Free .xar reader?

**Xhris** · 24 August 2006, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by remi

As far as I know, there is no XAR format converter.

If you need more info about coding such a converter, you'll find the XAR file format specification here.

Regards,
Remi

It's a shame no one has produced a Xara equivalent to Adobe reader. I've always loathed PDFs, as they are slow and bulky, and Adobe's software is unpleasant to use for many reasons. Having read the gist of the above link, the .xar format really doesn't get the recognition it deserves, and a stand-alone free .xar reader would certainly help. That it could support much more advanced features, is easily upgradeable, and is generally intelligently designed with clear evidence of foresight really makes it astonishing that such a reader doesn't exist. Perhaps Xara themselves would consider producing one; it may help increase awareness of Xara to the general public? Everyone knows what a PDF is.

**Soquili** · 24 August 2006, 12:12 PM

Hi Xhris,

There was a plug-in available for web browsers for .web and .xar files a few years back. Most people put more attention to flash plug-in, and I believe it wasn't economical to put more attention into the Xara plug-in due to the lack of interest.

Third party interest wasn't very high for a .web/.xar reader at that time either.

The other vector companys may have felt that adding a reader for .xar in their programs would highlight their lack of support of the more advanced Xara features. Just my opinion

With the development of the Linux version, there have been request for the release of CDraw under the GPL licensing. When that happens, you will probably see some free .xar readers.

**amoore** · 24 August 2006, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Xhris

I've always loathed PDFs, as they are slow and bulky, and Adobe's software is unpleasant to use for many reasons.

PDFs don't have to be slow and bulky, and Adobe is not the only pdf game in town.

There are several free pdf readers available. Just google, and use what suits you. The freebies have varying levels of capability. Very few people actually need/use most of the bells & whistles crammed into Adobe's Reader, so look for a reader that does what you need. Free eXPert Reader is the one I chose for my boss.

For my reader, I use the Jaws PDF Editor. It's very fast, and it handles most of my pdf work. Not free, but even with the addition of Jaws Creator, it's a lot cheaper than Adobe Acrobat, and it's more reliable. 'Course, it doesn't have so many bells & whistles, but that's why it's faster and cheaper. (Note that Jaws Editor 3.0 barfs on some 1.6 format pdfs, but previous versions of Editor do just fine with them. No problem at all on other formats.)

If you're only making pdfs from Xara, you won't need a distiller or converter since Xara will do that part. If you need pdfs from other apps as well, once again there are free and lower-cost alternatives. I use Jaws for non-Xara pdfs because I need high quality.

Jaws and Acro7 run neck and neck overall when it comes to producing small pdf files. Which one wins the size contest on any given file depends on the contents of the file and the configuration of the pdf generator. Plus, Jaws is always vastly faster than Acro7 in generating pdfs. (I've clocked Jaws at anywhere from 3 to 22 times faster on a given file.)

BTW, Xara's pdfs are pretty fast and generally very compact.

Another pdf app you might look at is Nitro. Costs about the same as the Jaws Creator/Editor combo. Seems to be pretty fast as well, although I haven't tested it the way I have Acro and Jaws.

**samrc** · 24 August 2006, 05:52 PM

PrimoPDF is used by many folks in our office. Another freebie that does pretty well creating.

**tonylondon** · 26 August 2006, 12:40 PM

What I would really like would be an import filter for XAR files for Irfanview.
Tony

**Xhris** · 26 August 2006, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Xhris

It's a shame no one has produced a Xara equivalent to Adobe reader. I've always loathed PDFs, as they are slow and bulky, and Adobe's software is unpleasant to use for many reasons. Having read the gist of the above link, the .xar format really doesn't get the recognition it deserves, and a stand-alone free .xar reader would certainly help. That it could support much more advanced features, is easily upgradeable, and is generally intelligently designed with clear evidence of foresight really makes it astonishing that such a reader doesn't exist. Perhaps Xara themselves would consider producing one; it may help increase awareness of Xara to the general public? Everyone knows what a PDF is.

I was hoping by starting this topic, a discussion about the relative merits of the .xar format over the .pdf format could be discussed.

**Soquili** · 26 August 2006, 05:05 PM

Hi Xhris,

I'm not sure how you can compare .xar with .pdf as they were developed for two entirely different purposes.

Adobe made the .pdf (Portable Document Format) as a means for companies to share documents put prevent the document from being easily edited as was common with word processing files. Graphic artists began using it for the same purpose (not easily edited by another person). It has over time been used for many other purposes and has become the default format for Adobe Illustrator. But it wasn't initially intended for that use.

The .xar format began as a vector graphics file and has had some improvements added as it has grown along with the program that creates it.

I can see that without knowing the history of the file formats it is easy to want to compare them and as .pdf becomes more of a graphics specific format there may be need to consider the similarities or merits of one over the other.

Currently .pdf is still used to a large extent to share text documents although the ability to edit them is more widely available AS freeware programs have appeared.

**Xhris** · 26 August 2006, 06:23 PM

Hi Soquili

Originally Posted by Soquili

I'm not sure how you can compare .xar with .pdf as they were developed for two entirely different purposes.

To quote from the above link "The graphic primitives [of .xar] are broadly similar to those available in Postscript, PDF and SVG." Thus PDF and Xar are comparable. Their original purpose for development is (now) irrelevant.

Originally Posted by Soquili

...there may be need to consider the similarities or merits of one over the other.

My point entirely.

**tonylondon** · 29 August 2006, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by amoore

PDFs don't have to be slow and bulky, and Adobe is not the only pdf game in town.

Thats my experience too. I wouldn't see any need to replace PDFs. Some people hate Adobe. I happen to like most of their products (apart from Illustrator) and find them well thought out.
However getting general purpose viewers to include the XAR format would be useful by making XAR files more widely readable.
Irfanview (the free multipurpose viewer widely available I mentioned previously) has a wide range of input filters for different formats but invites new filters too. They would distribute it with their other free plugins. There are many other viewers on the market, of course.

Tony

**Xhris** · 29 August 2006, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by tonylondon

Thats my experience too. I wouldn't see any need to replace PDFs. Some people hate Adobe. I happen to like most of their products (apart from Illustrator) and find them well thought out.
However getting general purpose viewers to include the XAR format would be useful by making XAR files more widely readable.
Irfanview (the free multipurpose viewer widely available I mentioned previously) has a wide range of input filters for different formats but invites new filters too. They would distribute it with their other free plugins. There are many other viewers on the market, of course.

Tony

...I don't think anyone's suggesting PDFs be replaced, but that the xar format could compete and better them in so many ways. This is the point I'm making, and is analogous to say why in terms of useability specifically, Xara is a better product than illustrator.