Zoom ; ignored otherwise. Setting this property automatically sets fit type to Left Top Zoom.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_56571

data-id=conversion

conversion

A file type converter that exports PDF files into other formats. Conversions correspond to the list of formats specified in the Acrobat Save As menu. A list of formats can be obtained as follows:

get every conversion

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
index
integer [r/o]
The index number of the converter.
name
international text
The conversion’s description.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_48845

document

Represents a single open document in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

Elements

Element
Accessed by
page
Numeric index. The first page in a document is page 1.
bookmark
Name or numeric index.
PDF Window
An index of 1 or with the some keyword in AppleScript. No document has more than one PDF Window.

Plural form

documents

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
bounds
bounding rectangle [r/o]
The boundary rectangle for the document’s window, in screen coordinates (left, top, right, bottom).
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
file alias
alias [r/o]
An alias for the file to which the document will be saved if no other name is specified; this is usually the same path from which the document was read.
modified
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether the document has been modified and should be saved.
name
international text [r/o]
The document’s name as it appears in the window’s titlebar.
view mode
constant
The viewing mode of the document. Possible values: just pages, pages and thumbs, or pages and bookmarks.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_79350

data-id=eps-conversion

EPS Conversion

A file type converter that exports PDF files into EPS format.

Properties

Inherits from PostScript Conversion.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_90412

data-id=link-annotation

A link annotation on a page in a PDF file. Can only be used as the target of a make event. All other access is via the annotation class.

Note

This object was formerly known as PDLinkAnnot.

Properties

Inherits from annotation.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_45214

data-id=menu

A menu in the Acrobat or Acrobat Reader menu bar.

Elements

Element
Accessed by
menu item
name, numeric index.

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
name
international text [r/o]
The menu’s name (a language-independent name that uniquely identifies the menu). See the Acrobat and PDF Library API Reference for a list of menu names.
title
string [r/o]
The menu’s title as it would appear in the user interface.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_78053

data-id=menu-item

A menu item contained within a menu in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
enabled
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether the menu item is enabled.
has submenu
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether the menu item has a hierarchical sub-menu.
marked
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether the menu item is checked.
name
international text [r/o]
The menu item’s language-independent name. See the Acrobat and PDF Library API Reference for a list of menu item names.
title
string [r/o]
The menu’s title as it would appear in the user interface.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_24065

page

A single page in the PDF representation of a document. Corresponds to Acrobat’s internal PDPage object.

Note

This object was formerly known as PDPage.

Elements

Element
Accessed by
annotation
numeric index.

Plural form

Pages

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
bounds
list of small real
The boundary rectangle for the page in user space (left, top, right, bottom).
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
page number
integer [r/o]
The page’s number. The first page in a document is page 1.
rotation
integer
The rotation angle of the page in degrees (0, 90, 180, or 270).

Related methods

data-id=pdannot

PDAnnot

Note

Deprecated. Use annotation instead.

data-id=pdbookmark

PDBookMark

Note

Deprecated. Use bookmark instead.

data-id=50532410_21206

data-id=pdlinkannot

PDLinkAnnot

Note

Deprecated. Use Link Annotation instead.

data-id=pdpage

PDPage

Note

Deprecated. Use page instead.

data-id=pdtextannot

PDTextAnnot

Note

Deprecated. Use Text Annotation instead.

data-id=50532410_29037

data-id=pdf-window

PDF Window

The area of the Acrobat or Acrobat Reader window that displays the contents of a page within the document. Corresponds to the Acrobat internal AvPageView object. A document that is not visible does not have a PDF Window.

Note

This object was formerly known as AVPageView.

Elements

Element
Accessed by
page
numeric index. The first page in a document is page 1.

Properties

Property
Class
Description
best type
type class [r/o]
The best descriptor type.
bounds
bounding rectangle
The boundary rectangle for the window.
class
type class [r/o]
The class.
default type
type class [r/o]
The default descriptor type.
document
document [r/o]
The document that owns this window.
index
integer
The number of the window.
name
international text [r/o]
The document’s name as shown in the window’s titlebar.
page number
integer
The number of the currently displayed page.
position
point [r/o]
The upper left coordinates of the window.
visible
Boolean [r/o]
Whether the window is visible.
zoomed
Boolean
Whether the window is zoomed.
zoom factor
small real
The current zoom factor specified as a percentage. For example, a value of 100 corresponds to a zoom factor of 1.0 (100%).
zoom type
constant
The zooming and content fitting algorithm currently employed. Possible values: no vary, fit page, fit width, fit height, and fit visible width.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_17521

data-id=postscript-conversion

PostScript Conversion

A file type converter that exports PDF files into PostScript format.

