What is an HTML5 Document Viewer, Key Advantages, and what eViewer v7 delivers?
An HTML5 document viewer is a document and image viewing solution that allows users to easily view and collaborate on multiple file types from any desktop or mobile device within a browser. HTML5 document viewers make this possible by converting files from native formats into desired outputs, then presenting the resulting content in a browser using standard HTML5 markups.
Single-interface interaction is the biggest draw of HTML5 viewers. Since everything happens in-browser, they’re ideal for application integration. As a result, they’re often deployed by value-added resellers and software manufacturers to develop specific solutions for client needs. They’re also leveraged by enterprises looking to add functionality to existing Enterprise content management (ECM), document management solutions (DMS), or content management solutions (CMS) that both reduce total costs and improve overall efficiency.
Software developers can embed an HTML5 document viewer into existing websites and/or applications without the need to create this functionality from the ground up, using SDKs, or compromising user security. Additionally, end-users get a highly responsive, dynamic viewing experience they want without the need to manually download plugins or open other third-party applications.
MST offers industry-leading HTML5 viewing functionality, making it the viewer of choice for developers, integrators, and system administrators looking to enhance document viewing, collaboration, and security without increasing their workload.
eViewer provides support of more than 100 file types and includes built-in support for conversion, annotation, redaction, advanced search, OCR, and document comparison. eViewer is a cornerstone within thousands of enterprise software solutions across the globe with worldwide support. eViewer HTML5 document viewer offer other benefits such as:
- Support for multiple software platforms and browsers to ensure consistent viewing across enterprise environments.
- Ability to view a wide variety of file format types used by financial firms, insurance agencies, governments, legal, healthcare, and manufacturing.
- Simple deployment and integration using REST or Typescript APIs.
- Seamless web and mobile-friendly viewing experiences that rely on HTML5 markup rather than device-specific constraints.
Differences between MS Technology’s eViewer HTML5 viewer versions
eViewer makes it easy to present PDF, TIFF, DOCX, DOC, PPT, MO:DCA, email, and a host of other file types as part of your organization’s existing web-based application. eViewer is available in two different versions, version 5 and version 7. Both versions provide the same great user experience with all of the same features but are technical different.
Comparison of eViewer 5 and eViewer 7
| eViewer 5 | eViewer 7 | |
| Frontend Technology | HTML5, JavaScript | HTML5, Angular 9 |
| Backend Frameworks | Java Servlets & ASP.NET Web Services | Spring Boot 2 & .NET Core 3 |
| Rendering and Document Operations | Server-side only | Client and Server-side |
| Deployment | Manual, Docker (.NET Only) | Manual, NPM, Yarn, NuGet, Docker |
| Deployment Server | Application Server (Java or Microsoft IIS) | Supports Self Hosting, or any Java supporting app server or Microsoft IIS |
| Integration | Standard HTML JS apps | AngularJS, Angular, ReactJS, Backbone, ElectronJS, and Standard HTML JS apps |
| APIs | JS Library & REST APIs | Angular Typescript APIs, JS Library |
| Annotation Format | XML | JSON |
| OCR Engine | Customize Tesseract v3 | Customized Tesseract v5 |
The eViewer 5 Server handles all of the heavy lifting of decoding and rendering documents, and image operations, and has no permanent storage. It has privileged access to your document storage solution — such as an ECM, database, or file system — to deliver key functionality including the long-term caching of pre-converted content and the loading and saving of document annotations.
The eViewer 7 Server decides on whether to render it on the server or on the client based on the file type. Once the document is rendered on the client, all operations occur on the client, with no need for further assistance from the server. This reduces network bandwidth, and server CPU utilization.
What can eViewer do for you?
eViewer supports 100+ file types using our zero-footprint document viewer and content conversion. The viewer enables users to view, search, redact, print, and download documents in many different file formats – from Adobe PDFs and Microsoft Office files to MO:DCA and DICOM – right in the browser without needing to download, or leave your application, and risk data security.
Here are some examples of why eViewer customers integrate our functionality into their own software:
- Display All Document Types Quickly and Accurately — By eliminating the need for multiple, file-specific applications, eViewer allows users to review, annotate, and provide comments on any document using a single, common interface, both improving overall performance and reducing your total licensing costs.
- Provide High-Fidelity Renderings of PDFs, TIFFs, and Microsoft Office Formats — Accurate, high-fidelity, in-browser renderings of PDF, TIFF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. eViewer offers true native viewing of these popular file types on-demand.
- Increase the Performance of Large Document Viewing and Search Functions — eViewer quickly renders documents of all sizes.
- Deliver Secure Collaboration — By integrating eViewer into existing applications, companies can ensure trust and compliance of critical documentation with key security controls.
It can be extremely time-consuming to keep up with evolving user expectations, regulatory requirements, and file format complexity. That’s why many development teams decide to integrate eViewer HTML5 viewer instead of developing one in-house. eViewer offers the ability to streamline key functions and enhance security with HTML5-native support to deliver document viewing, annotation, redaction, collaboration, and conversion on-demand.
Ready to start your HTML5 viewer experience? Contact us to start your free evaluation of eViewer.