Talk:PDF/Archive 1

message: *"In addition the PostScript code is already interpreted, so it is faster to display on the screen."
Does this simply refer to the loops and conditionals having been expanded out into a number of repetative blocks? If so, I think "partially evaluated" (or perhaps "compiled") would be more accurate than "already interpreted"; at least in my perspective (though I hear MIT tends to educate its students into agreeing with this), some kind of "interpretation" is indeed happening at the moment when the PDF program displays the graphics on screen.
-- Ryguasu
Need to add something about range of end uses for PDFs from screen reading to litho print with widely varying resolutions and that PDFS while in themseleves are resolution independent, embedded bitmaps within are usually are usually downsampled to minimise file size for a given end use.
-- Elliot100
I not infrequently hear people complain about being forced to read PDF online (because many U.S. govts like to publish in PDF only, apparently), and I generally sympathize; it is beautiful when printed, but fairly uncomfortable to read online. I don't know if this is worth mention in a wikipedia article however :) Kyk 06:13, 3 Jan 2004 (UTC)
thread_title: PostScript

message: I've put a second-paragraph link to the Adobe download page, which I think is helpful in this instance owing to the use of PDF files within Wikipedia. It is a departure from normal standards. The alternative would be to have a page on PDF files, with this prominent link, in the Wikipedia address space, and link to the Wikipedia page from PDF download links rather than to this page. But this seemed simpler and quite appropriate to me. Andrewa 20:16, 16 Jan 2004 (UTC)
thread_title: Download link within body

message: The internal link envoy guides to a page about diplomacy. I think, it is an error. 130.119.248.11 16:28, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC)
thread_title: Envoy

message: I am not an idiot, but I can't figure out pdf. Is there a manual someplace, or is it assumed that this information is already encoded in normal human genes? What is that little hand? How do I use this technology? Why is html in giant letters that don't fit the screen? Why can't they use a normal format?   Arthur
:Huh? PDF is a FORMAT, not a PROGRAM. Therefore it doesn't have a manual, but it does have a specification. What little hand are you talking about? You use this technology to transfer documents from one computer to another, or from a computer to a printer. RT(F)A.  Where are the giant letters you are referring to? In the article? I don't see them. PDF is a normal format, unless I've misunderstood your question/rant. You may not be an idiot, but if you want smart answers you need to ask smart questions. Graham 03:45, 20 Dec 2004 (UTC)
thread_title:  pdf 

message: Personally, I don't like the tools listing in this section at all. There is no quality control or context; anyone can wander past and add their favourite. If it should be here at all, perhaps a separate PDF tools entry.
However, I reverted a deletion of
*PDFlib - leading programming library for automatically generating PDF on the server (broad languages and platform support).
The deletion of this seems to reflect either a policy I missed, or a point of view that wasn't explained... Notinasnaid 12:52, 6 Jan 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Tools listing 

message: The beginning of the article states that PDF is "[...] an open standard, and anyone may write applications that can read or write PDFs royalty free." But as I read the History of PDF, it makes no mention of this... The history kinda lead me to think that Acrobat came up with this standard.. Since I am not familiar with the history of PDF I am refraining from editing the Histort portion of this article, but would apprechate if some would clear up that little portion.
:Well, Acrobat is a product, but it is true indeed that Adobe Systems invented the PDF file, control the specification, and publish it. The only question is about whether PDF is an open standard, since it is true that anyone may write applications that can read or write PDFs royalty free (Adobe grant specific patent exemptions, with limitations; please read the reference carefully before implementing). The argument really hinges on "what is an open standard"?  I don't know the right answer and I too was concerned when the text appeared. Some definitions I have encountered include:
:* An open standard is one that is available for free.
:* An open standard is one created by a committee with open membership.
:* An open standard is one that is published and available.
:* An open standard is one that allows implementation without royalties or other fees.
:While the first of these is clearly wrong (since it excludes a great many important standards), all the other views are popular, and there are more besides. It seems to be one of those terms which people decide are a good thing, then seek to define to match their views. I'd suggest checking what Wikpedia has decided to define open standard as this week, and see if PDF matches. Notinasnaid 15:59, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: I altered the sentence about open standard to: "PDF is also an open standard in the sense that anyone may create applications that read and write PDF files without having to pay royalties to Adobe Systems." BrandonCsSanders 15:13, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

text: Perhaps more study of the news stories will show this is nothing to do with whether the standard is open... Notinasnaid 10:14, 25 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  PDF is an open standard? 

message: the "External links" section is overflowing with links, most of which seem to simply promote various software programs. what do you think should be done about them?
* trim the bad links.
* move them to a List of PDF software.
* delete them outright.
— boredzo (✍) 20:56, 2005-08-09 (UTC)
*Good idea, this has been troubling me too. I've seen several articles which contain lists, and no matter what the subject, people keep coming by to add their favourite, whether it's notable or not.  The only way to avoid that is to have no examples at all.  On the other hand, even with no examples, the adventurous will find a way to add a paragraph describing their favourite software. I think that for now they can be moved to a "List of PDF software" which I don't intend to read, but which gives people a target for editing. Retain only non-software links (e.g. file formats). Once this is done, the article badly needs a complete clean-up/refocus/rewrite because it has grown organically without enough direction. Notinasnaid 21:20, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Waaay too many links