Properties

Inherits other properties from conversion.

Property
Class
Description
annotations
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether to include annotations.
binary
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether the output file should be in binary or ASCII text format.
embedded fonts
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether to include fonts.
halftones
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether to use halftone screens.
images
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether to include RGB and LAB images.
postScript level
integer [r/o]
The PostScript Language level. Only levels 2 and 3 are supported.
preview
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether to include preview in output.
TrueType
Boolean [r/o]
Determines whether to convert TrueType fonts to Type 1.

Related methods

data-id=50532410_22569

data-id=text-annotation

Text Annotation

A PDF text annotation (note) on a page in a PDF file. Can only be used as the target of a make event. All other access is via the annotation class.

Note

This object was formerly known as TextAnnot.

Properties

Inherits from annotation.

Related methods

data-id=required-suite-events

Required suite events

The following events are sent by the Finder to all applications:

Note

Most of these events have counterparts in the Core suite that have greater functionality. The Required suite is not listed in the AppleScript dictionary, even though it is implemented.

Acrobat Reader also supports the Required suite events, but no others.

data-id=50532410_99533

data-id=open

open

Opens a file.

Syntax

open [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
open
The file or files to open.
data-id=50532410_29870

data-id=print

print

Prints one or more files.

Syntax

print
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
print
The file or files to print.
data-id=50532410_37698

data-id=quit

quit

Terminates an application. For information on a variant event in the Core suite that accepts options, see quit.

Syntax

quit

data-id=50532410_40886

data-id=run

run

Launches the application and invokes its standard startup procedures.

Syntax

run

data-id=core-suite-events

Core suite events

Acrobat supports the following subset of the Core suite of Apple events:

data-id=50532410_39856

data-id=close

close

Closes a document.

Syntax

close
 [reference] saving
 [constant] linearize
 [boolean]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
close
The document to close.
saving
Determines whether to save a document that has been modified before quitting. Possible values: yes: Save the document. no: Do not save the document. ask: Ask the user whether to save the document. The default value is ask.
linearize
Determines whether the document should be optimized for the web when saving before closing.

Related events

data-id=50532410_16155

data-id=count

count

Counts the number of instances of a particular class.

Syntax

count
 [type class] of
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
count
The class whose instances are to be counted.
each
The class whose instances are to be counted. This keyword is optional.

Note

There is an alternate form using the keyword each in which the parameters are reversed:

      count
[reference] each
[type class]

Returns

An integer specifying the number of elements.

AppleScript example

count annotation of document "dev_acro.pdf"
count menu item of menu "View"
count document 1 each bookmark

data-id=50532410_41487

data-id=delete

delete

Deletes one or more objects.

Syntax

delete
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
delete
The object to be deleted.

Related events

AppleScript example

delete first bookmark of document "test.pdf"

data-id=50532410_24542

data-id=exists

exists

Tests whether a specified object exists.

Syntax

[reference] exists

exists
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
exists
Object whose existence is checked.

Returns

true if the object exists, false otherwise.

AppleScript example

exists second document

second document exists

data-id=50532410_32661

data-id=get

get

Retrieves the value of an object or property.

Syntax

get [reference] as [class]

Note

The keyword get is optional.

Parameters

Parameter
Description
get
The object or property whose value is returned.
as
The form in which the data is returned.

Returns

The value of the specified property or object. If the specified object does not exist, no result is returned.

Related events

AppleScript example

get the name of last bookmark
get the index of last bookmark as string

data-id=50532410_24328

data-id=make

make

Creates a new object.

Syntax

make
 new [
type class] at
 [location reference] with data
 [anything] with properties
 [record]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
make [new]
The class of the new object.
at
The location at which to insert the new object.
with data
The initial data for the new object.
with properties
The initial values for the properties of the new object.

Returns

A reference to the newly created object.

Related events

AppleScript example

set myAnnotation to make TextAnnotation at beginning
set name of myAnnotation to "Werner Heisenberg"
set contents of myAnnotation to "Might have been here"

data-id=50532410_34612

data-id=move

move

Moves a page object.

