5 ms·

I agree with no JS, but why PDF over HTML? Hard-wrapping for letter-sized paper (ok, a PDF doesn't need to be letter-sized, but most menus are approximately tha

by hunter2_ 10mo ago

I agree with no JS, but why PDF over HTML? Hard-wrapping for letter-sized paper (ok, a PDF doesn't need to be letter-sized, but most menus are approximately that) with crapshoot reflow options for soft-wrapping in certain viewer apps is pretty dicey on a phone, mitigated only slightly by rotating the phone sideways. The only benefit I can think of is if it leads to more frequent updates by the restaurant, due to limited skillset.

neuroelectron 10mo ago
The complexity between the modern web and a pdf is marginal. PDFs do get printed for menus. Editing a PDF and uploading it to the site, integrating prices and syncing between the site, online ordering, PDF menus is just part of the business. There are lots of platforms that help with this such as Slice.
ok123456 10mo ago
If the restaurant doesn't have anything besides a menu, /index.pdf is fine—no web design required; reuse the menu they're printing anyway. The trade-off is that they'll have to pinch/zoom if they have a small display. It's a minor inconvenience to make the exact information they want available instantly.
- vector_spaces 10mo ago
  index.pdf won't tend to play nicely with screen readers and also sucks for people on crappy mobile networks, so it's a minor inconvenience for some, and straight up unusable for others
  - hyperhello 10mo ago
    But you can easily serve a desktop version or a small screen version.
  - ok123456 10mo ago
    > index.pdf won't tend to play nicely with screen readers The horrible Wix sites most restaurants end up using are likely less accessible than a PDF. The Adobe PDF reader can reflow text. > also sucks for people on crappy mobile networks The average wysiwyg site builder produces bundles that are an order of magnitude larger than a PDF menu. Also, the PDF is easier to cache correctly and can be easily saved for offline access.
    - mpweiher 10mo ago
      Why is Wix horrible...or why does it create horrible sites by default? Curious, I haven't tried it.
pastel8739 10mo ago
I vastly prefer looking at a PDF menu over an HTML one nearly all the time. PDFs are usually nicely formatted, and I don’t mind zooming and panning to see everything. HTML is frequently terribly formatted, interspersed with ads, slow, etc
- foogazi 10mo ago
  > HTML is frequently terribly formatted, interspersed with ads, slow, etc You can put ads into terribly formatted PDFs too
  - saghm 10mo ago
    In theory, yes, but the parent comment is talking about what they've frequently encountered in practice. Maybe there's reason to expect that having a lot more PDFs of menus might not result in a similar experience, but it doesn't seem obvious to me at least
  - IAmBroom 10mo ago
    Yes, and you can strap jet engines onto horses at the race track. No one does either of those, IRL.
parpfish 10mo ago
Because they can make one nice pdf formatted to get printed out in the restaurant and then reuse it to display on the website

neuroelectron 10mo ago

The complexity between the modern web and a pdf is marginal. PDFs do get printed for menus. Editing a PDF and uploading it to the site, integrating prices and syncing between the site, online ordering, PDF menus is just part of the business. There are lots of platforms that help with this such as Slice.

ok123456 10mo ago

If the restaurant doesn't have anything besides a menu, /index.pdf is fine—no web design required; reuse the menu they're printing anyway. The trade-off is that they'll have to pinch/zoom if they have a small display. It's a minor inconvenience to make the exact information they want available instantly.

vector_spaces 10mo ago
index.pdf won't tend to play nicely with screen readers and also sucks for people on crappy mobile networks, so it's a minor inconvenience for some, and straight up unusable for others
- hyperhello 10mo ago
  But you can easily serve a desktop version or a small screen version.
- ok123456 10mo ago
  > index.pdf won't tend to play nicely with screen readers The horrible Wix sites most restaurants end up using are likely less accessible than a PDF. The Adobe PDF reader can reflow text. > also sucks for people on crappy mobile networks The average wysiwyg site builder produces bundles that are an order of magnitude larger than a PDF menu. Also, the PDF is easier to cache correctly and can be easily saved for offline access.
  - mpweiher 10mo ago
    Why is Wix horrible...or why does it create horrible sites by default? Curious, I haven't tried it.

pastel8739 10mo ago

I vastly prefer looking at a PDF menu over an HTML one nearly all the time. PDFs are usually nicely formatted, and I don’t mind zooming and panning to see everything. HTML is frequently terribly formatted, interspersed with ads, slow, etc

foogazi 10mo ago
> HTML is frequently terribly formatted, interspersed with ads, slow, etc You can put ads into terribly formatted PDFs too
- saghm 10mo ago
  In theory, yes, but the parent comment is talking about what they've frequently encountered in practice. Maybe there's reason to expect that having a lot more PDFs of menus might not result in a similar experience, but it doesn't seem obvious to me at least
- IAmBroom 10mo ago
  Yes, and you can strap jet engines onto horses at the race track. No one does either of those, IRL.

parpfish 10mo ago

Because they can make one nice pdf formatted to get printed out in the restaurant and then reuse it to display on the website