PDF.js: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|PDF viewer in JavaScript included in Mozilla Firefox}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox software

| name = PDF.js

| logo = Pdf-js logo.svg

| screenshot = PDF js Screenshot =in Firefox 19.0b4.PDF Viewer.ru.tolstoy nazb.clearlooksclassic100.png

| caption = PDF.js in Firefox 100, with a table of contents displayed on the = The PDF Viewer in Firefox 19.0b4sidebar

| collapsible =

| author = [[Andreas Gal]]

| developer = [[Mozilla]]

| released = {{Start date|2011|07|02|df=yes}}<ref name="PDF.js repo">{{cite web |title = Releases · mozilla/pdf.js |url = https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/releases |access-date = 12 March 2021 |website = [[GitHub]]}}</ref>

| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|edit|reference|P348}}

| title = Releases · mozilla/pdf.js

| latest release date = {{Startstart date and age|df=yes{{wikidata|2020qualifier|06mdy|01P348|P577}}}}<ref name="PDF.js repo" />

| url = https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/releases

| programming language = [[JavaScript]], [[CSS]], [[HTML]]

| website = [[GitHub]]}}</ref>

| size = 3.94 MB<ref name="PDF.js repo" />

| latest release version = 2.5.207

| platform = [[JavaScript engine]], [[web browser]]

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2020|06|01}}<ref name="PDF.js repo" />

| genre = [[PDF viewer]]

| programming language = [[JavaScript]], [[CSS]], [[HTML]]

| license = [[Apache License]] 2.0<ref>{{cite web |url = https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/blob/master/LICENSE |title = pdf.js/LICENSE at master · mozilla/pdf.js |website = [[GitHub]]|date = 17 February 2022 }}</ref>

| size = 3.94 MB<ref name="PDF.js repo" />

| url website = {{URL|https://mozilla.github.com/mozillaio/pdf.js/releases}}

| platform = [[JavaScript engine]], [[web browser]]

| genre = [[PDF viewer]]

| license = [[Apache License]] 2.0<ref>{{cite web

| url = https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/blob/master/LICENSE

| title = pdf.js/LICENSE at master · mozilla/pdf.js

| website = [[GitHub]]}}</ref>

| website = {{URL|https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/}}

}}

'''PDF.js''' or '''pdf.js''' is a [[JavaScript library]] that renders [[Portable Document Format]] (PDF) files using the [[web standard]]s-compliancecompliant [[HTML5 Canvas]]. The project is led by the [[Mozilla FoundationCorporation]] after [[Andreas Gal]] launched it (initially as an experiment) in 2011.

== History and Applicationapplication ==

PDF.js canwas work as a part of a website or of a browser. Originallyoriginally created as aan [[FirefoxBrowser extension|extension]], for [[Firefox]]<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title = PDF Viewer(discontinued) |url = https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pdfjs/|website = addons.mozilla.org |access-date = 2015-12-02 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151205121858/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pdfjs/|archive-date = 5 December 2015}}</ref> itand is now included in [[Mozilla Firefox]] since 2012 (version 15),<ref>{{cite web |title=PDF.JS and Download Manager Panel Pushed to Firefox 15 |first=Lucian |last=Parfeni |url=https://news.softpedia.com/news/PDF-JS-and-Download-Manager-Panel-Pushed-to-Firefox-15-267154.shtml |website=[[Softpedia]] |publisher=SoftNews |date=2012-04-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Вышла новая версия браузера Firefox 15 | first = Anton | last = Blagoveschenskiy | url = https://www.rg.ru/2012/08/29/firefox-site-anons.html | newspaper = [[Rossiyskaya Gazeta]] | date = 2012-08-29 | access-date = 2012-09-09 | language = ru |trans-title = New version 15 of the Firefox browser released }}</ref> and is enabled by default since 2013 (version 19).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=773397|title=Bug 773397 – Disable pdf.js prior to FF15 beta 5|website=bugzilla.mozilla.org}}</ref><ref name="Firefox Notes - Desktop">{{cite web|title=Firefox 19.0 Release Notes|url=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/19.0/releasenotes/|access-date=30 April 2013|website=mozilla.org}}</ref> It iswas alsoadded included into [[ownCloud]],<ref>{{Citation|title=owncloud/files_pdfviewer|date=2020-02-08|url=https://github.com/owncloud/files_pdfviewer|publisher=ownCloud|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> [[Nextcloud]],<ref>{{Citation|title=nextcloud/files_pdfviewer|date=2020-03-18|url=https://github.com/nextcloud/files_pdfviewer|publisher=Nextcloud|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/files_pdfviewer|title=PDF viewer - Apps - App Store - Nextcloud|website=apps.nextcloud.com|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> and as a browser extensionFirefox for [[Google ChromeAndroid]], [[Chromiumin 2023 (webversion browser111)|Chromium]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pdf-viewer/oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm|title=PDF Viewer|website=Chrome Web Store}}</ref> [[Firefox for Android]],<ref>{{citeCite web|title=Android PDF.js|url=https://addonswww.mozilla.org/androiden-US/addonfirefox/android-pdf-js|website=addons.mozilla.org}}</ref> [[Pale Moon (web browser)|Pale Moon]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://addons111.palemoon.org0/addonreleasenotes/moon-pdf-viewer |title=Add-onsFirefox -for MoonAndroid PDF111.0, Viewer|website=PaleSee MoonAll -New Add-ons}}</ref>Features, Updates and [[SeaMonkey]].<ref>{{citeFixes web|titlewebsite=PDFwww.mozilla.org Viewer for SeaMonkey|url=https://addons.thunderbird.net/seamonkey/addon/pdfaccess-js-for-seamonkey|websitedate=Add-ons19 forApril SeaMonkey2024}}</ref>