Syntax

move
 [reference] to
 [location reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
move
The page object to move. The first page in a document is page 1.
to
The new location for the page.

Returns

A reference to the page that is moved.

AppleScript example

move page 3 to before page 1

data-id=50532410_41641

data-id=open-1

data-id=id1

open

Opens a document or documents.

Syntax

open
 [list of alias] invisible
 [boolean] options
 [string]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
open
The document or documents to open.
invisible
Whether the opened document should be hidden. Default is false.
options
Optional parameter string of open actions.

Related events

data-id=50532410_14269

data-id=quit-1

data-id=id2

quit

Causes the Acrobat application to quit.

Syntax

quit
 saving [constant]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
saving
Determines whether to save documents that have been modified before quitting. Possible values: yes: Save the document. no: Do not save the document. ask: If the documents have been modified, ask the user whether to save them. The default value is ask.

AppleScript example

quit saving yes

data-id=50532410_32794

data-id=save

save

Saves a document.

Syntax

save
 [reference] to
 [file specification] using
 [reference] linearize[
 boolean]

Parameters

save
The document to be saved.
to
The file into which the document is to be saved. This parameter is optional in Acrobat 6.0 and higher. Specifying the to parameter is equivalent to doing a Save As. You can save a document in one of the supported formats with the using parameter.
linearize
Determines whether the document should be optimized for the web.
using
The conversion method used to save the document in the desired format. Supported conversions by name are EPS Conversion and PostScript Conversion. All others can be specified by index using the conversion object.

AppleScript example

save document 1 to file "MyHardDrive:tempBig.ps" using PostScript Conversion with embedded fonts, images, preview, and annotation without binary given postScript level: 1

data-id=50532410_41279

data-id=set

set

Sets an object’s data or properties.

Syntax

set
 [reference] to
 [anything]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
set
The object or property whose value is set.
to
The new value.

Related events

AppleScript example

set the name of first bookmark to "Chapter 1"

data-id=acrobat-application-events

Acrobat application events

This section describes a number of Acrobat API calls for the Apple event interface that are specific to Acrobat applications. The supported events in this suite are:

Apple encourages the use of an application’s signature as the name of its class for application-specific Apple events. The string CARO is the name of the class for Acrobat-specific Apple events:

#define kAEAcrobatViewerClass 'CARO'

AppleScript does not need this information.

data-id=50532410_19936

data-id=bring-to-front

bring to front

Brings the specified document’s window to the front.

Syntax

bring to front
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
bring to front
The document to be displayed as the active document in the front window.

AppleScript example

bring to front document "AppleEvt.pdf"

Apple event ID

kAEBringToFront ('bfrt')

data-id=50532410_33043

data-id=clear-selection

clear selection

Clears the document’s current selection, if any.

Syntax

clear selection
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
clear selection
The document containing the selection to be cleared

Related events

AppleScript example

clear selection document "PLUGINS.PDF"

Apple event ID

kAEClearSelection ('clsl')

data-id=50532410_31136

data-id=close-all-docs

close all docs

Closes all documents.

Syntax

close all docs
 saving
 [constant]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
saving
Determines whether to save modified documents before closing. Possible values: yes: Save the document. no: Do not save the document. ask: If the document has been modified, ask the user whether to save it. The default value is ask.

Related events

AppleScript example

close all docs

Apple event ID

kAECloseAllDocs ('cldc')

data-id=50532410_15865

data-id=create-thumbs

create thumbs

Creates thumbnail images for all pages in the document.

Syntax

create thumbs
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
create thumbs
The document in which thumbnails are created.

Related events

AppleScript example

create thumbs document "roadmap.pdf"

Apple event ID

kAECreateThumbs ('crtb')

data-id=50532410_15460

data-id=delete-pages

delete pages

Deletes the specified pages in the document.

Syntax

delete pages
 [reference] first
 [integer] last [
integer]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
delete pages
The document containing the pages to be deleted.
first
The first page to be deleted. The first page in a document is page 1.
last
The last page to be deleted.

Related events

AppleScript example

delete pages document "AppleEvt.pdf" first 1 last 3

Apple event ID

kAEDeletePages ('dlpg')

Apple event parameters

keyAEFirstPage ('frpg')
keyAELastPage ('lapg'')

data-id=50532410_29225

data-id=delete-thumbs

delete thumbs

Deletes all thumbnails from the document.

