Incorrect page navigation when PDF contains non-numeric or empty page labels
Hi everyone,
I’ve run into an issue with Zotero’s PDF reader related to **PDF page labels that are not successive**, and I’d like to check whether this is a known limitation or a bug.
### Problem description
I’m working with a PDF that uses standard PDF Page Labels. The page labels are *mostly numeric*, but there are **gaps in the labeling**: some pages in between labeled pages intentionally have **no page label** (for example, image pages which are not labelled in the scanned book either).
In other words, the structure looks like this:
- Page labels exist and are numeric
- Some physical pages *between* these labeled pages have **no page label**
- The numeric sequence then continues later
This setup is valid according to the PDF specification.
### What happens in Zotero
When opening the PDF in Zotero’s built-in PDF reader and using “Go to page”:
- Entering a page label that exists in the document (e.g. `100`) jumps to the **wrong physical page** (e. g. page with label 90 because of 10 unlabeled images)
- The offset corresponds to the number of unlabeled pages earlier in the document
- Zotero appears to treat pages without labels as if they shift the numbering, rather than skipping them
I tested assigning explicit dummy labels (e.g. `NOLABEL1`, Roman numerals, etc.) to the unlabeled pages, but Zotero still shows the same behavior.
### Expected behavior
Zotero should navigate to the page whose **page label matches the entered value**, even if there are unlabeled pages between labeled ones.
### Comparison with other PDF viewers
The same PDF behaves correctly in:
- Firefox PDF Viewer
- Okular
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
In all of these viewers, entering the page label jumps to the correct page, even when page labels are non-successive.
### Environment
- Zotero version: **Zotero 115.14.0esr**
- OS: Garuda Arch Linux
Has anyone else encountered this behavior, or can confirm whether Zotero intentionally ignores gaps in page labels?
Thanks!
I’ve run into an issue with Zotero’s PDF reader related to **PDF page labels that are not successive**, and I’d like to check whether this is a known limitation or a bug.
### Problem description
I’m working with a PDF that uses standard PDF Page Labels. The page labels are *mostly numeric*, but there are **gaps in the labeling**: some pages in between labeled pages intentionally have **no page label** (for example, image pages which are not labelled in the scanned book either).
In other words, the structure looks like this:
- Page labels exist and are numeric
- Some physical pages *between* these labeled pages have **no page label**
- The numeric sequence then continues later
This setup is valid according to the PDF specification.
### What happens in Zotero
When opening the PDF in Zotero’s built-in PDF reader and using “Go to page”:
- Entering a page label that exists in the document (e.g. `100`) jumps to the **wrong physical page** (e. g. page with label 90 because of 10 unlabeled images)
- The offset corresponds to the number of unlabeled pages earlier in the document
- Zotero appears to treat pages without labels as if they shift the numbering, rather than skipping them
I tested assigning explicit dummy labels (e.g. `NOLABEL1`, Roman numerals, etc.) to the unlabeled pages, but Zotero still shows the same behavior.
### Expected behavior
Zotero should navigate to the page whose **page label matches the entered value**, even if there are unlabeled pages between labeled ones.
### Comparison with other PDF viewers
The same PDF behaves correctly in:
- Firefox PDF Viewer
- Okular
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
In all of these viewers, entering the page label jumps to the correct page, even when page labels are non-successive.
### Environment
- Zotero version: **Zotero 115.14.0esr**
- OS: Garuda Arch Linux
Has anyone else encountered this behavior, or can confirm whether Zotero intentionally ignores gaps in page labels?
Thanks!
-
martynas_b Zotero TeamCould you send an example PDF file to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread?
-
vitus_schäfftleinThanks for you reply! The mail is out, including the example PDF. If I could be of any more help, please feel free to contact me!
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