PDFXplorer

Analyzing PDF documents can be done with several goals in mind, but mainly it’s to debug a wide range of problems or check if the file is infected with malware. Such workflows require a specialized solution, however, and while PDF readers and editors are plentiful, not the same can be said about analyzer tools that let you get deep into the weeds.

PDFXplorer is an aptly named software application that will enable you to inspect the internals of PDF files at the lowest level. Viewing all that data is facilitated by a tree-based representation of PDF structures, resulting in a more intuitive process for users.

The program is an effort to provide users with the means of analyzing the internal structure of PDF files within an intuitive interface. To that end, the software delivers by offering an environment that is well-suited for such a workflow.

Add your document, and the program will retrieve all of its data. There are three explorers you can use to inspect it: one for its internal structure, one for its pages, and one for its references.

Not all PDFs are made equal, which is why some of these views may vary in complexity. In any case, the program will present you with everything there is about the selected document.

Perhaps the most noteworthy feature is the Structure Explorer itself, which displays all the retrieved data by way of a tree-based view. Everything is broken down into the relevant categories. Hex and text views are both available depending on the content.

The xref Explorer can also come in handy for diagnosing any references-related issues, but as is the case with such tools, understanding this information and modifying it requires a good deal of knowledge on the inner workings of PDFs and programming in general.

PDFXplorer is a free program that’ll help you study the code behind PDF files, so that you can gain a deeper understanding of how the format works, and why not, even diagnose any potential problems you may come across.