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I am wondering why there is still no compiled HTML format in any age when web pages can render almost everything (at least, I can't think of any from the top of

I am wondering why there is still no compiled HTML format in any age when web pages can render almost everything (at least, I can't think of any from the top of my head). With base64, images can be embedded without any external dependency and I think it should be easy to reduce what Javascript can do to address privacy concerns (like, disabling XHR). A web page renderer is more ubiquitous than PDF. Web pages are responsive and everyone can build one with just a simple text editor. So why do we need PDF?

wfunction 10y ago
MHTML?
jeandejean 10y ago
> "A web page renderer is more ubiquitous than PDF" Just any browser can render a PDF as well. PDF is good because it guarantees the formatting intended by the author.
- shubhamjain 10y ago
  Most mobile browsers can't the, last time I checked. Although, it's easy enough to read PDF with so many options on Android, but opening another viewer and then zooming, scrolling is just painful. PDF might guarantee the formatting but I think it should only matter when it comes to printing. Besides that, fixed size containers and fluid grids give plenty of flexibility with web documents. So in case, the author intends to have fixed formatting, I think it's achievable with HTML and CSS.
- oneeyedpigeon 10y ago
  And PDF is bad because it guarantees the formatting intended by the author. The author's formatting might work on a single screen, but it sure as hell won't work on the multitude of devices that access the web. PDF guarantees the end print result, but it shouldn't be used for anything else.
  - SFJulie 10y ago
    Well letter, legal vs A4 is a concern. Some printing drivers tends to alter content in the «fitting» process making some pdf hard to read. And screen tends to be in weired and diverse height vs width ratio. US standards are ridiculous. At least A1/A2/A3... are homothetic.
jobigoud 10y ago
EPUB? It's zipped rather than compiled but that's an implementation detail when all platforms can unzip in memory.

wfunction 10y ago

MHTML?

jeandejean 10y ago

> "A web page renderer is more ubiquitous than PDF" Just any browser can render a PDF as well. PDF is good because it guarantees the formatting intended by the author.

shubhamjain 10y ago
Most mobile browsers can't the, last time I checked. Although, it's easy enough to read PDF with so many options on Android, but opening another viewer and then zooming, scrolling is just painful. PDF might guarantee the formatting but I think it should only matter when it comes to printing. Besides that, fixed size containers and fluid grids give plenty of flexibility with web documents. So in case, the author intends to have fixed formatting, I think it's achievable with HTML and CSS.
oneeyedpigeon 10y ago
And PDF is bad because it guarantees the formatting intended by the author. The author's formatting might work on a single screen, but it sure as hell won't work on the multitude of devices that access the web. PDF guarantees the end print result, but it shouldn't be used for anything else.
- SFJulie 10y ago
  Well letter, legal vs A4 is a concern. Some printing drivers tends to alter content in the «fitting» process making some pdf hard to read. And screen tends to be in weired and diverse height vs width ratio. US standards are ridiculous. At least A1/A2/A3... are homothetic.

jobigoud 10y ago

EPUB? It's zipped rather than compiled but that's an implementation detail when all platforms can unzip in memory.