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Stirling-PDF Development Faces Challenges with PDF Conversion and User Authentication Issues

Stirling-PDF, a Java-based web application for comprehensive PDF manipulation, has experienced significant user-reported issues over the past month, particularly concerning PDF conversion errors and OAuth2 login problems, which may impact its usability and security.

Recent Activity

The project has seen a surge in user-reported issues, with 172 open issues currently. Notable problems include the inability to convert certain PDFs due to missing dependencies (#1709) and OAuth2-related login errors (#1706). Feature requests such as splitting files on QR codes (#1737) and adding Elestio as a deployment option (#1735) indicate a demand for enhanced functionality. The development team, led by Ludy (Ludy87) and Anthony Stirling (Frooodle), has been actively addressing these concerns through bug fixes and feature enhancements. Their recent activities include:

Of Note

  1. Conversion Challenges: Persistent issues with PDF-to-Word conversion resulting in blank documents (#1733) highlight significant challenges in maintaining reliable conversion features.
  2. User Authentication Vulnerabilities: Multiple reports of OAuth2 login errors (#1706) suggest potential security vulnerabilities that require urgent attention.
  3. Feature Expansion Requests: Users are actively requesting new features like QR code-based splitting (#1737) and multi-format uploads (#1718), indicating a demand for more versatile functionalities.
  4. Localization Efforts: Ongoing updates to language files show a strong commitment to supporting a diverse user base, with recent contributions improving Turkish and Italian translations.
  5. Deployment Options: The addition of Elestio as a deployment option (#1735) reflects efforts to simplify deployment processes for users.

This analysis underscores the need for the Stirling-PDF team to prioritize resolving critical conversion and authentication issues while continuing to expand its feature set in response to user feedback.

Quantified Reports

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Recent GitHub Issues Activity

Timespan Opened Closed Comments Labeled Milestones
7 Days 15 16 23 10 1
30 Days 43 49 63 23 1
90 Days 153 119 333 90 1
1 Year 353 198 899 165 1
All Time 721 549 - - -

Like all software activity quantification, these numbers are imperfect but sometimes useful. Comments, Labels, and Milestones refer to those issues opened in the timespan in question.

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Quantified Commit Activity Over 30 Days

Developer Avatar Branches PRs Commits Files Changes
Felix Kaspar 1 0/0/0 7 46 3345
Ludy 1 20/20/0 20 99 2489
Anthony Stirling 8 10/8/4 48 141 1760
Son Tran Lam 1 0/1/0 1 4 1143
Aindriú Mac Giolla Eoin 1 1/1/0 1 4 1140
LizardWizardGB 1 1/1/0 1 3 1132
Guilherme L. Leite Marques 1 1/1/0 1 2 745
Rafael Martins 1 1/1/0 1 1 464
github-actions[bot] 1 27/27/0 27 4 356
a 2 0/0/0 3 83 313
PingLin8888 1 2/2/0 2 10 236
HimaGirija 1 1/1/0 1 1 194
Mateusz Tylec 1 1/1/0 1 1 179
an-777 1 1/1/0 1 1 90
Diallo 1 2/1/1 1 3 89
Manohar Mannam 1 1/1/0 1 1 82
mylk13 1 1/1/0 1 7 66
tkymmm 1 1/1/0 1 1 44
dependabot[bot] 1 19/15/7 15 4 44
GitHub Action 1 0/0/0 1 1 38
arsvendg 1 1/1/0 1 1 36
albanobattistella 1 3/3/0 3 1 34
DeH40 1 1/1/0 1 1 30
congyuluo 1 1/1/0 1 2 22
Jean-Baptiste WITTNER 1 1/1/0 1 2 13
kmau 1 1/1/0 1 1 6
Црнобог 1 1/1/0 1 1 2
None (pixeebot[bot]) 1 1/1/0 1 1 2
cary (hxlcw) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Hamza YILMAZ (radiatez) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
None (tanseer123) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0
Kaiwalya Koparkar (kaiwalyakoparkar) 0 1/0/0 0 0 0

PRs: created by that dev and opened/merged/closed-unmerged during the period

Detailed Reports

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Recent Activity Analysis

The Stirling-PDF project has seen significant recent activity, with 172 open issues and a variety of new feature requests and bug reports. Notably, several users have reported issues related to PDF conversion, particularly with OCR functionality and the handling of specific file formats. There is a clear trend towards enhancing user experience with requests for improved UI elements, better error handling, and additional features like multi-language support and image processing capabilities.

Several critical issues stand out, including the inability to convert certain PDF files due to missing dependencies (e.g., unoconv), which could hinder usability. Additionally, there are multiple reports of problems with the login system when using OAuth2 configurations, indicating potential security concerns that need addressing.

