I’ve noticed something interesting about Google Docs in Chrome. It can turn off the default headers and footers when printing. You know, the ones with the URL, date, and page numbers.
This only happens in Chrome though. In other browsers, you have to manually remove them in the print settings. Safari even creates a PDF on the server side.
I’ve looked all over for info on how this works, but came up empty. The JavaScript in Google Docs is all minified, so it’s hard to figure out.
Has anyone cracked this mystery? How does Google Docs pull this off in Chrome? I’d love to know before I dive into that mess of code myself.
Any ideas or insights would be super helpful!
hey there! i’ve noticed this too. it’s pretty nifty how google docs does that in chrome. my guess is they’re using some chrome-specific api or feature that lets them control the print settings directly. maybe something to do with the chrome printing system? not sure tho, just throwing out ideas. hope someone knows more!
This is an intriguing observation about Google Docs’ print behavior in Chrome. Based on my experience with web development, I suspect Google is leveraging Chrome’s advanced printing capabilities through the chrome.printing API. This API allows for more granular control over print settings, including headers and footers. Google likely implements a custom print function that overrides the default browser print dialog, giving them precise control over the output. It’s a clever use of browser-specific features to enhance user experience. However, without access to Google’s proprietary code, it’s challenging to confirm the exact mechanism. Perhaps exploring Chrome’s extension APIs could provide further insights into this functionality.
As a developer who’s worked on browser-based applications, I can shed some light on this. Google Docs likely utilizes Chrome’s advanced printing capabilities through the chrome.printing API. This isn’t available in other browsers, which explains the Chrome-specific behavior.
The API allows for fine-grained control over print settings, including headers and footers. Google probably implements a custom print function that bypasses the default print dialog, giving them precise control over the output.
I’ve experimented with similar techniques in my projects. It’s a bit tricky to set up, but once you get it working, it offers a much better user experience. The downside is that it’s not cross-browser compatible, so you need fallback options for other browsers.
If you’re really curious, you might want to look into Chrome’s extension APIs. They offer some insights into these advanced printing capabilities, even if you can’t see Google’s exact implementation.