PDFFormat

PDFFormat is a hypothetical open specification describing a structured, machine-readable representation of a PDF document. It is intended as an interchange format that complements the traditional binary PDF file by enabling consistent parsing, analysis, and conversion across software applications.

The schema models a PDF document as a hierarchy of components, including metadata, a page tree, page content streams, resources (fonts, images, color spaces), and annotations. It emphasizes accessibility by capturing tagging, reading order, and structure elements, while remaining agnostic about compression or encryption used in the original file.

Applications of PDFFormat include archival preservation, content extraction, indexing for search, and the conversion of PDFs to other formats such as HTML or XML. By providing a uniform representation, it supports round-trip editing and interoperability between libraries that otherwise rely on proprietary or tool-specific internal models.

PDFFormat is distinct from the PDF file format (ISO 32000). There is no single universally adopted standard by that name; the concept appears in research and some open-source projects as a way to describe PDF structure in a neutral, interoperable form. Ongoing work focuses on defining stable schemas and mapping rules to existing PDF features.