MergerMan is a simple, minimal yet robust and efficient PDF merger application that merges two or more PDF file into one PDF file; developed using EJS, Express, Node.js and MongoDB. The application allows users to merge multiple PDF files into a single PDF document.
- Merge multiple PDF files into a single PDF document.
- Session management which enables the server to process multiple users concurrently.
- User-friendly interface for selecting the PDF files.
- Ability to enter the desired range of page numbers of individual PDF file.
- Option to preview the merged PDF document before saving.
- Easy-to-use and intuitive design.
- Sessions stored on NoSQL DB for smooth functioning as serverless functions.
To run the PDF Merger App locally, follow these steps:
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/Akshit1903/MergerMan.git - Navigate to the project directory:
cd merger-man - Install the dependencies:
npm install - Start the server:
node index.js - Open your web browser and go to
http://localhost:3000
- Launch MergerMan in your web browser.
- Click on the "Choose Files" button to select the PDF files you want to merge. You can select as many as you require.
- Select the desired range of indexes of every file.
- Preview the merged PDF document to ensure the order is correct.
- Save the merged PDF document to your desired location on your computer.
- EJS: Templating engine for generating dynamic HTML templates.
- Express: Web application framework for Node.js.
- Node.js: JavaScript runtime environment.
- MongoDB: NoSQL Database, File storage(GridFS)
- PDFMerger: Library for manipulating PDF files.
- Setting up an Express.js Server: How to set up a basic server using Express.js, including installing dependencies, configuring routes, and handling HTTP requests.
- EJS template creation: Acquired knowledge of how to use EJS to build reusable templates for data rendering and display.
- Handling File Uploads: Using middleware called
Multer, I learned how to handle file uploads from the client to the server. Additionally, file handling on the server using JavaScript to check if a file already exists, delete, etc. - Merging PDFs: The logic and techniques required to merge two or more PDF files into a single document. Taking input from the user of specific ranges of each file and combining them in a specific order to create the merged PDF.
- Error Handling:I encountered various potential errors, such as file upload failures or PDF processing issues. I learned how to handle and manage these errors gracefully, providing meaningful error messages to users and ensuring the server remains stable.
- User Experience and UI: I learned how to create a user-friendly interface for adding files, showing options, and offering feedback on the creation of merged PDFs.
- Deployment and Production Considerations: I learned about considerations for deploying the application in a production environment.
- Managing sessions with MongoDB server.
- Setting up GridFS to store user files and using MongoDB Compass for local development.
- Ability to rearrange the order of the PDF files before merging.
- Ensure scalability by reconfiguring sessions.
- Asynchronously waiting to send the merged PDF to the user, instead of waiting for a predefined time to delete the file.