# Indexing PDF and other binary formats
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [January 16, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279 "2014-01-16T19:42:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@IronMike](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/IronMike)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279/1 "2014-01-16T19:42:05Z")
- Is there any literature on how to index pdf documents and binary formats
like images?
- Versioning question: If I update an already indexed document, I believe
ES will update the version number. I am wondering if it keeps the previous
document, what if I needed access to the previous document?
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### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279/2 "2014-01-16T21:12:47Z")
You can use Tika by yourself (recommended). See how I did it in fsriver project.
You can use mapper attachment plugin which is using Tika behind the scene but gives you less control IMHO.
About versions, elasticsearch does not keep old versions around. If you need that, you have to manage it yourself.
HTH
--
David 😉
Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr / @scrutmydocs
Le 16 janv. 2014 à 20:42, ZenMaster80 [sabdalla80@gmail.com](mailto:sabdalla80@gmail.com) a écrit :
> - Is there any literature on how to index pdf documents and binary formats like images?
> - Versioning question: If I update an already indexed document, I believe ES will update the version number. I am wondering if it keeps the previous document, what if I needed access to the previous document?
> --
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### Author:  [@IronMike](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/IronMike)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279/3 "2014-01-16T21:51:44Z")
Thanks for the reply. the attachment plugin I understand encodes content
before indexing it, this sounds like an expensive operation if we have lots
of pdfs. I was thinking extracting text from pdf early on instead and deal
with text instead.
Does the plugin also work for binaries like images?
On Thursday, January 16, 2014 4:12:47 PM UTC-5, David Pilato wrote:
> You can use Tika by yourself (recommended). See how I did it in fsriver
> project.
> You can use mapper attachment plugin which is using Tika behind the scene
> but gives you less control IMHO.
>
> About versions, elasticsearch does not keep old versions around. If you
> need that, you have to manage it yourself.
>
> HTH
>
> --
> David 😉
> Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr / @scrutmydocs
>
> Le 16 janv. 2014 Ã 20:42, ZenMaster80 \<[sabda...@gmail.com](mailto:sabda...@gmail.com) \\>
> a écrit :
>
> - Is there any literature on how to index pdf documents and binary formats
> like images?
> - Versioning question: If I update an already indexed document, I believe
> ES will update the version number. I am wondering if it keeps the previous
> document, what if I needed access to the previous document?
>
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> .
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### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279/4 "2014-01-16T21:55:11Z")
Yes. Some metadata are extracted with Tika.
As you said, you should do that operation before indexation (means only index what you really need).
--
David 😉
Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr / @scrutmydocs
Le 16 janv. 2014 à 22:51, ZenMaster80 [sabdalla80@gmail.com](mailto:sabdalla80@gmail.com) a écrit :
> Thanks for the reply. the attachment plugin I understand encodes content before indexing it, this sounds like an expensive operation if we have lots of pdfs. I was thinking extracting text from pdf early on instead and deal with text instead.
> Does the plugin also work for binaries like images?
>
> On Thursday, January 16, 2014 4:12:47 PM UTC-5, David Pilato wrote:
>
> > You can use Tika by yourself (recommended). See how I did it in fsriver project.
> > You can use mapper attachment plugin which is using Tika behind the scene but gives you less control IMHO.
> >
> > About versions, elasticsearch does not keep old versions around. If you need that, you have to manage it yourself.
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > --
> > David 😉
> > Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr / @scrutmydocs
> >
> > Le 16 janv. 2014 à 20:42, ZenMaster80 [sabda...@gmail.com](mailto:sabda...@gmail.com) a écrit :
> >
> > > - Is there any literature on how to index pdf documents and binary formats like images?
> > > - Versioning question: If I update an already indexed document, I believe ES will update the version number. I am wondering if it keeps the previous document, what if I needed access to the previous document?
> > > --
> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group.
> > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearc...@googlegroups.com).
> > > To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/a9e8f331-c4bd-4a4c-be5a-b91e4f2f0e26%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/a9e8f331-c4bd-4a4c-be5a-b91e4f2f0e26%40googlegroups.com).
> > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out).
>
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/indexing-pdf-and-other-binary-formats/15279/5 "2017-07-06T01:56:18Z")