Convert PDF.js to UMD Format Automatically: Use Babel and Shell Script for Legacy Browser Compatibility

If you've used **PDF.js** in JavaScript projects, you might have noticed the `pdfjs-dist` package provides files in **ES6 module format** (`.mjs`). But what if your project needs **UMD-compatible** `.js` files instead? In this guide, I'll show you how to **automatically transpile** PDF.js from `.mjs` to UMD using **Babel**—no manual conversion required. --- ## Why Use UMD Instead of ES6 Modules for PDF.js Integration? Before we dive in, let’s clarify the difference: **ES6 Modules (`.mjs`)** - Modern JavaScript standard - Works natively in newer browsers and Node.js - Uses `import/export` syntax **UMD (`.js`)** - Works in **older browsers, Node.js, and AMD loaders** - Better for legacy projects or bundlers that don’t support ES6 If your environment **doesn’t support ES6 modules**, UMD is the way to go. [See how module formats differ →](https://webpack.js.org/concepts/output/#librarytarget) --- ## How to Use Babel to Transpile PDF.js from ES6 Modules to UMD Format Instead of searching for pre-built UMD files (which may not exist), we’ll use **Babel** to convert them automatically. ### Step 1:Install Babel and Required Plugins for UMD Conversion First, install these globally (or locally in your project): ```bash npm install --global @babel/cli @babel/preset-env @babel/plugin-transform-modules-umd ``` - `@babel/cli` → Runs Babel from the command line - `@babel/preset-env` → Converts modern JS to compatible code - `@babel/plugin-transform-modules-umd` → Converts modules to UMD format --- For more on Babel configurations, check out the [official Babel docs](https://babeljs.io/docs/en/configuration). ### Step 2: Create a Shell Script to Transpile PDF.js from .mjs to UMD Save this as **`transpile_pdfjs.sh`**: ```bash #!/bin/bash # Check if Babel is installed if ! command -v npx &> /dev/null; then echo " Error: Babel (via npx) is required. Install Node.js first." exit 1 fi # Define source (.mjs) and destination (UMD .js) folders SRC_DIR="pdfjs-dist/build" DEST_DIR="pdfjs-dist/umd" # Create the output folder if missing mkdir -p "$DEST_DIR" # Run Babel to convert .mjs → UMD .js npx babel "$SRC_DIR" \ --out-dir "$DEST_DIR" \ --extensions ".mjs" \ --ignore "**/*.min.mjs" \ --presets @babel/preset-env \ --plugins @babel/plugin-transform-modules-umd # Check if successful if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then echo " Success! UMD files saved in: $DEST_DIR" else echo " Transpilation failed. Check for errors above." fi ``` --- Merge multiple PDFs into a single file effortlessly with our [Free PDF Merger](https://freetools.nife.io/pdf-merger/ ) and Split large PDFs into smaller, manageable documents using our [Free PDF Splitter](https://freetools.nife.io/pdf-spliter/). ### Step 3:Run Your Babel Transpilation Script for PDF.js 1. Make it executable: ```bash chmod +x transpile_pdfjs.sh ``` 2. Execute it: ```bash ./transpile_pdfjs.sh ``` --- ## What the PDF.js Babel Transpilation Script Actually Does ✔ **Checks for Babel** → Ensures the tool is installed. ✔ **Creates a `umd` folder** → Stores the converted `.js` files. ✔ **Transpiles `.mjs` → UMD** → Uses Babel to convert module formats. ✔ **Skips minified files** → Avoids re-processing `.min.mjs`. Want to automate your JS build process further? Check out this [BrowserStack](https://www.browserstack.com/guide/build-automation). --- ## Final Thoughts: Make PDF.js Compatible with All Browsers Using UMD Format Now you can **use PDF.js in any environment**, even if it doesn’t support ES6 modules! 🔹 **No manual conversion** → Fully automated. 🔹 **Works with the latest `pdfjs-dist`** → Always up-to-date. 🔹 **Reusable script** → Run it anytime you update PDF.js. And if you want to bundle your PDF.js output, [Rollup’s](https://rollupjs.org/guide/en/#outputformat) guide to output formats is a great next read. Next time you need UMD-compatible PDF.js, just **run this script** and you’re done! Simplify the deployment of your Node.js applications Check out this [nife.io](https://nife.io/solutions/Deploy%20Node%20App).

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