The project was created to provide a way for viewing PDF documents natively in the web browser, which prevents potential security risks when opening PDF documents outside a browser, as the code for displaying the document is [[sandboxed]] in a browser.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Shankland |first=Stephen |date=2011-06-24 |title=Mozilla eyes hassle-free PDFs on the Web |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/mozilla-eyes-hassle-free-pdfs-on-the-web/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> Its implementation uses the [[Canvas element]] from [[HTML5]], which allows for fast rendering speeds.<ref name=":2" />

Developers will also embed PDF.js in their software in order to enable PDF rendering and viewing in a web or native application, or rendering on a server. Examples of PDF.js integrations include within [[Dropbox (service)]] for PDF document previews,<ref>https://dropbox.tech/application/annotations-on-document-previews</ref> [[Slack (software)]],<ref>https://slack.engineering/what-matters-to-you-matters-to-us-10ff49650a5d</ref> and Linkedin for viewing accessible course materials online.<ref>https://engineering.linkedin.com/blog/2019/04/under-the-hood--learning-with-documents</ref> Some software development products are also based on making it easier to extend PDF.js.<ref>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22763656</ref><ref>https://pdfjs.express/blog/introducing-pdfjs-express</ref>

PDF.js is also used in [[Mozilla Thunderbird|Thunderbird]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=810815 - Integrate pdf.js to Thunderbird|url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=810815|access-date=2022-01-28|website=bugzilla.mozilla.org|language=en}}</ref> [[ownCloud]],<ref>{{Citation|title=owncloud/files_pdfviewer|date=2020-02-08|url=https://github.com/owncloud/files_pdfviewer|publisher=ownCloud|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> [[Nextcloud]],<ref>{{Citation|title=nextcloud/files_pdfviewer|date=2020-03-18|url=https://github.com/nextcloud/files_pdfviewer|publisher=Nextcloud|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/files_pdfviewer|title=PDF viewer - Apps - App Store - Nextcloud|website=apps.nextcloud.com|access-date=2020-03-28}}</ref> and is available as a browser extension for [[Google Chrome]]/[[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pdf-viewer/oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm|title=PDF Viewer|website=Chrome Web Store}}</ref> [[Pale Moon (web browser)|Pale Moon]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Add-ons - Moon PDF Viewer|url=https://addons.palemoon.org/addon/moon-pdf-viewer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103222159/https://addons.palemoon.org/addon/moon-pdf-viewer/|archive-date=January 3, 2020|access-date=May 4, 2021|website=Pale Moon - Add-ons}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=IsaacSchemm/pdf.js-seamonkey: SeaMonkey fork of pdf.js|url=https://github.com/IsaacSchemm/pdf.js-seamonkey|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206160734/https://github.com/IsaacSchemm/pdf.js-seamonkey|archive-date=December 6, 2020|access-date=May 4, 2021|website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref> and [[SeaMonkey]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|title=PDF Viewer for SeaMonkey|url=https://addons.thunderbird.net/seamonkey/addon/pdf-js-for-seamonkey|website=Add-ons for SeaMonkey|date=25 April 2020|access-date=13 January 2020|archive-date=13 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113054940/https://addons.thunderbird.net/seamonkey/addon/pdf-js-for-seamonkey|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It can be integrated or embedded in a web or native application to enable PDF rendering and viewing, and allows advanced usages such as [[Server-side rendering]].

