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No joke. Yesterday I found out PDFs can have forms with JavaScript. https://tcpdf.org/examples/example_014/ https://tcpdf.org/examples/example_014/ How does t

by hu3 3y ago

No joke. Yesterday I found out PDFs can have forms with JavaScript. https://tcpdf.org/examples/example_014/ https://tcpdf.org/examples/example_014/ How does this even work?

lost_tourist 3y ago
because some viewers have built in javascript interpreters. In the pdf it's just text labelled as a script
viraptor 3y ago
I hope I can amuse you further: PDF embedded 3d models https://helpx.adobe.com/mt/acrobat/using/displaying-3d-models-pdfs.html https://helpx.adobe.com/mt/acrobat/using/displaying-3d-model... and interaction https://www.astrobetter.com/blog/2012/03/07/tutorial-for-embedding-3d-interactive-graphics-into-pdf/ https://www.astrobetter.com/blog/2012/03/07/tutorial-for-emb... You can also do animated page transitions like PowerPoint, but I don't have the right link available...
- hu3 3y ago
  You did amuse me! Thanks! To me this is the kind of scope creep that causes a "simple" PDF renderer department to end up with 50 devs working in it full-time. I wonder... can a PDF have an iframe that opens itself? Causing an infinie loop of it loading itself?
  - elashri 3y ago
    That's a nice idea. Can we call that PDF bomb?
  - izacus 3y ago
    In reality most PDF apps don't support those elements (even software like macOS Preview) and people get along just fine.
- MilStdJunkie 3y ago
  Please please don't mention 3d pdfs. Please. I had to implement this. 3d manipulation in a block inside of a print format that might make deliverables in the hundreds of gigs. It's . . it's one of the dumbest functional requirements I've ever seen, and the fact it exists. . I'm sorry, I have to go be by myself for a while.
somat 3y ago
The stupidest part of the whole thing is that pdf is basically a neutered postscript. The problem with postscript as a document format, is that there is no good way to do metadata, jump to a specific page, count pages, etc. So pdf uses the rendering engine of postscript with all that annoying turing complete behavior torn out. Then at some point they wanted some computational capability in the document[1], but instead of reintroducing postscript into the mix they went with a third language, a wierd poorly designed one invent for browser scripting. 1. Yes we all know how stupid this was. but they wanted fillable forms and validating those forms made sense at the time. Really it was because they were trying to compete with the web.
baal80spam 3y ago
I remember someone wrote a game in a PDF document...
- temny 3y ago
  I think this is it: https://github.com/osnr/horrifying-pdf-experiments https://github.com/osnr/horrifying-pdf-experiments
jimjimjim 3y ago
badly

by hu3 3y ago

No joke. Yesterday I found out PDFs can have forms with JavaScript. https://tcpdf.org/examples/example_014/ https://tcpdf.org/examples/example_014/ How does this even work?

lost_tourist 3y ago

because some viewers have built in javascript interpreters. In the pdf it's just text labelled as a script

viraptor 3y ago

I hope I can amuse you further: PDF embedded 3d models https://helpx.adobe.com/mt/acrobat/using/displaying-3d-models-pdfs.html https://helpx.adobe.com/mt/acrobat/using/displaying-3d-model... and interaction https://www.astrobetter.com/blog/2012/03/07/tutorial-for-embedding-3d-interactive-graphics-into-pdf/ https://www.astrobetter.com/blog/2012/03/07/tutorial-for-emb... You can also do animated page transitions like PowerPoint, but I don't have the right link available...

hu3 3y ago
You did amuse me! Thanks! To me this is the kind of scope creep that causes a "simple" PDF renderer department to end up with 50 devs working in it full-time. I wonder... can a PDF have an iframe that opens itself? Causing an infinie loop of it loading itself?
- elashri 3y ago
  That's a nice idea. Can we call that PDF bomb?
- izacus 3y ago
  In reality most PDF apps don't support those elements (even software like macOS Preview) and people get along just fine.
MilStdJunkie 3y ago
Please please don't mention 3d pdfs. Please. I had to implement this. 3d manipulation in a block inside of a print format that might make deliverables in the hundreds of gigs. It's . . it's one of the dumbest functional requirements I've ever seen, and the fact it exists. . I'm sorry, I have to go be by myself for a while.

somat 3y ago

The stupidest part of the whole thing is that pdf is basically a neutered postscript. The problem with postscript as a document format, is that there is no good way to do metadata, jump to a specific page, count pages, etc. So pdf uses the rendering engine of postscript with all that annoying turing complete behavior torn out. Then at some point they wanted some computational capability in the document[1], but instead of reintroducing postscript into the mix they went with a third language, a wierd poorly designed one invent for browser scripting. 1. Yes we all know how stupid this was. but they wanted fillable forms and validating those forms made sense at the time. Really it was because they were trying to compete with the web.

baal80spam 3y ago

I remember someone wrote a game in a PDF document...

temny 3y ago
I think this is it: https://github.com/osnr/horrifying-pdf-experiments https://github.com/osnr/horrifying-pdf-experiments

jimjimjim 3y ago

badly