GcDocs PDF Viewer provides users with the ability to add text annotations and their replies as comments in PDF documents. These comments are very useful to hold some discussion, ask questions or add important information. The Text Annotation Reply tool can be used to add replies to text annotations in comments panel, add sticky notes to the document, view all comments in comments panel, edit or delete comments and assign their review status.

Once a text annotation is added to a document, it can be viewed in the comments panel to add a reply to it as shown below:

Once the comments panel is visible, users can see all the text annotations and their replies. To view the comments panel, choose either of the following:

• Right click on text annotation and select 'Show Comment Panel' from its context menu
• Click on the arrow at the extreme right of Viewer

Besides the comments panel, these replies are also visible below the original text annotation in the PDF document.

Enable Text Annotation Reply Tool

The Text Annotation Reply tool is hidden by default. However, it can be enabled by using addReplyTool method as shown below:

viewer.addReplyTool();

The Text Annotation Reply tool can also be enabled in expanded state which displays the comments panel, by default. The below code can be used for the same:

viewer.addReplyTool("expanded");

Set Author Name for Text Annotations

While replying to a text annotation, the author name is displayed as 'Anonymous' by default. However, the desired author name can be set in following ways:

• Set author name in properties panel of Annotation editor. Once set, it is stored on the client and is used for subsequent replies.
  
  
  
• Set author name directly in Text Annotation Reply tool by clicking on author name's label to enable built-in text editor.
  
  
  
• Set author name using userName option in API as shown below:

  Index.cshtml	Copy Code
  var viewer = new GcPdfViewer("#root", { userName: 'Jaime Smith', supportApi: 'api/pdf-viewer' });

Modify or Delete Text Annotations

A text annotation or reply can be edited by clicking on it in the comments panel as shown below:

A text annotation or reply can be deleted by clicking on Actions | Delete

Add Review Status to Text Annotations

You can also add review status to a text annotation in the comments panel by clicking on Actions | Status:

The status is added as an icon to the comment and displays assignee's name when hovered upon. The review status is also visible in the PDF document below the original comment. A user can assign only 1 status to a text annotation but multiple users can assign status to a text annotation.

You can also assign status for a text annotation programmatically, by setting following properties: 'title' 'state', 'stateModel', 'referenceType', 'referenceAnnotationId'. The below example code shows how to add a reply to text annotation with id '6R' and assign 'Completed' status:

function addCompletedStatus() {
    viewer.findAnnotation("6R").then(function (searchResult) {
        var userName = "Jane Donahue";
        var replyAnnotation = viewer.cloneAnnotation(searchResult[0].annotation);
        replyAnnotation.title = userName;
        replyAnnotation.stateModel = 'Review';
        replyAnnotation.state = 'Completed';
        replyAnnotation.referenceType = 'R';
        replyAnnotation.referenceAnnotationId = '6R';
        replyAnnotation.contents = 'Status Completed set by ' + userName;
        viewer.addAnnotation(0, replyAnnotation);
    });
}

Add Sticky Note

You can also add a sticky note anywhere in the PDF document by using context menu. Once it is added, enter some text and click 'Done' in its built-in text editor to retain the note.

You can also add replies to it, set author name, modify or delete a note and assign its review status in the comments panel.