Alfresco HTML5 Document Viewer

What is the Alfresco HTML5 Document Viewer?

The Skytizens HTML5 Document Viewer addon is a lightweight component that gives users augmented options while viewing documents in the Alfresco system’s preview mode. The module is called Alfresco HTML5 Viewer after the most current version of the HTML standard markup language, which is used to create the extended toolbar in the viewer. The addon makes it possible to display and interact with Alfresco files in more enhanced ways than the standard Alfresco preview navigation menu.

Why is the Alfresco HTML5 Document Viewer so important?

• Enhanced – more options than standard Alfresco Preview Mode, more stable for the system thanks to cache feature
• Compatible – accommodates a wide variety of file formats across numerous industries and uses; supports multiple platforms and browsers for consistent viewing across environments
• Compact – reduces the need for additional software licenses for viewing files
• Device-friendly – seamless web and mobile-friendly viewing experience, includes print option for all devices
• Speed – document previews load fast in a page-by-page manner
• Enhanced Internal Communication – users collaborate with colleagues using annotation feature

The Benefits of the Alfresco HTML5 Document Viewer

The HTML5 Document Viewer addon is effective at quickly displaying detailed document thanks to a cache process for loading previews. The enhanced viewing features allow for more interaction with documents, better zoom capability, and the ability to rotate documents without having to fully open the file. Annotation capabilities mean the option to highlight, draw, and make comments on the document. The print feature makes it easy to print on-the-go without the time or effort of downloading first. The HTML5 Document Viewer especially benefits Alfresco users who are viewing their files on non-traditional devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, and iPads.

How Does It Work?

The HTML5 Document Viewer Alfresco addon is implemented for Skytizens clients as the default viewer in the Document Library. This means Skytizens has replaced the standard viewer for all clients with this supercharged version. The expanded features are located in the toolbar across the top of the preview window. Each option has an intuitive button or icon to explain what action the function does to the document preview.

In standard Alfresco, users who open Preview Mode are forced to wait while every page of the preview loads completely. For lengthy or graphics-heavy documents, this takes an unreasonable amount of time. It also slows down the server when multiple users access Preview Mode at one time.

Instead, the HTML5 Document Viewer Alfresco Addon employs a server-based cache and loads preview pages with a “lazy loader” or by page as the user scrolls. This cache process makes the preview mode load each page in high speed. When loading a large number of pages or graphics, the web browser also has the ability to flush unneeded pages from memory. This speeds everything up and avoids slowing down the server.

Main Features 

Cache Speed Preview – Preview pages with a “lazy loader” or by viewing page-by-page as you scroll.

• Toggle Cache On/Off – On the Alfresco server, users have the option to enable or disable the Cache Speed Preview feature from their preferences menu. Companies that don’t have large documents but do have a large number of users will benefit from leaving this feature off and using it when necessary.

Function – The HTML5 Document Viewer has multiple functions so that users can customize their viewing experience.

1. Single page – preview the document page-by-page
2. Thumbnail view – view the range of pages as thumbnails for easier navigation
3. Fit width – enlarge the page until the width fits the preview display area
4. Fit height – size the page so that the height fits to the top and bottom of the display area
5. Rotate – rotate the document 90 degrees at a time for different page orientations
6. Zoom slider – custom zoom the preview to your desired size
7. Zoom percentage – text field to zoom the preview to a percentage of actual size
8. Full screen – enlarge the preview to fill the screen of your device
9. Page navigation arrows – navigate to the next or previews page
10. Page navigation number – navigate to a specific page number in the document
11. Select text cursor – use this text cursor to highlight or copy text from the preview
12. Drag “hand” cursor – use this cursor to “drag” the page around for viewing precision
13. Search – search the content of the document by word, phrase, or partial text

Annotation – The HTML5 Document Viewer allows users to make editing or content-related notes on the preview version of the document. This allows for enhanced collaboration abilities within the system.

1. Comments – users can comment and reply to each other in “sticky-note” style that does not disrupt the document content
2. Highlight – users can draw attention to certain text using highlighter markings
3. Draw – users can draw on the document using different colored “ink” to indicate editing suggestions to colleagues (e.g. circles, arrows, boxes, strikethroughs, etc.)

Print – This Alfresco addon gives user the unique ability to print directly from the Document Library to a local client printer without having to download the document to a local computer first.

Conclusions

Tired of lifeless previews? Now you can see your documents from every angle, make notes, and load pages fast with zero fuss.

The Alfresco HTML5 Document Viewer addon by Skytizens removes the default basic Preview Mode navigation toolbar and replaces it with a feature-rich menu that allows for enhanced navigation. With 13 intuitive action buttons and a page-by-page loading style, this addon makes the document viewer faster and more versatile. The module also removes the delay caused by drag on a client’s server when multiple users are loading previews simultaneously.

This enhanced way to preview documents is a lightweight replacement that fits into the same visual space of the standard Alfresco viewer. With this Skytizens addon, Alfresco boasts advanced preview performance without the extra bulk.