Adds PDF viewing support to Electron BrowserWindow instances, enabling native PDF display in Electron apps.
electron-pdf-window is an Electron module that extends the BrowserWindow class to add native PDF viewing capabilities. It solves the problem of displaying PDF files within Electron applications without requiring external viewers or complex integrations, enabling seamless PDF rendering directly in app windows.
Electron developers building desktop applications that need to display PDF files, such as document viewers, educational tools, or report generators.
Developers choose electron-pdf-window because it integrates directly with Electron's native BrowserWindow API, is easy to implement, and avoids the overhead of external PDF libraries or viewer applications.
view PDF files in electron browser windows
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.
PDFWindow is a subclass of Electron's BrowserWindow, allowing developers to use it just like standard windows, as shown in the example code loading a PDF URL.
The addSupport method enables PDF viewing in existing BrowserWindow instances, including those created in renderer processes, making integration straightforward without major refactoring.
Works with PDFs loaded from URLs or local files, as demonstrated by the README example using win.loadURL with a web-based PDF.
Follows a philosophy of extending Electron's native functionality without introducing unnecessary complexity, maintaining the standard BrowserWindow API.
The README explicitly states that using PDFWindow directly from the renderer process is not recommended, which can complicate development for apps heavily reliant on renderer-side logic.
Focuses on viewing PDFs and lacks advanced features like annotations or form filling, limiting its utility for complex PDF applications beyond simple display.
Likely relies on an external PDF rendering library like pdf.js, but the module doesn't provide configuration options, which could lead to compatibility or performance issues with specific PDFs.