Syntax

delete thumbs
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
delete thumbs
The document from which thumbnails are deleted.

Related events

AppleScript example

delete thumbs document "AppleEvt.pdf"

Apple event ID

kAEDeleteThumbs ('dltb')

data-id=50532410_21312

data-id=execute

execute

Executes the specified menu item.

Syntax

execute
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
execute
The menu item to execute. See the Acrobat and PDF Library API Reference for a list of menu item names.

AppleScript example

activate
execute menu item "Open"

Apple event ID

kAEExecute ('exec')

data-id=50532410_15335

data-id=find-next-note

find next note

Finds and selects the next text note in a document.

Syntax

find next note
 [reference] wrap around
 [boolean]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
find next note
The document in which to find the next text note.
wrap around
Determines whether to continue the search at the beginning of a document if a note has not been found after the end of the document is reached. If true, the search wraps around; otherwise it does not. The default value is false.

Returns

The text annotation found.

Related events

AppleScript example

find next note document "dev_acro.pdf"

Apple event ID

kAEFindNextNote ('fnnt')

Apple event parameters

keyAEWrapAround ('wrar')

data-id=50532410_15620

data-id=find-text

find text

Finds text in a document.

Syntax

find text
 [reference] string
 [international text] case sensitive
 [boolean] whole words
 [boolean] wrap around
 [boolean]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
find text
The document to be searched.
string
The string to be found.
case sensitive
Determines whether searching is case-sensitive. The default value is false.
whole words
Determines whether to search only for whole words. The default value is false.
wrap around
Determines whether to continue the search at the beginning of a document if the specified text has not been found after the end of the document is reached. If true, the search wraps around; otherwise it does not. The default value is false.

Related events

AppleScript example

find text document "PLUGINS.PDF" string "Develop" whole words true

Apple event ID

kAEFindText ('ftxt')

Apple event parameters

keyAESearchString ('sstr')
keyAECaseSensitive ('case')
keyAEWholeWordsOnly ('whwd')
keyAEWrapAround ('wrar')

data-id=50532410_19217

data-id=get-info

get info

Gets the value of the specified key in the document’s Info dictionary.

Syntax

get info
 [reference] key
 [international text]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
get info
The document from which to obtain the Info dictionary entry.
key
The case-sensitive Info dictionary key whose value is to be obtained. The predefined keys are: Creator, Producer, CreationDate, Author, Title, Subject, and Keywords. None of these is required in the PDF file.

Returns

A string containing the specified key’s value, or an empty string if the key is not found.

AppleScript example

get info document "PLUGINS.PDF" key "CreationDate"

Apple event ID

kAEGetInfo ('gnfo')

Apple event parameters

keyAEInfoKey ('inky')

data-id=50532410_33904

data-id=go-backward

go backward

Goes to the previous view in the stored view history. Does nothing if the current view is the first view in the history.

Syntax

go backward
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
go backward
A PDF Window object

Related events

AppleScript example

go backward first PDF Window

Apple event ID

kAEGoBack ('gbck')

data-id=50532410_30533

data-id=go-forward

go forward

Goes to the next view in the stored view history. Does nothing if the current view is the last view in the history.

Syntax

go forward
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
go forward
A PDF Window object

Related events

AppleScript example

go forward first PDF Window

Apple event ID

kAEGoForward ('gfwd')

data-id=50532410_16433

data-id=goto

goto

Displays the page that has the specified page number.

Syntax

goto
 [reference] page
 [integer]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
goto
The PDF Window object in which to change the page.
page
The page number of the page to be displayed. The first page in a document is page 1.

Related events

AppleScript example

goto first PDF Window page 2

Apple event ID

kAEGotoPage ('gtpg')

Apple event parameters

keyAEPageNumber ('pg #')

data-id=50532410_24656

data-id=goto-next

goto next

Displays the next page after the one currently displayed in the PDF Window. Does nothing if the current page is the last page in the document.

Syntax

goto next
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
goto next
The PDF Window object in which to change the page.

Related events

AppleScript example

goto next first PDF Window

Apple event ID

kAEGotoNextPage ('nxpg')

data-id=50532410_21200

data-id=goto-previous

goto previous

Displays the previous page before the one currently displayed in the PDF Window. Does nothing if the current page is the first page in the document.

Syntax

goto previous
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
goto previous
The PDF Window object in which to change the page.