Many web applications, including [[Dropbox]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lauraharrisneal|title=Annotations on Document Previews|url=https://dropbox.tech/application/annotations-on-document-previews|access-date=2021-08-05|website=dropbox.tech|language=en}}</ref> [[Slack (software)|Slack]],<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-11-16|title=What matters to you, matters to us. - Slack Engineering|language=en-US|work=Slack Engineering|url=https://slack.engineering/what-matters-to-you-matters-to-us-10ff49650a5d|access-date=2021-08-05}}</ref> and [[LinkedIn Learning]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Under the hood: Learning with documents|url=https://engineering.linkedin.com/blog/2019/04/under-the-hood--learning-with-documents|access-date=2021-08-05|website=engineering.linkedin.com|language=en}}</ref> integrate PDF.js to enable previewing PDF documents.

==Behavior==

According to onea benchmark by [[Mozilla]], PDF.js is performant for viewing most common PDF files, while it may have some issues with large or 'graphics-heavy' documents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hacks.mozilla.org/2014/05/how-fast-is-pdf-js/|title=How fast is PDF.js? – Mozilla Hacks - the Web developer blog}}</ref>

</ref>

PDF.js supports most of the PDF specificationspecifications (including form support or [[XFA]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=1706133 - (pdf-xfa) [meta] XFA support|url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1706133|access-date=2022-01-28|website=bugzilla.mozilla.org|language=en}}</ref>), but some features have not been implemented yet, which may impact rendering behavior depending on the features the document uses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guide to Evaluating PDF.js Rendering|url=https://www.pdftron.com/blog/pdf-js/guide-to-pdf-js-rendering/|access-date=2021-08-05|website=PDFTron}}</ref>

Another analysis found that between 1-3% of PDFs in certain document subsets would crash or freeze the PDF.js viewer, either due to a corrupted file or a complex file.<ref>https://www.pdftron.com/blog/pdf-js/pdf-js-reliability-benchmark/</ref>

Several [[PDF/X]] or optional PDF features that are not supported in PDF.js include:

PDF.js supports most of the PDF specification, but some features have not been implemented yet, which may impact rendering behavior depending on the features the document uses.<ref>https://www.pdftron.com/blog/pdf-js/guide-to-pdf-js-rendering/</ref>

* [[ICC color profiles|ICC Color Profiles]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=ICC profiles support for images · Issue #2856 · mozilla/pdf.js |url=https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/issues/2856 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>

PDF features not yet added to PDF.js or incomplete:

* Spot colors

*Optional Content Groups (OCGs)

*Overprint simulation<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overprint Support · Issue #7360 · mozilla/pdf.js |url=https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/issues/7360 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>

*ICC Color Profiles

*Transparency groups (knockout/isolation)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Issue about knockout groups. · Issue #3136 · mozilla/pdf.js |url=https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/issues/3136 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>

*Spot colors

*Overprint simulation

*Transparency groups (knockout/isolation)

*Some patterns & shadings

*High-fidelity printing

*Interactive and fillable forms

The PDF.js contributor community also notes that the browser behavior of PDF.js varies with browser support for PDF.js's required features.<ref>[{{Cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions · mozilla/pdf.js Wiki|url=https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/wiki/Frequently|access-Askeddate=2021-Questions#which08-browsers-are-supported ]05|website=GitHub|language=en}}</ref> Performance and reliability will be the best on Chrome and Firefox, which are fully supported and subject to automated testing.

==See also==

Line 59 ⟶ 56:

*[[ORBX.js]]

* [[Shumway (software)|Shumway]]

* [[JavaScript framework]]

* [[JavaScript library]]

==References==

Line 73 ⟶ 72:

| url = https://andreasgal.com/2011/06/15/pdf-js/

| title = pdf.js: Rendering PDF with HTML5 and JavaScript

| authors author= Chris Jones and |author2=[[Andreas Gal]] (and the pdf.js team)|display-authors=etal

| work = [[Andreas Gal]]'s blog

| date = 2011-06-15}}

* {{cite web

| url = https://webscripts.softpedia.com/blog/Script-of-the-Day-pdf-js-266909.shtml

| title = Script of the Day: pdf.js

| author = Catalin Cimpanu

| work = Softpedia

| date = 2012-05-03}}

|access-date = 3 January 2020

|archive-date = 13 January 2015

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150113184320/https://webscripts.softpedia.com/blog/Script-of-the-Day-pdf-js-266909.shtml

}}

{{Mozilla organisations}}

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[[Category:Cross-platform free software]]

[[Category:Firefox]]

[[Category:Firefox add-ons]]

[[Category:Free PDF readers]]

[[Category:Free web software]]

[[Category:JavaScript libraries]]

[[Category:Firefox add-onsextensions merged to Firefox]]

{{free-software-stub}}