Named destination in PDF on Linux

How to create named destination in LibreOffice and hyperlink to a spcific point in the PDF using those naed destinations

You can link to a portion of a PDF just like you link to a portion of the webiste using anchor tags. In PDFs, the term named destinations is used for such anchor tags.

Renaming bookmarks

The document usually has automatically generated bookmarks. Their names are usually obnoxious though, like_ Toc527397839. You can rename them for better usability.

You have to do this in the doc file before exporting it as PDF

• In LibreOffice, open the Navigator View > Navigator (F5).
• Expand the Bookmarks list.
• Double click on a bookmark to go to that point.
• Right click on a bookamrk and Bookmark > Rename to rename the bookmark

Creating named detinations based on the bookmarks

• Export the file with the named destinations option File > Export As > Export as PDF. In PDF Options > Links > General - Export bookmarks as named destinations

Getting a list of all destinations in a PDF

See which detinations are available with pdfinfo -dests file.pdf

1pdfinfo -dests Downloads/Internetism-181012.pdf 

Page  Destination                 Name
   8 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397838"
  11 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397839"
  18 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397840"
  28 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397841"
  29 [ XYZ   36  251 null      ] "5FToc527397842"
  31 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397843"
  32 [ XYZ   36  515 null      ] "5FToc527397844"
  40 [ XYZ   36  490 null      ] "5FToc527397845"
  43 [ XYZ   36  452 null      ] "5FToc527397846"
  57 [ XYZ   36  427 null      ] "5FToc527397847"
  64 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397848"
  71 [ XYZ   36  496 null      ] "5FToc527397849"
  75 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397850"
  79 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397851"
  85 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397852"
  85 [ XYZ   36  310 null      ] "5FToc527397853"
  86 [ XYZ   36  138 null      ] "5FToc527397854"
  88 [ XYZ   36  440 null      ] "5FToc527397855"
  89 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397856"
  92 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397857"
  92 [ XYZ   36  273 null      ] "5FToc527397858"
  96 [ XYZ   36  226 null      ] "5FToc527397859"
  99 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397860"
 100 [ XYZ   36  239 null      ] "5FToc527397861"
 102 [ XYZ   36  502 null      ] "5FToc527397862"
 102 [ XYZ   36  139 null      ] "5FToc527397863"
 105 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397864"
 107 [ XYZ   36  502 null      ] "5FToc527397865"
 107 [ XYZ   36  189 null      ] "5FToc527397866"
 113 [ XYZ   36  538 null      ] "5FToc527397867"
 125 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397868"
 126 [ XYZ   36  319 null      ] "5FToc527397869"
 127 [ XYZ   86  366 null      ] "table"
 129 [ XYZ   36  176 null      ] "5FToc527397870"
 132 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397871"
 133 [ XYZ   36  389 null      ] "5FToc527397872"
 135 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397873"
 138 [ XYZ   36  452 null      ] "5FToc527397874"
 149 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397875"
 152 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397876"
 154 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397877"
 156 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397878"
 159 [ XYZ   36  490 null      ] "5FToc527397879"
 160 [ XYZ   36  465 null      ] "5FToc527397880"
 162 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5FToc527397881"
 162 [ XYZ   36  260 null      ] "5FToc527397882"
 163 [ XYZ   36  364 null      ] "5FToc527397883"
 163 [ XYZ   36  126 null      ] "5FToc527397884"
 164 [ XYZ  195  378 null      ] "5FGoBack"
 165 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397885"
 165 [ XYZ   36  463 null      ] "5FToc527397886"
 165 [ XYZ   36  237 null      ] "5FToc527397887"
 166 [ XYZ   36  501 null      ] "5FToc527397888"
 168 [ XYZ   50  522 null      ] "5FToc527397889"

After renaming 18 chpaters

Page  Destination                 Name
   8 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter1"
  11 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter2"
  18 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter3"
  28 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter4"
  29 [ XYZ   36  251 null      ] "5FToc527397842"
  31 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter5"
  32 [ XYZ   36  515 null      ] "5FToc527397844"
  40 [ XYZ   36  490 null      ] "5FToc527397845"
  43 [ XYZ   36  452 null      ] "5FToc527397846"
  57 [ XYZ   36  427 null      ] "5FToc527397847"
  64 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter6"
  71 [ XYZ   36  496 null      ] "5Fchapter7"
  75 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter8"
  79 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter9"
  85 [ XYZ   36  310 null      ] "5FToc527397853"
  85 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter10"
  86 [ XYZ   36  138 null      ] "5FToc527397854"
  88 [ XYZ   36  440 null      ] "5FToc527397855"
  89 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397856"
  92 [ XYZ   36  273 null      ] "5FToc527397858"
  92 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter11"
  96 [ XYZ   36  226 null      ] "5FToc527397859"
  99 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397860"
 100 [ XYZ   36  239 null      ] "5FToc527397861"
 102 [ XYZ   36  502 null      ] "5FToc527397862"
 102 [ XYZ   36  139 null      ] "5FToc527397863"
 105 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397864"
 107 [ XYZ   36  502 null      ] "5FToc527397865"
 107 [ XYZ   36  189 null      ] "5FToc527397866"
 113 [ XYZ   36  538 null      ] "5Fchapter12"
 125 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter13"
 126 [ XYZ   36  319 null      ] "5FToc527397869"
 127 [ XYZ   86  366 null      ] "table"
 129 [ XYZ   36  176 null      ] "5FToc527397870"
 132 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397871"
 133 [ XYZ   36  389 null      ] "5FToc527397872"
 135 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397873"
 138 [ XYZ   36  452 null      ] "5FToc527397874"
 149 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397875"
 152 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter14"
 154 [ XYZ   36  540 null      ] "5FToc527397877"
 156 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter15"
 159 [ XYZ   36  490 null      ] "5FToc527397879"
 160 [ XYZ   36  465 null      ] "5FToc527397880"
 162 [ XYZ   36  260 null      ] "5FToc527397882"
 162 [ XYZ   36  522 null      ] "5Fchapter16"
 163 [ XYZ   36  364 null      ] "5FToc527397883"
 163 [ XYZ   36  126 null      ] "5FToc527397884"
 164 [ XYZ  195  378 null      ] "5FGoBack"
 165 [ XYZ   36  576 null      ] "5FToc527397885"
 165 [ XYZ   36  463 null      ] "5FToc527397886"
 165 [ XYZ   36  237 null      ] "5FToc527397887"
 166 [ XYZ   36  501 null      ] "5Fchapter17"
 168 [ XYZ   50  522 null      ] "5Fchapter18"

Linking to the named destinations from a webpage

Create a hyperlink using the destination in the format #NAME

1<a href="file.pdf/#5Fchapter14">Chapter 14</a>

Links

• Acrobat: Create a URL to open a PDF file at a specific page