Sonny Software

When I import a new PDF and then go to view it in the PDF preview window at the bottom, it defaults to viewing the very last page of the PDF. Is there a reason for this? I never want to start reading a PDF from the last page and cannot think of a use case for this default behavior. A previous reference manager I used defaulted to the first page, which is where I always want to start reading a PDF, along with remembering the last page I was viewing it in the preview pain. Is there a way to change this behavior in the preferences that I have overlooked? If not, can this be modified in Bookends itself?

No, Bookends actively defaults to the top of the PDF. I've had occaisional reports of this over the years, but I've never been able to reproduce it. Please try another Mac, if you can, as a diagnostic.

Jon
Sonny Software

I've experienced the same behavior. It happens frequently but inconsistently. I'm using 13.5.5 on two separate Macs, one running macOS 10.14.6, the other running macOS 10.15.7.

can you suggest any specific tests or other diagnostics to try and suss out the nature of this issue?

The funny part is:
- the same pdf files can be displayed both at the beginning and end of the page, depending on the pane it is opened on.

Check this shot.
https://take.ms/VeZ33t



The pdf is opened at page 1 on the right pane, and at page 214 (last page) in the bottom page.

It is just random.
These files consistently open at the first page in the Adobe (and pdfexpert).

For the initial open, Bookends calls for the PDF to open at the top of page 1. If it isn't happening, that's a problem with PDFKit, not Bookends per se, and there's nothing I can do about that.

Once you've scrolled a PDF, Bookends remembers where you were when it was last saved (in Bookends), and scrolls to the same position, or as close to it as PDFKit can.

Jon
Sonny Software

Just chiming in to say I'm getting the exact same behaviour. This is a relatively new (minor) issue that didn't exist before.

If it's a new issue, what might have changed? The code in Bookends hasn't been changed in several years.

Jon
Sonny Software

Big Sur, PDFkit update, both? Very minor issue though. Just saying Dellu is not alone experiencing it.

I realize that, but the vast majority of people (me included) aren't. So whatever is going on is system-dependent, and if someone can figure out what that dependency is due to maybe we can come up with a workaround for those users.

Jon
Sonny Software

Of course. If you can't reproduce it, you can't fix it.

P.S. I don't see a problem with Big Sur (or Mojave), so I don't think this related to the macOS version.

I think I found the source of the issue.

It is using the arrow keys to jump to the next reference that makes the pdf reader jump to the last page.

here is how to reduplicate the issue.

1. open the pdf reader in the lower (bottom pane)
2. Select a reference in the main window
3. Try to jump to the next reference in the main window using the down arrow (🡇) on your keyboard.

Indeed, the selection moves to the next reference. But, it also makes the pdf jump to the last page.
Directly selecting a reference using the mouse-click doesn't make it jump to the end.

The interesting part is the jumping (with the arrow key) happens only for files that have never been opened before.

Here is a screen recording:
https://take.ms/gGzUX

The second interesting fact is: once you use the arrow key and opened it at the end, clicking it again doesn't fix; scrolling or hitting the Home key is necessary to go to the first page.

Good work, Dellu, this finally identifies a problem I can reproduce.

It should be fixed in the next update.

Thanks.

Jon
Sonny Software