Issue Details

Most Recently Created Issues:

  1. Issue #1737: [Feature Request]: Split file on QR Codes

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 1 day ago
    • Description: A request to implement functionality that allows splitting PDFs based on QR codes present in the document.
  2. Issue #1735: Adding Elestio as deployment option

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 1 day ago
    • Description: Proposal to add Elestio as a deployment option for Stirling-PDF.
  3. Issue #1733: [Feature Request]: When I convert PDF to WORD, the output Word document is blank

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 1 day ago
    • Description: Users report that converting PDFs to Word results in blank documents.
  4. Issue #1718: [Feature Request]: Upload multiple files in different formats as .zip, output as PDF

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 4 days ago
    • Description: Suggestion for a feature that allows uploading a ZIP file containing various formats for conversion into a single PDF.
  5. Issue #1709: [Bug]: Error Internal Server Error: java.io.IOException: Command process failed...

    • Priority: Bug
    • Status: Open
    • Created: 5 days ago (Edited)
    • Description: A critical error related to the unavailability of required libraries for PDF conversion.

Most Recently Updated Issues:

  1. Issue #1706: [Bug]: Error: 405 Method Not Allowed when hit click on Sign in button

    • Priority: Bug
    • Status: Open (Edited)
    • Last Updated: 4 days ago
    • Description: Users are encountering method not allowed errors during sign-in attempts.
  2. Issue #1678: [Feature Request]: Adjust contrast also with the API

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open (Edited)
    • Last Updated: 9 days ago
    • Description: A request to allow contrast adjustments via API calls.
  3. Issue #1663: [Feature Request]: Add deploy to other platforms

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open (Edited)
    • Last Updated: 12 days ago
    • Description: Suggestion to add deployment options for additional platforms.
  4. Issue #1634: [Feature Request]: Convert BASE64 to PDF

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open (Edited)
    • Last Updated: 18 days ago
    • Description: Request for functionality to convert BASE64 encoded files back into PDFs.
  5. Issue #1506: [Feature Request]: google-symbol.woff2 font is too large

    • Priority: Enhancement
    • Status: Open (Edited)
    • Last Updated: 3 days ago
    • Description: Concern regarding the size of a specific font impacting load times.

Common Themes and Anomalies

  • There is a notable focus on improving conversion capabilities, particularly regarding how different file formats are handled.
  • The presence of multiple bugs related to user authentication and session management suggests potential vulnerabilities that need urgent attention.
  • Feature requests often emphasize enhancing usability through better UI elements and additional functionalities, indicating user demand for a more intuitive experience.
  • The high volume of issues related to OCR functionality highlights a critical area where users are facing challenges, which could impact the overall effectiveness of the tool.
  • Several users have expressed frustration over configuration complexities, particularly with OAuth2 setups, suggesting a need for clearer documentation or simplified configuration processes.

This analysis indicates that while Stirling-PDF has robust capabilities, ongoing attention is needed to address user-reported issues and enhance overall functionality and security.

Report On: Fetch pull requests



Overview

The Stirling-PDF project has a total of 8 open pull requests (PRs) and 904 closed PRs. The recent activity indicates a focus on enhancing documentation, improving user experience, and addressing bugs and feature requests.

Summary of Pull Requests

  1. PR #1746: Update 3rd Party Licenses

    • State: Open
    • Created: 0 days ago
    • Description: Auto-generated update to the third-party licenses file.
    • Significance: Maintains compliance with licensing requirements.
  2. PR #1736: Update README: Added Elestio as one-click deploy option

    • State: Open
    • Created: 1 day ago
    • Description: Introduces Elestio as a new one-click deployment option in the README.
    • Significance: Enhances deployment options for users.
  3. PR #1711: Incomplete Turkish language completed

    • State: Open
    • Created: 4 days ago
    • Description: Completes the Turkish language translation for the application.
    • Significance: Improves accessibility for Turkish-speaking users.
  4. PR #1603: Added a pagingSeal feature to the stamp function

    • State: Open
    • Created: 26 days ago, edited 10 days ago
    • Description: Adds a new feature allowing stamps to span across pages in PDFs.
    • Significance: Enhances functionality for users needing multi-page stamping.
  5. PR #1604: Enhance auto-rename functionality with additional options

    • State: Open
    • Created: 25 days ago, edited 17 days ago
    • Description: Introduces keyword-based renaming and regex support for files.
    • Significance: Increases user flexibility in managing file names.
  6. PR #1548: User Friendly Merge File Selection

    • State: Open
    • Created: 45 days ago, edited 17 days ago
    • Description: Implements user-friendly changes to file selection for merging PDFs.
    • Significance: Aims to improve user experience during file operations.
  7. PR #1544: Button in wrong language

    • State: Open
    • Created: 46 days ago, edited 17 days ago
    • Description: Makes the file input form translatable, addressing localization issues.
    • Significance: Enhances internationalization efforts.
  8. PR #1479: [DRAFT] [Help wanted] Sign zoom handles

    • State: Open
    • Created: 67 days ago, edited 20 days ago
    • Description: Draft PR addressing zoom functionality for signatures in PDFs but requires further work.
    • Significance: Indicates ongoing development and need for collaboration on complex features.

