[HN Gopher] Show HN: Simplepdf.eu - a browser-based PDF annotato...
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       Show HN: Simplepdf.eu - a browser-based PDF annotator / editor
        
       Hi HN!  I've been working on SimplePDF to solve a problem I
       encounter weekly: filling out non-editable PDFs [1]  ---  # About
       SimplePDF  - The documents you load, edit, fill never see the light
       of my server, everything is processed locally - no remote uploading
       anything. This includes the PDF generation.  - There are no
       analytics / third party tracking your every move (I do collect
       usage data, but it's fully anonymous and processed and stored on my
       server): therefore no annoying cookie banner. You can read more on
       the Privacy Policy [2]  - If someone before you has filled the same
       document, upon opening it you'll see fields already set, ready to
       be filled-in, think crowd-sourced fields positioning - saving you
       time and effort.  ---  # How does the crowd-sourced positioning of
       fields work?  When a document is loaded in your browser, a
       fingerprint of the document binary is made, and sent to the server.
       The document table consists of: document_id, fingerprint and
       created_at.  As soon as you start editing a document, a template is
       created, containing metadata about the fields (x, y, width, height,
       type of field, background color...) that is then tied to this
       document you created. Once you save, this template gets sent to the
       server.  The template table consists of: template_id, document_id,
       fields (the metadata) as well as created_by_customer_id if you're a
       customer.  As a result, someone else on the other side of the world
       opening the same document will see the fields you positioned
       already there - you just saved them the 5min it took you to
       position them.  ---  # What's the tech stack of SimplePDF?  -
       NextJS on the frontend  - Koa with GraphQL on the backend  -
       Postgres (Managed Database on Digital Ocean)  - A 10EUR droplet on
       Digital Ocean  ---  If you have any questions, comments or feedback
       (good or bad), I'm all ears!  ---  [1] The assignments my estonian
       teacher gives me are usually scanned documents that do not have any
       editable fields in them.  [2]
       https://www.simplepdf.eu/privacy_policy
        
       Author : nip
       Score  : 9 points
       Date   : 2022-10-09 16:47 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (simplepdf.eu)
 (TXT) w3m dump (simplepdf.eu)
        
       | nip wrote:
       | And if you wish to see some code, while simplePDF is not open
       | source, the code for the embed widgets (thin iFrame wrappers),
       | including the chrome extension, is available here:
       | 
       | https://github.com/bendersej/simplepdf-embed
        
       | pedalpete wrote:
       | This is great. I rarely have to fill out PDFs but when I do it is
       | always a pain. I had a PDF sent to me the other day that was
       | password protected, even though it was just a form with no
       | private information. I was supposed to fill it in, re-save, and
       | then send it back, all password protected.
       | 
       | The hoops I needed to jump through to get this done were
       | ridiculous, and the idea that I would have an acrobat account to
       | do this maybe once or twice a year is crazy.
       | 
       | Thank you!
        
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       (page generated 2022-10-09 23:02 UTC)