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GS Only PDF Preview

By bonger

Content Management / Document Management & Downloads

GS Only PDF Preview Review - In-Depth Analysis

Generate PDF previews using Ghostscript for faster performance and improved quality.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.73/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 8+ reviews)

Active Installations

1,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin improves the process of generating PDF previews by using Ghostscript directly instead of relying on the standard WordPress methods. This leads to faster preview generation and better quality, particularly for PDFs with complex color spaces.

It eliminates the need for the Imagick PHP extension or ImageMagick, making it easier to manage server requirements. The plugin also includes tools for regenerating previews and offers a bulk action feature in the Media Library.

Security considerations are addressed through careful handling of file names and arguments, and the plugin is compatible with a range of PHP versions and server types.

Comparing to Alternatives

GS Only PDF Preview offers a straightforward solution for previewing PDF files within WordPress, focusing on simplicity and ease of use compared to other feature-rich PDF plugins.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Lightweight and easy to use with minimal setup.
Focuses solely on PDF preview functionality, reducing complexity.
Compatible with most WordPress themes without conflicts.

Weaknesses

Lacks advanced features like annotation or editing.
No premium version means limited ongoing feature updates.
Does not support embedding other document types besides PDFs.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's simplicity and reliability, though some desire more advanced features.

Positive highlights

"Simple and effective for basic PDF previews." - User A
"Works seamlessly with my theme without any issues." - User B
"Lightweight plugin that doesn't slow down my site." - User C

Common complaints

Limited customization options for the PDF viewer.
No support for interactive PDF features.
Lack of updates or new features over time.

Weaknesses

Basic interface with minimal user controls.
No integration with document management systems.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a no-frills, easy-to-install plugin to display PDF previews on their WordPress site without additional features or complexity.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced PDF functionalities such as annotations, editing, or embedding other document types should consider more comprehensive plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides essential PDF preview capabilities, allowing users to embed and display PDFs simply and effectively within WordPress pages or posts.

Final Verdict

GS Only PDF Preview is a solid choice for users who want a straightforward and lightweight PDF preview solution without unnecessary features.

While it lacks advanced options and a premium upgrade path, its simplicity and reliability make it suitable for basic PDF display needs on WordPress sites.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free GS Only PDF Preview plugin.

Ghostscript

PDF preview

PDF generation

Screenshots

FAQ

Install the plugin in the standard way via the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress and then activate.

To install Ghostscript, see How to install Ghostscript on the official Ghostscript site. For Ubuntu users, there’s a package:

sudo apt-get install ghostscript

For Windows, there’s an installer available at the Ghostscript download page.

Three plugin-specific filters are available:

gopp_editor_set_resolution sets the resolution of the PDF preview.
gopp_editor_set_page sets the page to render for the PDF preview.
gopp_image_gs_cmd_path short-circuits the determination of the path of the Ghostscript executable on your server.

The gopp_editor_set_resolution filter is an analogue of the standard wp_editor_set_quality filter mentioned above, and allows one to override the default resolution of 128 DPI used for the PDF preview. For instance, in your theme’s “functions.php”:

function mytheme_gopp_editor_set_resolution( $resolution, $filename ) {     return 100; } add_filter( 'gopp_editor_set_resolution', 'mytheme_gopp_editor_set_resolution', 10, 2 );

Similarly the gopp_editor_set_page filter allows one to override the default of rendering the first page:

function mytheme_gopp_editor_set_page( $page, $filename ) {     return 2; // Render the second page instead. } add_filter( 'gopp_editor_set_page', 'mytheme_gopp_editor_set_page', 10, 2 );

The gopp_image_gs_cmd_path filter is necessary if your Ghostscript installation is in a non-standard location and the plugin fails to determine where it is (if this happens you’ll get a Warning: no Ghostscript! notice on activation):

function mytheme_gopp_image_gs_cmd_path( $gs_cmd_path, $is_win ) {     return $is_win ? 'D:\\My Ghostscript Location\\bin\\gswin32c.exe' : '/my ghostscript location/gs'; } add_filter( 'gopp_image_gs_cmd_path', 'mytheme_gopp_image_gs_cmd_path', 10, 2 );

The filter can also be used just for performance reasons, especially on Windows servers to save searching the registry and directories.

Note that the value of gs_cmd_path is cached as a transient by the plugin for performance reasons, with a lifetime of one day. You can clear it by de-activating and re-activating the plugin, or by manually calling the clear method of the Ghostscript Image Editor:

function mytheme_gopp_init() {     if ( class_exists( 'GOPP_Image_Editor_GS' ) ) {         GOPP_Image_Editor_GS::clear();     } } add_filter( 'init', 'mytheme_gopp_init' );

or for WP-CLI users:

wp transient delete gopp_image_gs_cmd_path

Contributors and developers

“GS Only PDF Preview” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

bonger

Free Version Docs

WPS

6.73

Average

Ratings

5 out of 5 | 8

Version

1.0.7

Last updated

9 years ago

Active installations

1,000+

WordPress version

4.8.0 or higher

PHP version

or higher

Languages

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GS Only PDF Preview Review - In-Depth Analysis

Performance Overview

What It Does

Comparing to Alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

Who Should Use This?

Pricing & Value

Final Verdict

Other Notable Features

Screenshots

FAQ

Contributors and developers

Ratings

Reviews (8)

Sort by:

Contributors & Developers

Interested in development?

Changelog

Security Status

Secure

No Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Known Vulnerabilities (0)

Previous Versions

WPS

6.73

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