I need to search within pdf files in folders on my Mac for a keyword and see the results with the keyword in CONTEXT. Then I can decide whether to open the file and explore further. Examples of a keyword shown in CONTEXT are show in all Browser search results and Adobe/Preview's "Find" results within individual documents. I am surprised by the absence of apps to accomplish this across a drive.
Thanks for the prompt feedback. A reply from Tidbit's Adam Engst suggested Mac app HoudahSpot (uses Spotlight's index) and it's GREAT solution! Although I cannot preview all in-context texts simultaneously for relevant documents, as a browser does, it is quick enough that I can scroll through them and evaluate on-the-fly.
Thanks for the prompt feedback. A reply from Tidbit's Adam Engst suggested Mac app HoudahSpot (uses Spotlight's index) and it's GREAT solution! Although I cannot preview all in-context texts simultaneously for relevant documents, as a browser does, it is quick enough that I can scroll through them and evaluate on-the-fly.
The reason that Apple's Preview and Adobe Reader can find particular keywords, or search terms in a PDF is because they are using their own respective PDF library to issue searches within the compressed, binary, internally unordered PDF content.
Programming an application to do the first paragraph is complicated (and expensive) work, with little to no income potential for third-parties that would otherwise offer this application functionality. This might be somewhat simpler if a PDF were internally organized like a word processing document, but they are not.
See keyword in CONTEXT of file search results?