Related events

AppleScript example

goto previous first PDF Window

Apple event ID

kAEGotoPrevPage ('pvpg')

data-id=50532410_35783

data-id=insert-pages

insert pages

Inserts one or more pages from one document into another.

Syntax

insert pages
 [reference] after
 [integer] from
 [reference] starting with
 [integer] number of pages
 [integer] insert bookmarks
 [boolean]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
insert pages
The target document in which to insert the page or pages.
after
The number of the page after which the pages will be inserted. The first page in a document is page 1.
from
The source document containing the page or pages to be inserted.
starting with
The first page to be inserted.
number of pages
The number of pages to be inserted.
insert bookmarks
Determines whether to copy bookmarks that point to the inserted pages. Default is true.

Related events

AppleScript example

insert pages document "AppleEvt.pdf" after 2 from document "dev_acro.pdf" starting with 1 number of pages 4

Apple event ID

kAEInsertPages ('inpg')

Apple event parameters

keyAEInsertAfter ('inaf')
keyAESourceDoc ('srdc')
kAESourceStartPage ('stpg')
keyAENumPages ('nmpg')
keyAEInsertBookmarks ('inbm')

data-id=50532410_40528

data-id=is-toolbutton-enabled

is toolbutton enabled

Determines whether the specified toolbar button is enabled.

Syntax

is toolbutton enabled named
 [international text]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
named
Button name. See the PDF Library documentation for a list of toolbar button names.

Returns

true if the toolbar button is enabled, false otherwise.

Related events

AppleScript example

is toolbutton enabled named "AcroSrch:Query"

Apple event ID

kAEIsToolButtonEnabled ('tben')

Apple event parameters

keyAEButtonname ('tbnm')

data-id=50532410_26208

data-id=maximize

maximize

Sets the document’s window size to either its maximum or original size.

Syntax

maximize
 [reference] max size
 [integer]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
maximize
The document whose window is to be resized.
max size
If true, the document’s window is set to full size. If false, the window is returned to its original size.

AppleScript example

maximize document "AppleEvt.pdf" max size false

Apple event ID

kAEMaximize ('maxi')

Apple event parameters

keyAEMaxSize ('mxsz')

data-id=50532410_27016

data-id=perform

perform

Executes a bookmark’s or link annotation’s action.

Syntax

perform
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
object
The bookmark or page object whose action is to be performed.

AppleScript example

perform last bookmark

Apple event ID

kAEPerform ('prfm')

data-id=50532410_40027

data-id=print-pages

Prints one or more pages from a document without displaying a modal Print dialog box.

Syntax

print pages
 [reference] first
 [integer] last
 [integer] PS Level
 [integer] binary output
 [boolean] shrink to fit
 [boolean]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
print pages
The document containing the page or pages to be printed. This keyword and the actual filename must be specified.
first
The first page to be printed. The default value is 1.
last
The last page to print. The default value is the number of the last page in the document.
PS Level
The PostScript language level (1 or 2) to use when printing to a PostScript printer. The default value is 1.
binary output
Determines whether binary output is permitted (used for PostScript printing only). The default value is false.
shrink to fit
Determines whether pages should be shrunk to fit paper in printer. The default value is false.

AppleScript example

print pages document "AppleEvt.pdf" first 1 last 3 PS Level 2 binary output true shrink to fit true

Apple event ID

kAEPrintPages ('prpg')

Apple event parameters

keyAEFirstPage ('frpg')
keyAELastPage ('lapg')
keyAEPSLevel ('pslv')
keyAEBinaryOK ('binO')
keyAEShrinkToFit ('s2ft')

data-id=50532410_32063

data-id=read-page-down

read page down

Scrolls forward through the document by one screen.

Syntax

read page down
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
read page down
The PDF Window object to be scrolled.

Related events

AppleScript example

read page down first PDF Window

Apple event ID

kAEReadPageDown ('pgdn')

data-id=50532410_37225

data-id=read-page-up

read page up

Scrolls backward through the document by one screen.

Syntax

read page up
 [reference]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
read page up
The PDF Window object to be scrolled.

Related events

AppleScript example

read page up first PDFPageWindow

Apple event ID

kAEReadPageUp ('pgup')

data-id=50532410_11291

data-id=remove-toolbutton

remove toolbutton

Removes the specified button from the toolbar.

