pdf "Keywords" = Evernote "Tags"

[JSR 0]

I'm new to Evernote and trying to decide if it will work for me.

If I have existing pdf files with "Keywords" metadata, is there a way to have Evernote generate tags from the keywords? If not, is there additional steps that I could add to my workflow which would accomplish this without retyping all of the keywords as tags?

For what it's worth, I'm using a PC

Thanks!

[gazumped 12,630]

Hi and welcome to the Forums. Sorry, but there's no known existing connection between PDF metadata and the real world - although I'd be inclined to test Evernote with an OCR'd and metadata'd file with a unique word in the metadata. Adobe would have meant metadata to be accessible from 'outside' the main document, so may include it as part of OCR data. If so, Evernote can already index it, and you'll find the test file by it's unique word.

If not it would be necessary to cut and paste words from the metadata into a note, then attach the file. No retyping necessary, and if you have a lot of files you may be able to AHK some of the process.

But I'd suggest a quick cost benefit check - metadata is often a summary of the file's contents meant to aid searches. Evernote will index ALL of the text within a file, so is your journey even really necessary?

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Hmmm... You might be able to utilize something like this...

http://meta-extractor.sourceforge.net/

I've never used it, so can't testify how well it works.

[gazumped 12,630]

Actually now you remind me, there's something that used to be called SciPlore but is now (confusingly) called Docear which is a kind of (free) mind map software that can catalogue PDF files and extract their metadata. Likewise no warranties as to how well it works in your use case, but it's another option.

[JSR 0]

Yes a fully indexed pdf is searchable but I have added metadata that is not necessarily in the pdf text. For example, if I have a receipt that I have scanned in; I may have metadata that says "Tax Deductable" and "2012". When it comes tax time, I can find all 2012 tex deductable receipts within seconds.

Additionally, I can see a situation where doing a simple search that includes the OCR information could give too many results.

How are tags applied in Evernote? I know that EN, advertises that they are exportable and don't keep your information in a proriatary database. In that case, where is a "tag" stored? Is it in a database or is it attached to the pdf as metadata?

I'll look into the suggested software. Thanks ...

[JSR 0]

....Sorry, but there's no known existing connection between PDF metadata and the real world ....

Sorry, maybe my suggestion of a pdf was too specific. I'm also interested in "keywords" metadata in other files as well such as a jpg.

[JSR 0]

I'm not finding a good solution. It looks like evernote is not going to work out for me. Oh well .....

[chrylis 0]

I would strongly encourage Evernote to add this as a feature; as a ScanSnap user, this is the single missing feature that prevents me from being able to scan a document, have it automatically OCR'd and tagged, and routed to the appropriate notebook completely hands-off. It's seemingly straightforward (media-type-specific extractor pulls a list of keywords, Evernote turns into identical tags) and would be useful for nearly everyone.

[PaulvSchaik 5]

I know its and old topic but let me revive it because its super easy for Evernote te implement and unlike Evernote saying it locked away by Adobe, the keywords are out in the open (at least on a Mac with some shell scripting)

create a script that use mdls in shell to get te keyword and make then tag with Applescript.

set vartag do shell script "mdls -name kMDItemKeywords" & foo.pdf 

and then add them to Evernote as tags

tell application "Evernote"create note from file foo.pdf notebook [NOTEBOOKNAME] tags vartagend tell

Build an Applescript on this and make it a folder action, so every pdf that gets thrown into this folder is copied to Evernote with the keywords as tags.

Super easy.