You can control SumatraPDF with DDE commands.

They are mostly used to use SumatraPDF as a preview tool from e.g. LaTeX editors that generate PDF files.

Format of DDE comands

Single DDE command: [Command(parameter1, parameter2, ..., )]

Multiple DDE commands: [Command1(parameter1, parameter2, ..., )][Command2(...)][...]

List of DDE commands:

Named commands

Since 3.5 (currently in pre-release) you can send all named commands.

• format [<command_id>] e.g. [CmdClose]

Open file

• format: [Open("<pdffilepath>"[,<newwindow>,<focus>,<forcerefresh>])]
• arguments:
  • if newwindow is 1 then a new window is created even if the file is already open
  • if focus is 1 then the focus is set to the window
  • if forcerefresh is 1 the command forces the refresh of the file window if already open (useful for files opened over network that don't get file-change notifications)".
• example: [Open("c:\\file.pdf", 1, 1, 0)]

Forward-search

• format: [ForwardSearch(["<pdffilepath>",]"<sourcefilepath>",<line>,<column>[,<newwindow>,<setfocus>])]
• arguments:
  • pdffilepath : path to the PDF document (if this path is omitted and the document isn't already open, SumatraPDF won't open it for you)
  • column : this parameter is for future use (just always pass 0)
  • newwindow : 1 to open the document in a new window (even if the file is already opened)
  • focus : 1 to set focus to SumatraPDF's window.
• examples
  • [ForwardSearch("c:\\file.pdf","c:\\folder\\source.tex",298,0)]
  • [ForwardSearch("c:\\folder\\source.tex",298,0,0,1)]

Jump to named destination command