The Mars Project —

PDF in XML

Matthew Hardy
Computer Scientist
Adobe Systems Incorporated

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Outline

ƒ Brief introduction to PDF

ƒ History
ƒ Features
ƒ Representation

ƒ Mars
ƒ What is it?
ƒ Why?
ƒ How?
ƒ Layout

ƒ Demo
ƒ Summary
ƒ Questions

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Brief history of PDF

ƒ Created in 1990 and released in 1993

ƒ Device/Platform neutral Page Description Language
ƒ High fidelity precision text layout
ƒ High end graphic features
ƒ Color management
ƒ ISO standards PDF/X, PDF/A, PDF/E and soon PDF
ƒ Extended to meet needs beyond its initial conception

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
PDF Capabilities

ƒ Document Navigation (e.g. bookmarks, hyperlinks, etc.)

ƒ Fillable Forms and XFA
ƒ Logical Structure
ƒ Accessibility/Content Access
ƒ Video and Sound
ƒ Annotations/Collaboration/Review
ƒ Layers and 3D objects
ƒ Signatures/Security
ƒ Document Packages

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Demo of PDF — Adobe Acrobat®

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
File Structure of PDF

Content
ƒ PDF is based on an object model Stream

Thumbnail
ƒ Non-scalar Page
Image

ƒ Dictionaries .
Annotations
Page Tree .
ƒ Arrays .

ƒ Streams ...
Page ...

ƒ Scalar ...

ƒ Strings Structure Structure

Element Element
ƒ Integers
.
Document Structure
ƒ Floats Catalog Tree
. Content
.
ƒ Boolean
Structure
ƒ Names Element

ƒ Objects combined to form a tree or Outline Entry

graph Outline
.
.
Hierarchy .

ƒ Sub-trees in the PDF represent Outline Entry

different aspects of the document

Named
Destinations

Interactive
Forms

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
What is Mars?

ƒ Mars is an alternative representation for PDF documents

ƒ Packaged format using Zip/UCF to store components
ƒ XML is used to represent the various structural components of PDF
ƒ Industry standard formats are used for binary data (e.g. JPEG, PNG, ICC, OpenType, etc.)

ƒ Feature parity with PDF

ƒ Capable of representing the same content as PDF
ƒ Looks identical to the end user
ƒ Complete representation of PDF

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
More Mars

Document Backbone

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Why are we doing Mars?

ƒ If we were creating PDF today, we would implement it like Mars

ƒ Leverage current technology and IT infrastructure and know-how
ƒ Takes advantage of existing standards

ƒ Developer friendly
ƒ Easy to integrate into modern workflows
ƒ Use of many existing tools

ƒ Address requirements of government and business

ƒ Governments like/mandate use of open standards
ƒ Businesses follow and also like to standardize IT technology

ƒ So to be well positioned for the next 15 years…

ƒ We need to move our technology base forward

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Mars Layout

Page Level Files

Page SVG Font

Document Resources Image

Backbone
Page Info Structure Function
Destinations ICC Profile
Annotations

Document Bookmarks Font Script

Global Files Image Shader

Caches Named Destinations Structure Tree

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
An Example

%PDF-1.4 3 0 obj 5 0 obj 6 0 obj

1 0 obj << << <<
<< /Type /Page /Length 115 /Type /Font
/Type /Catalog /Parent 2 0 R >> /Subtype /Type1
/Pages 2 0 R /Resources 4 0 R stream /Name /F1
>> /Contents 5 0 R BT /BaseFont /Helvetica
endobj /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /F1 24 Tf >>
>> 1 0 0 1 260 600 Tm endobj
2 0 obj endobj (Hello World) Tj
<< 1 0 0 1 260 550 Tm trailer
/Type /Pages 4 0 obj (Goodbye Universe!) Tj <<
/Kids [3 0 R] << ET /Root 1 0 R /Size 7
/Count 1 /ProcSet [/PDF /Text] endstream >>
>> /Font <</F1 6 0 R >> Endobj
endobj >>
endobj

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Demo of Mars

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Summary

ƒ Mars has feature parity with PDF

ƒ Componentized model representing different aspects of a document
ƒ Modular approach simplifies document creation/modification
ƒ Decentralization means reuse is simpler
ƒ Better integration with modern XML workflows

http://www.adobe.com/go/mars

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Copyright 2007 Adobe Systems Incorporated.
 Revolutionizing
how the world engages
with ideas and information