Up until now, Google has relied on the traditional browser plug-in model for PDF support in Chrome, but there are some downsides to going this route. Most notably, this path opens users up to compatibility, performance, and security problems, Google says, so the search titan has decided to take a different approach.
“To overcome [these problems], we’ve been working with the Web community to help define a next generation browser plug-in API,” Google said in a recent blog post. “We have begun using this API to improve the experience of viewing and interacting with PDF files in Google Chrome. This mirrors our efforts to optimize the Adobe Flash Player experience in Chrome.
“Today, we are making available an integrated PDF viewing experience in the Chrome developer channel for Windows and Mac, which can be enabled by visiting chrome://plugins.”
Google said that Linux support is on the way. In the meantime, users who enable PDF integration will see PDF files rendered seamlessly as HTML pages, the search giant said. Basic interactions will be the same as for Web pages, like zooming and searching, and PDF functionality will be contained withing the security sandbox Chrome uses to render regular HTML pages.
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Google Bakes Native PDF Support into Chrome
