4 ms·

It is a format that doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it an image? Text? Vector graphics? Electronic forms? How about all of the above.

marcinzm 6y ago
It's basically digital paper and since paper can be all those things so can PDFs.
- giantDinosaur 6y ago
  Can paper run ad-tracking analytics scripts though? ;-)
  - eat_veggies 6y ago
    can pdf?
    - easton 6y ago
      Given that PDFs can embed JavaScript, they can embed ad tracking software, yes. And Linux VMs. And a port of WinAmp.
      - randomdude402 6y ago
        I didn't know they could embed javascript. That's horrifying.
      - sjy 6y ago
        I don’t think any of that is possible with the JavaScript APIs exposed (if any) by common PDF readers. I’ve tried to do useful things with JavaScript in a PDF and failed utterly. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32597283/can-javascript-running-within-a-pdf-access-the-domain-it-was-downloaded-from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32597283/can-javascript-...
        SSLy 6y ago
        Paizo uses JS to trigger map layers (for RPG products)
      - jcynix 6y ago
        Tracking is one possible problem. The other is, that JavaScript can modify the document itself, so a part of a contract for example might print out differently depending on conditions. That's why PDF/A for archiving was created which disallows various components, cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF%2FA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF%2FA
      - mpweiher 6y ago
        Fortunately many PDF viewers don't run them.
  - marcinzm 6y ago
    Have a single copy of the paper in a place with a sign in sheet and now you're tracking everyone who looks at it.
inquirerofsorts 6y ago
> all of the above You forgot malware https://www.thesecurityblogger.com/distributing-malware-inside-adobe-pdf-documents/ https://www.thesecurityblogger.com/distributing-malware-insi...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
jbverschoor 6y ago
It renders properly. HTML doesn't even know if it wants to be an application or a document.

marcinzm 6y ago

It's basically digital paper and since paper can be all those things so can PDFs.

giantDinosaur 6y ago
Can paper run ad-tracking analytics scripts though? ;-)
- eat_veggies 6y ago
  can pdf?
  - easton 6y ago
    Given that PDFs can embed JavaScript, they can embed ad tracking software, yes. And Linux VMs. And a port of WinAmp.
    - randomdude402 6y ago
      I didn't know they could embed javascript. That's horrifying.
    - sjy 6y ago
      I don’t think any of that is possible with the JavaScript APIs exposed (if any) by common PDF readers. I’ve tried to do useful things with JavaScript in a PDF and failed utterly. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32597283/can-javascript-running-within-a-pdf-access-the-domain-it-was-downloaded-from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32597283/can-javascript-...
      - SSLy 6y ago
        Paizo uses JS to trigger map layers (for RPG products)
    - jcynix 6y ago
      Tracking is one possible problem. The other is, that JavaScript can modify the document itself, so a part of a contract for example might print out differently depending on conditions. That's why PDF/A for archiving was created which disallows various components, cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF%2FA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF%2FA
    - mpweiher 6y ago
      Fortunately many PDF viewers don't run them.
- marcinzm 6y ago
  Have a single copy of the paper in a place with a sign in sheet and now you're tracking everyone who looks at it.

inquirerofsorts 6y ago

> all of the above You forgot malware https://www.thesecurityblogger.com/distributing-malware-inside-adobe-pdf-documents/ https://www.thesecurityblogger.com/distributing-malware-insi...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

jbverschoor 6y ago

It renders properly. HTML doesn't even know if it wants to be an application or a document.