PDF Archiver - macOS & iOS Document Archiving Tool

Overview

PDF Archiver is an open-source, cross-platform document archiving and management tool designed specifically for efficiently organizing, tagging, and searching PDF documents. It leverages a clean tagging system and intelligent file naming conventions to help users easily build a clear, cross-platform accessible personal digital archive.

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🔧 Features

1. Cross-Platform Support

• Supports macOS and iOS, enabling seamless use on Mac computers and iPhone/iPad devices.
• Automatically syncs archived files via iCloud for instant document access across multiple devices.

2. Smart Tagging System

• Use custom tags to categorize documents (e.g., __bill, __work, __travel).
• Tags are automatically normalized: removes uppercase letters, spaces, and special characters (e.g., ä, ö, ü, ß) to ensure file system compatibility.

3. Automated File Naming & Archiving

• Automatically renames files using the format: yyyy-mm-dd--description__tag1_tag2.pdf.
• Creates archive folders by year, storing documents in year-based directories.
• Automatically moves documents from the “Unsorted” folder to the “Archive” folder, streamlining the workflow.

4. Fast Scanning & Import

• Supports direct scanning of paper documents via the iOS version of PDF Archiver to generate PDFs.
• Enables quick import of existing PDFs for batch processing.

5. Efficient Search & Access

• Enables system-level fast search using tags and descriptions in file names.
• Archive structure is simple and clear, compatible with any operating system or file system.

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✅ Core Advantages

📁 Structured Archiving System

• Archive folders are organized by year, with filenames including date, description, and tags for immediate clarity.
• Example archive structure:

  Archive/
  ├── 2017/
  │   ├── 2017-05-12--apple-macbook__apple_bill.pdf
  │   └── 2017-01-02--this-is-a-document__bill_vacation.pdf
  └── 2018/
      ├── 2018-04-30--this-might-be-important__work_travel.pdf
      └── 2018-12-01--master-thesis__finally_longterm_university.pdf
  

🚀 Minimalist Workflow

• Three steps to archive:
  1. Scan or import documents using the iOS app.
  2. Add tags on macOS or iOS.
  3. Automatically archived — no further action required.

🔍 Powerful Search Capabilities

• Quickly locate documents by tags (e.g., searching _bill finds all bills).
• Implemented purely via file system — no dedicated database needed, ensuring high compatibility.

☁️ Cloud Sync & Backup

• Supports iCloud sync for access to archived documents on all Apple devices.
• Easily backup to external drives or other cloud storage services.

🆓 Open Source & Free

• Fully open-source (available on GitHub), allowing free viewing, modification, and distribution of code.
• No subscription fees or in-app purchases — ideal for long-term document management.

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🛠️ Usage Example

Component	Example
Date	2023-10-05
Description	--ikea-tradfri-gateway
Tags	__bill_ikea_iot
Final Filename	2023-10-05--ikea-tradfri-gateway__bill_ikea_iot.pdf

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📥 Installation & Access

Official Channels:

• iOS beta version available via TestFlight.
• macOS version available via source code compilation or pre-compiled binaries.

System Requirements:

• macOS: Latest version (recommended macOS 14 or higher)
• iOS: iOS 17 or higher

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📄 Open Source License

• The project is released under the MIT License, allowing personal and commercial use.

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🎯 Target Users

• Users who frequently handle paper documents and seek paperless office solutions.
• Individuals or families needing long-term archiving of bills, contracts, certificates, and other important documents.
• Users looking for lightweight, efficient, and locally-hosted document management solutions.

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Summary: PDF Archiver provides a simple, well-structured, and highly cross-platform document management system with minimal overhead. Whether scanning receipts, archiving work files, or organizing family documents, it helps you achieve a paperless, easily searchable archive with ease.