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Is PDF an Open Standard? | Talking PDF

T he Place for PDF Information

Is PDF an Open Standard?

Pos ted on May 14, 2010 by Duff Johns on in PDF Standards , Security, T alking PDF

On Ma y 1 3 , t h e fou n der s of A dobe Sy st em s st epped u p t o t h e m icr oph on e t o deliv er a r espon se t o St ev e Jobs open let t er a bou t Fla sh . T h ey sa y A dobe h a s a ct ed on open st a n da r ds w h ile A pple offer s m er e w or ds. A t t h e ou t set , I m u st a ck n ow ledg e t h a t I ow e m y liv elih ood t o t h e g en iu s of t h ese t w o g en t lem en . T h e in v en t or s of Post Scr ipt a n d PDF a n d t h e cr ea t or s of A dobe Sy st em s, W a r n ock a n d Gesch k e a r e g ods in m y Pa n t h eon . T h ey a r e t h e fou n din g fa t h er s of t ech n olog ies t h a t h a v e been in st r u m en t a l in m a k in g com pu t er s r elev a n t t o t h e m oder n ev er y da y oper a t ion s of g ov er n m en t a n d bu sin ess. T h a t sa id, cla im s a bou t PDF bein g a t r u e open st a n da r d n eed t o be pla ced in con t ex t .

Yes, PDF is an Open Standard

A dobe Sy st em s h a s pu blish ed t h e PDF Refer en ce, t h e r u lebook for PDF dev eloper s, sin ce 1 9 9 3 . A t t h e v er y beg in n in g , if y ou w a n t ed t o m a k e, v iew or m a n ipu la t e PDFs y ou bou g h t t h e book in t h e st or e for a few dolla r s. Pr et t y soon it w a s (a n d st ill is) a v a ila ble on lin e a t n o ch a r g e. On Ju ly 1 , 2 0 0 8 , v er sion 1 .7 of t h e PDF Refer en ce w a s r ew r it t en a s ISO 3 2 0 0 0 , a docu m en t m a n a g ed by com m it t ees u n der t h e a u spices of t h e In t er n a t ion a l St a n da r ds Or g a n iza t ion . ISO 3 2 0 0 0 is m a n a g ed by in div idu a l r epr esen t a t iv es of in t er est ed pa r t ies in open m eet in g s u n der pa r lia m en t a r y r u les. A n y on e ca n obser v e a n d pa r t icipa t e. W h ile t h ey a r e obv iou sly h ea v ily in v est ed in t h e ou t com e of t h e com m it t ees decision s, A dobe Sy st em s h a s on ly on e v ot e a t t h e t a ble, t h e sa m e a s a n y ot h er . By n ow , t h e r u lebook for PDF is r ela t iv ely m a t u r e a n d pr ecise in it s la n g u a g e. It w a s n ot a lw a y s so. A dobes v er y open n ess t h eir w illin g n ess t o let t h ir d-pa r t ies in t o m a k e t h eir ow n PDFs befor e t h e PDF Refer en ce w a s a m a t u r e docu m en t w a s a n d con t in u es t o be a sou r ce of pa in .

Welcome to the Real World

W h en m illion s of PDF files fr om h u n dr eds of differ en t a pplica t ion s st a r t ed fly in g a r ou n d, t w o m a jor pr oblem s w it h t h e r u lebook for PDF em er g ed. Fir st , w h ile t h e Refer en ce set r u les it is n ot a cook book ; it in clu ded n o r ecipes for h ow t o cr ea t e con t en t on a PDF pa g e. Secon d, t h e Refer en ce w a s a m big u ou s in som e a r ea s a n d left ot h er m a t t er s u n der -con sider ed, som et im es u n a ddr essed. T h r ee of fiv e PDF v iew er s displa y ed t h is PDF in cor r ect ly .

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W h en dea lin g w it h r ea l-w or ld docu m en t s, A dobes soft w a r e h a d t o dea l w it h t h ese v a g a r ies, so m or e r u les w er e w r it t en ; specific det a ils of t h eir im plem en t a t ion w er e cr a ft ed t o a ddr ess t h e issu es en cou n t er ed in t h e r ea l w or ld. T h ese n ew r u les, h ow ev er , w er e in t h e soft w a r e, n ot t h e Refer en ce. A s t h e Refer en ce dev eloped, A dobes im plem en t a t ion a n d t h e pu blish ed r u les beg a n t o div er g e. It beca m e possible t o cr ea t e a leg a l PDF file t h a t ot h er w ise per fect ly ser v icea ble soft w a r e cou ldn t h a n dle qu it e r ig h t (or h a n dled dea d w r on g ). In fa ct , beca u se t h e ea r ly v er sion s of t h e PDF Refer en ce w er e so v a g u e (r ela t iv ely spea k in g ), t h e r a n g e of possible oddit ies t h a t w er e leg a l in a PDF w a s v er y w ide in deed. A lot of sloppy PDF soft w a r e w a s (a n d st ill is) w r it t en for t h is r ea son . I r em em ber discu ssin g t h is pr oblem w it h A dobe dev eloper s in t h e la t e 1 9 9 0 s. Fir st a n d for em ost , w e a ll k n ew PDF h a d t o be r elia ble. PDFs h a d t o displa y t h e sa m e w a y on -scr een a n d in -pr in t , n o m a t t er t h e pla t for m . T h e pr oblem w it h t h ese leg a l bu t ot h er w ise oddba ll PDF files w a s t h a t if t h ey displa y ed w it h pr oblem s in A dobe Rea der , t h en A dobe (n ot t h e PDFs pr odu cer ) w ou ld g et t h e bla m e.

