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PDF is an [Acronym] and FileExtension for __P__ortable __D__ocument __F__ormat.


!!! What is [PDF]

[PDF] is a format specified by [Adobe] which describes how to embed a multitude of resources in a single file, and also defines and describes formats for these resources, primarily PostScript with extension functions to enable the features [PDF] delivers beyond PostScript. Essentially, it is not a descendant of PostScript so much as an advanced container format for PostScript documents.

PostScript (and the Type1 font format, for that matter) are, of course, also [Adobe] brainchildren.


!!! Why use [PDF]

[PDF] is the format of choice for distributing documents because:

* They can't be trivially changed by the receiver. (MicrosoftWord documents can be.)
* It is a true page description language. The same document will display identically on any viewer. (MicrosoftWord documents are notorious for displaying differently on different machines, depending on the version of MicrosoftWord in use, the fonts available to the machine, and the type of printer that computer is using as the default printer.)
* The format is described by an unencumbered, published standard. ([Microsoft] have been known to change the undocumented Word document format to force users to upgrade.)
* Because it is an open standard, viewers are available for many platforms (and can be written or ported to those without one).  This means people can read the pdf file you send, even if they don't use the same software or OS.
* PDF files do not include macro code, and so can not carry viruses or malware in the way that MicrosoftWord can. However a specially created [PDF] can cause problems such as buffer overflow attacks to infect a system with malware. This is generally limited to one particular version of a reader and not all products.


!!! Viewers for [PDF]

* AcrobatReader: by [Adobe], ClosedSource, available for all major platforms.
* GhostView: [Free], available for all major platforms. In [KDE] and [GNOME], there are wrappers to better integrate it with the DesktopEnvironment: __kghostview__ and __gnome-gv__, respectively.
* xpdf(1): [Free], runs anywhere an [X11] server is available. It tends to do a better job than GhostView. There is a [GNOME] version called __gpdf__, which based on the original xpdf code but has "better desktop integration".
* [Evince | http://www.gnome.org/projects/evince/]: a [Free] multi-format viewer for [GNOME] 2.9 or later. [PDF] support is based on the xpdf(1) code, navigation is supposedly better than gpdf, and hopefully will be better maintained (gpdf development seems to have slowed or stopped).

!!! Creating [PDF] documents

The obvious way is [Adobe]'s commercial AdobeAcrobat, and if you're a professional and need all of the advanced features of [PDF], that is your best bet. If you are less ambitious, there are many other, completely sufficient options available; see our [CreatingPDFs] page.
24 pages link to PDF:
Last edited on Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:26:17 am by IanMcDonald
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