How to display PDF and HTML titles in search results

Article: dts0141

HTML and PDF files have a "Title" attribute that usually has a user-friendly name for the document. For example, usrsmnl.pdf might have a title "User's Manual".

dtSearch includes options to specify whether you want the HTML and PDF Title or the filename to appear in search results. To change this option in dtSearch Desktop, click Options > Preferences > Search Results, and check the box to "Display the PDF Title as the filename for PDF files" or "Display the HTML <TITLE> as the filename for HTML files." After changing the setting, the change will take effect immediately (you do not need to rebuild your indexes).

To change this option in dtSearch Web, use the Search Results tab in the Form Builder dialog box.

Additional Information

For each document, dtSearch can show both a filename and a "title" in search results. For most files, the dtSearch "title" is the first 80 characters of text. For PDF and HTML files, the "title" is the PDF or HTML title unless that title is being displayed as the filename. If the title is being displayed as the filename, then the dtSearch title is the first 80 characters. The following example summarizes this.

Example file:

Filename	sample.html
Title	A Sample File
First 80 characters	A Sample File demonstrating how the title options work

With the option to use the title as the filename ON, dtSearch will display the following in search results:

Filename	A Sample File
Title	A Sample File demonstrating how the title options work

With the option OFF, dtSearch will display the following in search results:

>

Filename

sample.html

Title

A Sample File