Analysis of Pull Requests

The current set of open pull requests reflects a diverse range of enhancements and fixes aimed at improving both functionality and user experience within the Stirling-PDF project. Notably, there is an emphasis on documentation updates, particularly in the README file, which is crucial for onboarding new users and providing clear instructions on deploying and using the application effectively.

Themes and Commonalities

A recurring theme among these PRs is the focus on enhancing usability through improved documentation (e.g., PRs #1736, #1548) and adding new features that cater to user needs (e.g., PRs #1603 and #1604). These enhancements not only aim to make the application more accessible but also expand its capabilities, such as the introduction of the pagingSeal feature which allows stamps to span multiple pages—a significant improvement for users needing advanced PDF manipulation features.

Anomalies

One notable anomaly is the presence of a draft PR (#1479) that highlights ongoing challenges with implementing zoom functionality for signatures. This indicates potential complexities in feature development that may require additional collaboration or expertise from other contributors. The request for help suggests that while there is active development, certain areas may be bottlenecked due to technical difficulties or resource constraints.

Lack of Recent Merge Activity

While there are several active PRs, it is concerning that many have been open for several days without merges or substantial reviewer feedback. This could indicate potential issues with reviewer availability or prioritization of tasks within the project team. It may be beneficial for project maintainers to establish clearer timelines or processes for reviewing and merging contributions to maintain momentum in development.

Conclusion

Overall, the current pull request landscape reveals a proactive approach towards enhancing Stirling-PDF's functionality and user experience while also addressing localization needs through translation efforts. However, attention should be given to ensuring timely reviews and merges to prevent stagnation in project progress, especially as user expectations grow with increasing feature requests and community engagement.

Report On: Fetch commits



Repo Commits Analysis

Development Team and Recent Activity

Team Members:

  1. Ludy (Ludy87)

    • Recent activity includes 20 commits focused on bug fixes and feature enhancements, such as making the Login Attempt Service deactivatable, fixing eager loading issues, and addressing various validation problems. Collaborated with Anthony Stirling on multiple fixes.
    • Notable contributions include updates to security configurations and improvements in user authentication processes.
  2. Anthony Stirling (Frooodle)

    • Contributed 48 commits, primarily involving code cleanups, bug fixes, and feature enhancements. Key activities include fixing eager loading, cleaning up logs, and updating the README for translation progress.
    • Worked closely with Ludy on several issues and contributed to the overall maintenance of the project.
  3. github-actions[bot]

    • Automated contributions through 27 commits related to syncing the README and updating translation progress tables.
  4. albanobattistella

    • Made 3 commits focusing on updating language files for Italian translations.
  5. guinuxbr

    • Contributed 1 commit that involved significant changes to Brazilian Portuguese translation files.
  6. dependabot[bot]

    • Engaged in dependency management with 15 commits, ensuring libraries are up-to-date.
  7. PingLin8888

    • Contributed 2 commits related to fixing bugs in PDF image removal functionality.
  8. Others:

    • Several contributors made minor updates or translations across various languages.

Recent Activities:

  • Ludy has been actively fixing bugs and enhancing features related to user authentication and validation processes.
  • Anthony Stirling has focused on code quality improvements and collaboration with Ludy on security-related changes.
  • The team is also engaged in managing dependencies effectively, with contributions from dependabot.
  • There is a strong emphasis on maintaining multi-language support, as seen in recent updates to translation files by multiple contributors.
  • The development process appears collaborative, with many co-authored commits indicating teamwork among developers.

Patterns and Themes:

  • A consistent focus on improving user authentication and security features.
  • Ongoing efforts to enhance code quality through cleanups and refactoring.
  • Active management of dependencies suggests a commitment to keeping the project up-to-date with the latest libraries.
  • High engagement in multi-language support reflects the project's goal of accessibility for a diverse user base.
  • The use of automated tools (like GitHub Actions) indicates a streamlined workflow for managing documentation and translations.

Conclusions:

The development team is actively engaged in enhancing the Stirling-PDF project through collaborative efforts focused on security, usability, and maintainability. The project benefits from a diverse set of contributors who are committed to improving its functionality while ensuring it remains user-friendly across multiple languages.