[okular] [Bug 380330] New: Bookmarks disconnected after path change

[Jeff Dooley]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

Bug ID: 380330
Summary: Bookmarks disconnected after path change
Product: okular
Version: 0.25.0
Platform: Other
OS: Linux
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: normal
Priority: NOR
Component: general
Assignee: okular-***@kde.org
Reporter: ***@gmail.com
Target Milestone: ---

Created attachment 105767
--> https://bugs.kde.org/attachment.cgi?id=105767&action=edit
Okular Bookmarks Screenshot

I created a new bug, even though I recognize this bug is tightly linked to Bug
158837.

The reason I'm documenting this as a new bug is because I am _NOT_ highlighting
this as a readability issue from the sidebar. In fact, I don't even use the
sidebar normally, until I started investigating this issue.

From my perspective, following a change to the path (either file name, or a
changed directory), the bookmarks are completely lost (!). Now, I have since
learned that they are not in-fact lost, but instead simply disconnected to my
updated file name.

The issue is not readability. The issue is that I may not want to bother
bookmarking future PDF files in future. File name and path name changes occur
_all the time_. You can't see them all in the attached screenshot, but I have
about 20 bookmarks in that one research paper. I have to re-link them
individually or just re-create them anew, which is probably easier.

This is a major nuisance. Had I not researched this bug, as an ordinary user I
would have not understood why my bookmarks just disappeared from the Bookmarks
menubar for no apparent reason. Since path changes are commonplace in my
typical workflow, it makes me wonder whether okular bookmarks are worth using
at all.

[Nate Graham]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

Nate Graham <***@zoho.com> changed:

What |Removed |Added
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CC| |***@zoho.com

[Nate Graham]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

Nate Graham <***@kde.org> changed:

What |Removed |Added
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Ever confirmed|0 |1
Status|UNCONFIRMED |CONFIRMED

--- Comment #1 from Nate Graham <***@kde.org> ---
Confirming the issue. Okular devs, is there any way we could store this
information inside the PDF file itself, like we do for annotations? Is there a
field we can use?

[Albert Astals Cid]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

Albert Astals Cid <***@kde.org> changed:

What |Removed |Added
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CC| |***@kde.org

--- Comment #2 from Albert Astals Cid <***@kde.org> ---
Let's say you save the bookmarks on a pdf file (which you can not), how do you
pretend to know all the bookmarks you have on your system? You need a file that
points to those files, so you have the same problem.

Basically bookmarks need to point at files. If you move the file the bookmark
will be lost, there's no way around it (well actually if the move was done by a
"KDE App" it could try to update the bookmark files, but if you do a move with
the terminal, there's no way to fix this (unless you add a global file moving
watching daemon))

[Nate Graham]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

--- Comment #3 from Nate Graham <***@kde.org> ---
(In reply to Albert Astals Cid from comment #2)

Post by Albert Astals Cid
Basically bookmarks need to point at files. If you move the file the
bookmark will be lost, there's no way around it (well actually if the move
was done by a "KDE App" it could try to update the bookmark files

That would be a pretty good 90% solution, I think.

Post by Albert Astals Cid
but if you do a move with the terminal, there's no way to fix this
(unless you add a global file moving watching daemon))

Doesn't Baloo already do this? We might be able to leverage it here.

[Albert Astals Cid]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

--- Comment #4 from Albert Astals Cid <***@kde.org> ---
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #3)

Post by Nate Graham
(In reply to Albert Astals Cid from comment #2)

Post by Albert Astals Cid
Basically bookmarks need to point at files. If you move the file the
bookmark will be lost, there's no way around it (well actually if the move
was done by a "KDE App" it could try to update the bookmark files

That would be a pretty good 90% solution, I think.

I'd say your number is too high, but ok :D

Post by Nate Graham

Post by Albert Astals Cid
but if you do a move with the terminal, there's no way to fix this
(unless you add a global file moving watching daemon))

Doesn't Baloo already do this? We might be able to leverage it here.

But not everyone runs baloo (I don't) and also i think you can exclude some
folders from baloo watching so it's not really the panacea either

Anyhow both of those "solutions" is something kind of outside the scope of
okular, so other people's ideas/workforce welcome :)

[Jeff Dooley]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

--- Comment #5 from Jeff Dooley <***@gmail.com> ---
(In reply to Albert Astals Cid from comment #2)

Post by Albert Astals Cid
Let's say you save the bookmarks on a pdf file (which you can not), how do
you pretend to know all the bookmarks you have on your system? You need a
file that points to those files, so you have the same problem.

Bookmarks that are only scoped within a single PDF file (not all files in the
system) would be the only bookmarks I care about. I already know how to find
the files I need, and I have numerous tools available to find files. However,
"bookmarks", like the physical pieces of fabric or paper inside a book, only
help me to find interesting bits of information within a PDF file that I
already have opened. So the metaphor of broken links across the file path/ tree
is pretty much irrelevant, I would say.

[Jeff Dooley]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

--- Comment #6 from Jeff Dooley <***@gmail.com> ---
(In reply to Jeff Dooley from comment #5)

Post by Nate Graham
(In reply to Albert Astals Cid from comment #2)

Post by Albert Astals Cid
Let's say you save the bookmarks on a pdf file (which you can not), how do
you pretend to know all the bookmarks you have on your system? You need a
file that points to those files, so you have the same problem.

Bookmarks that are only scoped within a single PDF file (not all files in
the system) would be the only bookmarks I care about.

Please disregard my comment above. I initially misunderstood the feedback.
However, I still don't understand why file extended attributes could not be
used, which would preserve the linkage to the file despite its movement.

[azzamsa]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=380330

azzamsa <***@gmail.com> changed:

What |Removed |Added
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CC| |***@gmail.com

--- Comment #7 from azzamsa <***@gmail.com> ---
Other pdf reader e.g Foxit. Treat the bookmark like a TOC and save it within
the pdf.

Sometimes it confuse me to differentiate between TOC and bookmark. So my trick
is to use (MY) and the end of my bookmark.

Does okular consider this approach too ?