Question 1

Is vfr/Reader still being updated for iOS 15 or later?

Accepted Answer

No, vfr/Reader is explicitly marked as no longer maintained in the README. The author suggests the UXReader PDF Framework as a replacement, but it also hasn't seen recent updates, so it's not a reliable choice for new iOS versions.

Question 2

How do I add a PDF viewer to my iOS app using vfr/Reader?

Accepted Answer

You need to integrate all required files from the README, create a ReaderDocument object with the PDF path, and present a ReaderViewController. The ReaderDemoController class in the sample shows how to do this with a bundled PDF file.

Question 3

Can vfr/Reader handle annotations or form filling in PDFs?

Accepted Answer

No, vfr/Reader focuses on core viewing features like rendering, navigation, and encryption. It lacks support for annotations, form filling, or other interactive PDF elements, limiting its use for editable documents.

Question 4

vfr/Reader vs Apple's PDFKit: which should I use?

Accepted Answer

PDFKit is Apple's native framework, better supported and integrated with modern iOS, while vfr/Reader offers more customization and performance tuning for specific needs. However, vfr/Reader's abandonment makes PDFKit a safer bet for most projects.

Question 5

How to customize the toolbar in vfr/Reader?

Accepted Answer

Customization is done via compile-time #define options in ReaderConstants.h, such as READER_FLAT_UI or READER_ENABLE_THUMBS. For deeper changes, you must modify the Objective-C source code directly, which requires familiarity with the codebase.

Question 6

Does vfr/Reader work with Swift projects?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but since it's written in Objective-C, you'll need to set up a bridging header to use it in Swift. This adds complexity and might not be worth the effort compared to native Swift libraries or PDFKit.

Reader

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