New: ShareX (Mar 27, 2023), Platform 24.1 (Feb 13, 2023)
450+ real apps (49GB), 1 billion downloads, Please donate.
As I'd promised last week, I've posted a test version of Sumatra PDF packaged in PAF format. It's the lightweight Sumatra PDF PDF viewer for viewing PDFs on the go. This package automatically regenerates Sumatra's settings file on each launch so it won't prompt to set as the default PDF viewer and so it won't keep your most recently used file and open it up on launch (since it probably won't exist anyway).
Please give it a try.
Thank you, I will sure give it a try. I've been waiting since Satuday for this:) Finally, a PortableApps Branded PDF Reader.
EDIT
Opened a 89 page PDF file in a mere second. Although, when the program opens, it's called "Sumatra PDF" but when a file opens, the program names disapears and it's simple called "Name of File" instead of "Name of File-Sumatra PDF"
A couple other minor details the download file image is virtually just a yellow bar (Tho so is the original downaload file) until you highlight it by clicking on it, and it has trouble rendering the 6400% from the Zoom panel. Otherwise, the regular keys (Pagedown+N, Pageup+P, snd Q for Quiat all work fine, so do all the other buttons int he menu. Thanks:)
I'm all for open-source, but if there's an app that's better but not OSS, then I'll rather use the non-OSS app. This applies to this program. I opened a two-page file, nothing but text, and it opened fast. But I tried zooming in to read it better, it took almost a minute to render the file. Is this normal? Honestly this is the first time I use Sumatra, I don't know if this type of behavior is normal.
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Arquitecto Brunjes Lozano
Egresado de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez
Like that for the normal Sumatra PDF too, normally, you won't be zooming to levels that high anyways, right? Because the zooming works pretty good for most of it, until you get REALLY close. Then it REALLY slows down.
I'm not going up to 6400%, I went to 125%.
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Arquitecto Brunjes Lozano
Egresado de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez
It it takes more than .1 second to zoom to 125%, that's probally just something with your RAM or comp.
Tested it with a few documents, mostly game manuals, and it works well. A little slow at rendering compared to adobe, but nonetheless I can defenitely see it being useful when I have to use computers without such luxuries.
I think this will replace Foxit PDF Reader PE on my iPod!
Thanks again John
Its a decent app that just works.
It IS a little slow at rendering but who wants to look at his documents with 800%?
Finally I have a PDF reader 
I'm so happy.
I know I just loaded a 104 page manual, and it was super fast without any problems!
Thanks a lot!
1. It's significantly slower than Sumatra itself.
2. The splash screen shows too long.
Sumatra within is UNALTERED so it performs exactly the same once launched. Launch time will take approximately 1 second longer while the launcher deletes the existing config file and recreates it (so it doesn't try to load files that aren't there on launch... Sumatra reloads the last file you looked at and gives you no option to do otherwise). The splash screen displays concurrently and for 1.2 seconds.
If you're one of those people that hates splash screens, you can of course disable it.
Launch time will take approximately 1 second longer
And that's what I'm refering to. Here it's much faster than one second, but still doubles Sumatra's startup time.
If you're one of those people that hates splash screens, you can of course disable it.
It's not about liking or disliking splash screens. When my pdf is opened already, I don't want to see splash screen at the top of it.
The splash screen doesn't slow down the startup time. It starts up in the same amount of time as it would without the splash screen and with the launcher recreating the settings file. Like I said, it's concurrent.
You seem to be annoyed with the fact that it sticks around after Sumatra starts. In total, it would be shown maybe around 600 milliseconds after Sumatra starts. And, like I said, if that bugs you, you can disable it.
John,
As someone who is no longer bothered by splash screens may I suggest you just tell him how. I'm sure it's the same/similar as in the other PAs [change the .ini and move it).
By the way I've been using the "non-portable" version of the program [well actually I should say downloaded and tried a couple of times] and it looked pretty portable to start with. I of course will download your version for consistencies sake, any real diff?
Tim
Geek w/o portfolio
Thanks, but I know how to.
And, please, don't call Sumatra "non-portable". It is portable, it just isn't (actually: wasn't) PAFed.