Syntax

remove toolbutton named
 [international text]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
named
The name of the toolbar button to be removed. See the Acrobat and PDF Library API Reference for a list of toolbar button names.

Related events

AppleScript example

remove toolbutton named "ZoomIn"

Apple event ID

kAERemoveToolButton ('rmtb')

Apple event parameters

keyAEButtonname ('tbnm')

data-id=50532410_27808

data-id=replace-pages

replace pages

Replaces one or more pages in a document with pages from another document.

Syntax

replace pages
 [reference] over
 [integer] from
 [reference] starting with
 [integer] number of pages
 [integer] merge notes
 [boolean]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
replace pages
The target document whose pages are to be replaced.
over
The first page to be replaced. The first page in a document is page 1.
from
The source document from which the replacement page or pages are obtained.
starting with
The first page in the source document to be copied.
number of pages
The number of pages to be replaced.
merge notes
Determines whether to copy notes from the source document. The default value is true.

Related events

AppleScript example

replace pages document "AppleEvt.pdf" over 2 from document "dev_acro.pdf" starting with 1 number of pages 4 merge notes false

Apple event ID

kAEReplacePages ('rppg')

Apple event parameters

keyAEDestStartPage ('dtpg')
keyAESourceDoc ('srdc')
keyAESourceStartPage ('stpg')
keyAENumPages ('nmpg')
keyAEMergeNotes ('mgnt')

data-id=50532410_21493

data-id=scroll

scroll

Scrolls the view of a page by the specified amount.

Syntax

scroll
 [reference] X Amount
 [integer] Y Amount
 [integer]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
scroll
The PDF Window object in which to scroll the view.
X Amount
The amount to scroll in the horizontal direction, in pixels. Positive values move the view to the right.
Y Amount
The amount to scroll in the vertical direction, in pixels. Positive values move the view down.

Related events

AppleScript example

scroll first PDFWindow X Amount 20 Y Amount 100

Apple event ID

kAEScroll ('scrl')

Apple event parameters

keyAEXDelta ('xdlt')
keyAEYDelta ('ydlt')

data-id=50532410_27478

data-id=select-text

select text

Selects text as specified by either character or word offsets.

Syntax

select text
 [reference] from words
 [list of integer] from chars
 [list of integer]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
select text
The PDF Window object in which to select text.
from words
The words to be selected. This consists of one or more pairs of word offsets from the beginning of the document and word lengths (the number of contiguous words).
from chars
Characters to be selected. This consists of one or more pairs of character offsets from the beginning of the document and character lengths (the number of contiguous characters).

Related events

AppleScript example

repeat with i from 1 to 10
       repeat with j from 1 to (10 - i)
       select text from words {i, j}
   end repeat
end repeat

Apple event ID

kAESetTextSelection ('stxs')

Apple event parameters

keyAEWordList ('fmwd')
keyAECharList ('fmch')

data-id=50532410_18444

data-id=set-info

set info

Sets the value of a specified key in the document’s Info dictionary

Syntax

set info
 [reference] key
 [international text] value
 [international text]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
set info
The PDF Window in which to set the value of an Info dictionary entry.
key
The Info dictionary key whose value is to be set.
value
The value to be stored.

AppleScript example

set info document "PlugIns.pdf" key "Author"

value "Wolfgang Pauli"

Apple event ID

kAESetInfo ('snfo')

Apple event parameters

keyAEInfoKey ('inky')
keyAEInfoValue ('invl')

data-id=50532410_35096

data-id=zoom

zoom

Changes the zoom level of the specified PDF Window.

Syntax

zoom
 [reference] to
 [small real]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
zoom
The PDF Window object to be zoomed.
to
The zoom factor specified as a percentage. For example, a value of 100 (100%) displays the document with a magnification of 1.0.

AppleScript example

zoom first PDFWindow to 150

Apple event ID

kAEZoomTo ('zmto')

Apple event parameters

keyAEZoomFactor ('zmft')

data-id=miscellaneous-events

Miscellaneous events

Acrobat provides an Apple event that does not fall into one of the regular suites: do script

data-id=50532410_82140

data-id=do-script

do script

Executes the specified JavaScript script.

Syntax

do script
 [international text] file
 [alias]

Parameters

Parameter
Description
do script
The JavaScript script to be executed.
file
File holding the JavaScript script to be executed.

Returns

Result of JavaScript execution as text.

AppleScript example

do script MyJavaScriptFile.js