Paragraphs in PDF files are split into multiple short lines instead of displaying as a single paragraph

[amirsol81]

In PDF files, Paperback displays paragraphs as several short and separate lines instead of one continuous paragraph. This issue also happens in other readers like QRead and Bookworm, but it would be great if Paperback could handle it better.
Because of this, moving up or down by paragraph requires pressing Ctrl+Up or Ctrl+Down multiple times, as if one real paragraph in PDF files were broken into several smaller ones.
Would it be possible for Paperback to detect and display PDF paragraphs as a single continuous paragraph, rather than as multiple short lines? Although this issue appears in almost all PDF files, I’ve attached one sample book that clearly shows the problem.

The CBT Workbook for Illness Anxiety (Book, Worden and Kaplan, 2025).zip

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth Quite incidentally, today a friend of mine was complaining about Paperback's inability to move by paragraph with Control+Up and Control+Down. He meant these key strokes move by line not paragraph. But I checked his files and noticed that he's talking about PDF files and this very same issue I've reported. I know this is most probably generated by our PDF parser, but any chance of removing broken lines inside paragraphs in PDF files so that paragraph navigation in PDF files can work like paragraph navigation in Epub or HTML books?

[trypsynth]

I plan to do a bunch of work surrounding the PDF parser's accuracy in 0.7

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth Thanks! Looking forward to the fixes.

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth I know this is coming in 0.7, but in case it might help, it's worth noting that Bookworm, with its Default reading mode, handles PDF files properly and doesn't split paragraphs into short lines. It offers 3 reading modes for PDF files: Default reading mode, Reading order, and Physical layout.

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth Though this happens with every PDF file I try, I can provide PDF samples if needed to demonstrate how paragraphs get split into multiple short lines.

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth I know you have a multitude of Paperback-related and non-related tasks on your plate, but any chance of fixing this for 0.7? It badly affects paragraph navigation in PDF files. I know how tough this format is, though. I just wannt to do my PDF-oriented reading in Paperback and switch from Bookworm for this task.

[trypsynth]

I'd like to do this for 0.70., yeah. I just despise PDF and have a lot on my plate, but it's planned.

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth Thanks! And don't worry, the hatred of PDF is universal!

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth I'm sure you've noticed this yourself, but with PDF files the way paragraphs break in Paperback causes Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down to stop functioning as paragraph navigation key strokes. Each press of Ctrl+Up or Ctrl+Down moves the cursor only by a single short line instead of an entire paragraph, unlike what happens in Epub books.
As a result, these shortcuts behave the same as the regular Up and Down keys — and the larger the paragraph, the more broken lines it generates in Paperback, making navigation even less practical.

[trypsynth]

@trypsynth I'm sure you've noticed this yourself, but with PDF files the way paragraphs break in Paperback causes Ctrl+Up and Ctrl+Down to stop functioning as paragraph navigation key strokes. Each press of Ctrl+Up or Ctrl+Down moves the cursor only by a single short line instead of an entire paragraph, unlike what happens in Epub books.
As a result, these shortcuts behave the same as the regular Up and Down keys — and the larger the paragraph, the more broken lines it generates in Paperback, making navigation even less practical.

You already told me this, here, so yep I'm aware. I want to get this fixed:

@trypsynth Quite incidentally, today a friend of mine was complaining about Paperback's inability to move by paragraph with Control+Up and Control+Down. He meant these key strokes move by line not paragraph. But I checked his files and noticed that he's talking about PDF files and this very same issue I've reported. I know this is most probably generated by our PDF parser, but any chance of removing broken lines inside paragraphs in PDF files so that paragraph navigation in PDF files can work like paragraph navigation in Epub or HTML books?

[amirsol81]

@trypsynth Thanks again. Having reread the issue, I thought maybe I've not been clear enough. It seems that the explanation wasn't vague.

[trypsynth]

@amirsol81 does this bug still happen with the latest development build? I assume it does, but I've completely switched pdf libraries now, so if you could please resend a few documents that do it, that would be great.