PDF Reference: Version 1.4: Amazon.ca: Adobe Systems Inc.: Books

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PDF Reference version 1.4 is a thorough, updated reference for software developers looking to incorporate PDF capabilities into their applications. These could be PDF producer apps (those that "save to" PDF directly) or PDF consumer apps (those that read PDFs and allow users to modify their contents). The book includes all the material covered in the previous edition on version 1.3, as well as items new to 1.4. The new features include a filter for decoding JBIG2-encoded data, enhancements to encryption and interactive forms, ability to import content from one PDF to another, addition viewer preferences and trigger events, and accessibility support for disabled users.

The book includes a general description of PDF architecture and a comparison to the PostScript language, and explanations of the following: PDF syntax at the object, file and document level, graphics operators, facilities for presenting text in the form of character shapes or "glyphs" defined by the font, how device-independent descriptions render the page to match the output device, version 1.4's transparent imaging model (which allows objects to be painted with varying degrees of opacity), interactive features, and how PDFs can incorporate higher-level information useful for the interchange of documents among apps. A PDF version of the entire book is included on the companion CD. Also, the index is lengthy and detailed--a definite plus to any reference.

The book is surprisingly readable despite its highly technical content. However, it's unlikely that general graphics professionals who only create and print PDFs will need this reference. It tells how PDFs work (right down to the syntax, operators and Postscript), not how to work with PDFs. Developers, on the other hand, who are creating applications that will read and/or generate PDFs, will find this an essential addition to their bookshelves. --Angelynn Grant

Book Description

Adobes official guide to the PDF standard -- now completely updated for PDF 1.4!
Practical recommendations for application developers who want to generate efficient PDF files.
New PDF 1.4 features- Tagged PDF, Referenced PDF, PDF Metadata Architecture, forms enhancements, JBIG2 support, and more.
Example files, predefined font encodings, PDF page-marking operators, and other essential information. Adobe Acrobat PDF is the #1 solution for cross-platform exchange of formatted files -- and with Acrobat 5.0/PDF 1.4, PDF becomes even more powerful. Reflecting Adobes latest enhancements, The PDF Reference, Third Edition is the definitive technical guide to PDF 1.4. Adobe engineers introduce every key aspect of the PDF format, including the relationship of PDF to PostScript; the Adobe imaging model; file compression; font handling; and PDF architecture. The book covers all four components of a PDF file- objects, file structure, document structure, and page description, and contains practical recommendations for optimizing PDF files. It also introduces Tagged PDF, which allows reliable recovery of text, graphics, and images in PDF documents, supports reliable search and indexing, and enables conversion to RTF, HTML, or even speech. Other key topics include- advanced JBIG2 image compression support; improvements to bookmarking and annotations; new trigger events; forms enhancements; new metadata architecture; and Referenced PDF, which allows PDF documents to reference each others content. This book is essential for any developer writing programs that read or generate PDF files, and for any support professional or advanced user working with PDF in business, prepress, graphic design, workflow, or other environments. The CD contains the entire text of the book in PDF.
Adobe Systems Incorporated, founded in 1982, is the worlds leading provider of graphic design, publishing, and imaging software for Web and print production, and the worlds second largest desktop software company.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Almost all you ever wanted to know about PDF files, Jan 11 2003

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John C. Dunbar (Sugar Land, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: PDF Reference: Version 1.4 (Hardcover)

I bought the version 1.3, 2nd Edition. Using the Python programming language I was able to quickly generate a working PDF that follows one of their examples in the appendix. This program was then used to generate reports from Python.

The book contains a lot of information, as there appears much to be covered in the PDF format. This book is clearly a very well thought out affair. I wished there were more examples in the book - or a similarly related book. Still, this book is definitely up to Adobe's normal quality level.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

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4.0 out of 5 stars Would be an excellent book if ..., Jan 8 2002

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Jian Huang (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PDF Reference: Version 1.4 (Hardcover)

Based on PDF Reference Version 1.3, this Version 1.4 adds new content and has corrected lots of printing errors and bugs in the previous version. The most significant part is the introduction of the transparency imaging model, which is covered by an entire chapter as well as parts of other chapters. However, the whole book does not have any example regarding the transparency model. In Appendix G, the example G.3 (same as the one in Version 1.3) shows a default opaque model. It would have been nice if there were a corresponding example of the transparency model. A good simple example wins over thousands of words.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Would be an excellent book if ..., Jan 8 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: PDF Reference: Version 1.4 (Hardcover)

Based on PDF Reference Version 1.3, this Version 1.4 adds new content and has corrected lots of printing errors and bugs in the previous version. The most significant part is the introduction of the transparency imaging model, which is covered by an entire chapter as well as parts of other chapters. However, the whole book does not have any example regarding the transparency model. In Appendix G, the example G.3 (same as the one in Version 1.3) shows a default opaque model. It would have been nice if there were a corresponding example of the transparency model. A good simple example wins over thousands of words.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Would be an excellent book if ...
Based on PDF Reference Version 1.3, this Version 1.4 adds new content and has corrected lots of printing errors and bugs in the previous version. Read more

Published on Jan 8 2002 by Jian Huang