The splash screen doesn't slow down the startup time. It starts up in the same amount of time as it would without the splash screen and with the launcher recreating the settings file. Like I said, it's concurrent.
Actually it does, but way below human perception.
In my first post splash screen and performance are 2 separate things. And I still say that it should be faster.
You find it natural to see the splash screen longer than it's needed - ok. EOT.
I don't find it natural for anything. But some drives are slower than others. So, I try to find a good balance between them all. And I test it locally (fastest) and on an older slower drive. The fade-in is 100ms which is as fast as you can go with it being noticeable (fading in is consistent across all apps here). The splash then stays on screen for 1.2 seconds. Too much less and it appears too fast for some people (remember, some people perceive things faster or slower than others). The shortest I'd be comfortable going in 900ms which means the splash is up for ~1s total. Which would be this:
https://portableapps.com/temp/SumatraPDFPortable.exe
I'm not purposely trying to make them stay over the app. It's about balance. The launcher is separate from the app so I *CAN'T* have the splash disappear when the app window appears. I have to estimate. Based on test on multiple drives.
The splash screens serve multiple important purposes. For slower apps, they let people know the app is launching (giving quick feedback is good user experience). And they give a psychological sense of the app launching faster. But, it also lets people know that it's a special package distributed from here. So, if there are any support issues, they'll come here first rather than bugging the main developer (especially if it's an issue with the portable packaging, etc).
For some reason, people still assume I do some things half-assed or for no good reason. Not sure if this is the case here, but it feels like it again... and it's been a LONG, LONG month.
The launcher is separate from the app so I *CAN'T* have the splash disappear when the app window appears.
You can. But you may need a helper dll. The best option: run an app in debug mode - you'll know exactly when it started.
The easier thing:
ShowSplash();
while(!FindWindow("window_name",0));
HideSplash();
Of course, it's MUCH more work than writing
newadvsplash::show
I don't say it's worth it.
But at least it's possible.
You can use FindWindow directly within NSIS. But, in my work with other stuff, FindWindow doesn't serve the purpose as well as it should, especially some of the apps I package (window name changes on loading with app alone vs app with file loading, windows starting hidden and then spawning second windows, etc). It would be pretty easy to be stuck in an endless loop. Actually, Sumatra's window name is a perfect example since it shows up as "myfile.pdf page 1 of 2" and is file dependent. Firefox is the same way (depends on page). And then combine that with the fact that many of the NSIS scripts do an ExceWait to wait for the EXE to close, so they can't process anything else in the meantime.
Honestly, for 400-500ms, I don't think it's worth it... and I kinda doubt others do since it hasn't been brought up as a big issue in the last 18,000,000 downloads.
Besides, it's all moot because you don't want a splash screen to flash for 300ms. A user would find that disconcerting.
I love your Splash Screens, they're awesome, and you did a great job with this program. Don't worry about a splash screen being up for .5 seconds too long. It's ridiculous. Thanks for all your work with portable apps.
keep this up. You have pretty much every app I ever need now, this just adds to it.
Wow! Great start up time and rendering times. Nothing I threw at it took more than a few tenths of a second to render. Even decided to test the print-resolution manual for my 3D modeling software. 550 pages without hitch, each page rendering just long enough for my eyes to read "Rendering in progress" before it was replaced by the contents of the page. WAY faster than Adobe Reader can do, like on the order of 8 to 10 times faster. Didn't have any problems with it rendering slow at higher zooms either.
Great little program and I'm really glad to see it added to portable apps. Cou
Report:
All my pdf files created from pdfFactory Pro can open and viewed no problem.
and a Nokia phone user manual, no problem
and Dopod 838 Pro user manual (60MB!!), also no problem for all pages.
Only this one got problem. Its a DVD backup guide downloaded from below link some time ago. filename: aud-x_dvd_backup_guide_(full).pdf
http://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?guideid=885&howtoselect=6;33
couldn't render the page, from page 4 and need to adjust screen size then some page come out. But some pages still can't display.
My PC OS is WinXP SP2
Thanks,
Alex
Report it to Krzysztof Kowalczyk.
Thanks, let wait and see...
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