Searching in PDF

Use the Automation API to search for text in a PDF document and highlight all matching occurrences from an external interface — enter a search term, set options, and see results highlighted in real time.

info

The document opens as a PDF. Your code calls connector.callCommand() to execute Document Builder API methods that search text on each page and create highlight annotations. The results are displayed in the external panel.

SEARCH IN PDF

Case sensitiveWhole word

Enter a search term and click Search to find and highlight text in the PDF.

How it works

When the user enters a search term and clicks Search, the connector.callCommand() method is used to execute Document Builder API code inside the editor. The code iterates through all pages using GetPagesCount and GetPage, and calls the Search method on each page. Each individual match is highlighted with CreateHighlightAnnot and returned as a separate result:

Asc.scope.searchParams = { text, matchCase, wholeWords };

connector.callCommand(() => {
  const params = Asc.scope.searchParams;
  const doc = Api.GetDocument();
  const pageCount = doc.GetPagesCount();
  const results = [];

  for (let i = 0; i < pageCount; i++) {
    const page = doc.GetPage(i);
    const quads = page.Search({
      text: params.text,
      matchCase: params.matchCase,
      wholeWords: params.wholeWords,
    });

    if (quads && quads.length > 0) {
      for (let q = 0; q < quads.length; q++) {
        const annot = Api.CreateHighlightAnnot([quads[q]]);
        annot.SetAuthorName("__search_demo__");
        annot.SetFillColor(Api.RGB(255, 234, 0));
        page.AddObject(annot);
        results.push({ pageIndex: i, quad: quads[q] });
      }
    }
  }

  return results;
}, (results) => {
  // Display individual results in the external panel
});

Each result is displayed as a clickable item in the external panel. When the user clicks a result or uses the Prev / Next buttons, the SetSelection method is called to navigate to the match location in the PDF:

Asc.scope.navTarget = { pageIndex: result.pageIndex, quad: result.quad };

connector.callCommand(() => {
  const target = Asc.scope.navTarget;
  const doc = Api.GetDocument();
  const page = doc.GetPage(target.pageIndex);
  const q = target.quad;
  page.SetSelection({ x: q[0], y: q[1] }, { x: q[2], y: q[3] });
});

When the user clicks Clear highlights, a second connector.callCommand() iterates all pages, retrieves annotations with GetAllAnnots, and removes the search highlights using the Delete method:

connector.callCommand(() => {
  const doc = Api.GetDocument();
  const pageCount = doc.GetPagesCount();
  for (let i = 0; i < pageCount; i++) {
    const page = doc.GetPage(i);
    const annots = page.GetAllAnnots();
    for (let j = annots.length - 1; j >= 0; j--) {
      if (annots[j].GetAuthorName() === "__search_demo__") {
        annots[j].Delete();
      }
    }
  }
});

note

Please note that the connector is available only for ONLYOFFICE Docs Developer.

The connector is a premium feature available at an extra cost. See ONLYOFFICE Docs Developer for pricing details, or contact our sales team at sales@onlyoffice.com to request a quote.

How it works​

How it works