Adobe Reader is the de facto Standard, not PDF

A pa t t er n w a s est a blish ed in w h ich poor ly -st r u ct u r ed PDF files w er e r oa m in g a r ou n d in t h e w ild, a n d t h a t pr oblem h a s w or sen ed ov er t im e. A s PDF h a s g r ow n m or e popu la r , m or e a n d m or e a pplica t ion s of w idely v a r y in g qu a lit y m a k e ba d PDF. A dobes solu t ion w a s t o en g in eer A dobe Rea der t o h a n dle a ll t h e v a r iou s oddba ll PDF files ou t t h er e. It s on e of t h e m a in r ea son s w h y A dobe Rea der is a la r g er a pplica t ion t o dow n loa d a n d in st a ll com pa r ed t o it s r iv a ls. Rea der in clu des lot s of code t o dea l w it h t h e t h ou sa n ds of differ en t t y pes of ex cept ion s t o g ood PDF t h a t Rea der u ser s w or ldw ide ca n a n d w ill en cou n t er on a r eg u la r ba sis. In t h eir a t t em pt t o en su r e t h a t ev en t h e sloppiest PDF files st ill w or k ed, A dobe cr ea t ed a sit u a t ion in w h ich dev eloper s cou ld (a n d h a v e) u sed A dobes Rea der a s t h e r efer en ce im plem en t a t ion for t h eir PDF soft w a r e. In 2 0 1 0 , t h er e is st ill n o a lt er n a t iv e t o A dobe Rea der w h en it com es t o v a lida t in g t h ir d-pa r t y soft w a r e. A s t h e v ice-ch a ir of ISO 3 2 0 0 0 , t h a t bot h er s m e, a n d if y ou r e r ely in g on t h e idea t h a t PDF is in deed a n In t er n a t ion a l St a n da r d in y ou r or g a n iza t ion , it sh ou ld bot h er y ou t oo.

Release the Validator!

T o m a k e t h e fin a l m ov e in en su r in g PDF is a du r a ble in t er n a t ion a l st a n da r d, A dobe sh ou ld r elea se t h eir t est su it e of PDF files u sed t o t est A dobe Rea der . T h is cou ld t a k e for m in sev er a l w a y s, t h e sim plest of w h ich w ou ld be a collect ion of PNG im a g es dem on st r a t in g t h e a u t h or it a t iv e r en der in g of ex a m ple PDF pa g es. T h is t est su it e sh ou ld be r efer en ced in t h e u pcom in g ISO 3 2 0 0 0 -2 , t h e for t h com in g u pda t e t o t h e In t er n a t ion a l St a n da r d for PDF. W h en t h is st ep is t a k en w ill it becom e possible t o v a lida t e t h e open st a n da r d of ISO 3 2 0 0 0 w it h ou t t h e pr opr iet a r y A dobe Rea der , a n object iv e w h ich is fu n da m en t a l t o t h e pr oject of PDF a s a n In t er n a t ion a l St a n da r d.

Moving Forwards
Est a blish in g a n open t est su it e w ill m a k e PDF t r u ly a n open st a n da r d in t h e spir it of W a r n ock a n d Gesch k es let t er . T h e a dv a n t a g es for con su m er s w ill be su bst a n t ia l. A dobe a n d soft w a r e dev eloper s ca n pr odu ce con v er sion soft w a r e t o r esolv e t h e old files. W it h n o fu r t h er ex cu se for sloppy code, n on -com plia n t soft w a r e w ill t en d t o die a w a y , r em ov in g
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a m a jor sou r ce of pr oblem s. PDF w ill becom e t r u ly r elia ble a n d ba sed n ot on ly on a n in t er n a t ion a l st a n da r d, bu t on e t h a t m a y be r ea dily v a lida t ed. A dobe w ill h a v e beg u n t h e pr ocess of liber a t in g it self fr om su ppor t in g old (a n d n ow in v a lid) PDFs, a n d w ill ev en t u a lly be fr ee t o r e-dir ect en g in eer in g r esou r ces a w a y fr om pr oppin g u p ot h er peoples soft w a r e a n d in t o cr ea t iv e dev elopm en t . I ca n t im a g in e a w or ld w it h ou t PDF; if it didn t ex ist it w ou ld h a v e t o be in v en t ed. PDF is in deed a n open st a n da r d, bu t it s in com plet e. It s t im e t o fin ish t h e st or y a n d en d t h e pr a ct ice of m a k in g A dobe Rea der a de facto r efer en ce im plem en t a t ion . A dobe Rea der , ISO St a n da r d, V a lida t ion

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