Structural PDF Document Filing System

[KootK]

Every few months, someone here asks me about my PDF filing system (Link). I've been contemplating posting a cleared out, open source version of the MS Access database here for other people to use or improve. I'm not looking to show off or anything. I've just found my system to be incredibly useful to me and when I think about how I could best make a meaningful contribution around here, that's probably it.

The system allows for:

1) Semi-automated filing.
2) Customizable tagging.
3) Very powerful searching.
4) Push button display of PDF docs.
5) Retrieval independent of doc location.
6) Pseudo integration with cloud storage.
7) I provide limited customization for a few old friends that use it.

The tough part of sharing the database is that there's no user's manual. And I'll never get around to writing one. If I had a critical mass of members here who were committed to giving it a go, I thought that I could just post the file here with some incomplete instructions and, together, we could fill in the blanks via question and answer to turn the thread into a living user's manual of sorts. This would represent a fair bit of work for me, however, so I'd like to get buy in from at least 7-10 members before I embark upon the project. From past discussions, I know that sponton and dcarr are already on board.

As a beta tester, the commitment that I would expect from you would be two fold:

1) You would need access to MS Access 2010 or later.
2) You would need to make an earnest attempt to use the system to organize your PDF library.
3) If you make a nifty improvement of your own, share it with the gang.

If you're interested in collaborating with me on this project, please let me know.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[bootlegend]

How proficient with Access does a user need to be? I'm interested and have been looking for a method of tagging pdf files rather than searching with explorer.

 

[IFRs]

I use a utility called "Everything"
Google Everything.exe
But this looks great!

 

[Trenno]

I did a search for a similar thread like this the other day.

Thank god this popped up again...

 

[Ron]

kootk....nice job. I have a similar database for my library but it isn't nearly as clean as yours. I have not updated mine in two years and it contains only my hardcopy library....no pdfs or other electronic media. I've aquired probably 30 or so volumes since then that are not cataloged. Maintencance is a problem!

 

[KootK]

@IFRs, Trenno, Ron: thanks for the kudos. But does that mean that you're in? I'm still gunning for a head count here.

I have not updated mine in two years and it contains only my hardcopy library

I suppose it's worth mentioning that, while the database only opens PDF files, it catalogs hard copies as well if desired.

How proficient with Access does a user need to be?

In theory, not at all proficient. It's meant to function like a stand alone app. There are three instances where some Access proficiency would be handy:

1) If you want to do your own customization.
2) If you want to use native Access functionality to custom filter etc. Custom buttons and the search field are intended to be the dominant modes of retrieval, however, so this ought not pose much of a problem. If you want to do certain things that you can't, I can probably help with that.
3) It's an amateur app so the debugging is not of, say, Microsoft quality. I don't get any errors any more but, of course, the system was designed around how I like to do things. If you encountered a glitch, you might need some Access proficiency to fix it. Again, I could probably help. And there's very little that Ctrl-Alt-Delete wouldn't rectify.

Given all that, let me now if you're interested.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[bootlegend]

I am interested in giving it a shot. I think it's a great idea.

 

[sandman21]

I would be willing to help out. Been meaning to create a database for PDF's and job.

 

[NOLAENG]

I would be willing to participate.
Right now I have all of my electronic copies broken into a folder system.
For instance, CODES/ASCE/ASCE 7-10 - Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.pdf
It works fine enough but I wouldn't mind trying a database setup.

@KootK - Do you use this to catalog job files also?

 

[iv63]

KootK, I am in.
iv

 

[KootK]

@KootK - Do you use this to catalog job files also?

It's funny how alike we all tend to think when it comes down to it. For several years now, I've desperately wanted to incorporate:

1) Filing of project documents and;
2) Filing of spreadsheets.

Project documents would require no modification at all if those documents were PDF. Right now, the system is hard wired to file and fetch PDF's. It would be a pretty easy thing to change programmatically however. The main reason that I haven't done it is that I was filing articles for three years before I thought of filing projects. I'm kinda committed to a particular structure wrt to tag names etc. I supposed that one could run two copies: one for articles and one for projects.

Spreadsheets are, of course, not PDF's. Again, I'd have to make minor changes to the code so that the system would be able to open spreadsheets on demand.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[XR250]

Damn Kootk! You are truly invested in this profession! I typically just keep all my PDF's in folders and subfolders based on their content. The Spotlight search on my Mac does a fine job of finding them easily. Not nearly as elegant or cool as your system, however.

 

[allgoodnamestaken]

...I need to learn access/sql, I guess. I can't use this (due to restrictive rules as to using downloaded sheets/software/etc) but it looks amazing.

 

[Leftwow]

I'm interested in this, I have access here at work! 8D

 

[KootK]

You are truly invested in this profession!

There came a point where I was unable to retrieve useful information that I knew I had somewhere. It drove me nuts so I came up with this.

I typically just keep all my PDF's in folders and subfolders based on their content.

I started off with with and still have it. It's one of the unique features of the setup. All of your PDF's must be under single root folder but, beyond that, it does not matter what sub folder houses each particular file. It actually required a fair bit of programming trickery to accomplish that. Originally, I was scared that my system would prove unreliable so I wasn't willing to let go of my folder structure.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[Trenno]

Yep. I would be keen to play the game.

Could even have region specific sub folders.

 

[Ron]

kootk...I'm in. I need motivation to bring my stuff up to date. Hired a college student for the summer to catalog my library a couple of years ago, using my database layout. She did a good job and it is searchable by keywords, but not as clean as I would like. hopefully I can export my data to your db. Will try to do so when I get your db file. I used to do dBase III programming for pavement management.....too bad it's not still around.

 

[KootK]

@Ron: good to have you on board. If the data migration gives you trouble, I might be able to help with that.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[theonlynamenottaken]

Hmmm, very impressive Koot.

Have you ever used Copernic and how would you say your database compares? For those of you not in the know Copernic runs background indexes of each and every word in PDF, DOC, XLS, RTF, TXT, CSV, HTML, emails, etc, etc and lets you run custom searches. For instance, you could search for "vortex shedding" and "resonance" and Copernic would tell you which files have those terms in them, the location of each file, the filetypes are categorized (Email, Files, Contacts, History, etc), and there's a preview window that highlights your search terms within the file.

Not to rain on your parade but I'm hesitant to leave a setup that works so well already without any effort on my part. Thoughts?

 

[Ingenuity]

KootK

I would very much like to be included, too.

I created a digital filing system based upon a "personal"
Dewey decimal based system but it is cumbersome and your database looks very slick.

Thanks.