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How We Built a Desktop-Class Editor That Runs in Chrome

People said you couldn't build a professional PDF editor in JavaScript. They were wrong. By leveraging WebAssembly (Wasm), LanaPDF delivers native app performance without the native app download size.

For decades, "web-based" meant "slow" and "limited." If you wanted to do serious creative or professional work, you had to download a 500MB installer and run a desktop application. But the browser has evolved.

The Power of WebAssembly

WebAssembly (Wasm) is a new type of code that can be run in modern web browsers. It provides a way to run code written in languages like C++ and Rust on the web at near-native speed. This is the secret sauce behind LanaPDF.

Why It Matters

By compiling our core PDF processing engine to WebAssembly, we can perform complex operations - like rerendering vector graphics, embedding fonts, and flattening layers - milliseconds faster than traditional JavaScript. It's the performance of a desktop app, with the convenience of a website.