PDF File Extension Information

A .PDF file, which stands for Portable Document Format, is the standard extension used with Adobe Acrobat. Several other programs make use of the .PDF file as well. The best part is- they are all free.

Programs that Open .PDF File Extensions

Adobe is the company that created the .PDF extension, so they will of course have a program that edits, creates, and reads this file type. This program is referred to as Adobe Reader, which is part of the Adobe Acrobat suite of software. While the Adobe Reader is free, there are versions of Adobe Acrobat that cost money to purchase- so keep a keen eye out for what's free and what isn't.

Other programs such as WordPerfect from Corel have functionality to work with the .PDF file extension. Even Photoshop Elements, part of the Adobe Photoshop family, has support for .PDF files. WordPerfect and Photoshop may not be free, but they do offer other features that you won't get in a simple .PDF file reader.

If you're looking for a straightforward program that edits and creates .PDF files, look no further than Adobe Reader- it's free and quite robust.

Functions of the .PDF File Extension

There are several reasons why .PDF files have bloomed to success in recent years. .PDF files have become quite popular for professionally sharing files across multiple platforms. It is also used very commonly for confidential or secure scenarios- even signing a contract has been made more than possible with .PDF files. In this sense, .PDF files are mainly for business and organizational use.

.PDF files are commonly used to replace paper forms and legal documents. .PDF file readers are capable of producing and printing publication-quality formats. In many cases, .PDF files are used to provide interactive forms and menus for even more functionality.

In recent releases, Adobe has included support for JavaScript within .PDF files. Sadly, this has led to much criticism of the company, as there are certain security risks involved with this implementation. JavaScript enables programmers to execute bits of code as the document is being viewed by the user. Obviously if the code were to be malicious, this could end up being bad for the user's computer.

To compound the problem, Adobe hasn't put much effort into securing this new front. Instead, they have left it largely up to users to exhibit common sense and security software to avoid such mishaps. The criticism will likely at one point force Adobe to upgrade the security measures of the JavaScript implementation- but for now, there are certain security holes only security software can fix at present.

Final Notes on .PDF Files

.PDF files remain to be the one-stop solution for professionally developed publications and documents. It's hard to find an alternative, even with certain security threats on the horizon. The JavaScript implementation is currently the main concern of users- something a little common sense and security programs can fix with ease.

There is certainly no reason to avoid the .PDF file extension by any means- but caution is recommended.