Streamlining PDF File Streaming in Node.js: Boost Performance and Improve User Experience

Adarrsh Paul
2 min readMay 13, 2023

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Introduction: In today’s digital age, efficient streaming of PDF files is paramount for delivering a seamless user experience and optimizing search engine rankings.

import { Request, Response } from 'express';
import { pipeline } from 'stream';
import { S3 } from 'aws-sdk';

const s3 = new S3();
const bucketName = 'your-bucket-name';

const downloadPdf = async (fileKey: string, res: Response, id: string): Promise<void> => {
try {
const options = {
Bucket: bucketName,
Key: fileKey,
};

const headObjectResult = await s3.headObject(options).promise();
const contentLength = headObjectResult.ContentLength;

res.set({
'Content-Type': 'application/pdf',
'Content-Length': contentLength,
'Content-Disposition': `attachment; filename=${id}.pdf`,
});

const fileStream = s3.getObject(options).createReadStream();

await pipeline(fileStream, res);

console.log('Successfully sent the data');
} catch (err) {
console.error('Error streaming data:', err);
if (err.statusCode) {
res.status(err.statusCode).json({ error: err.code });
} else {
res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to stream data' });
}
}
};

In conclusion, by embracing the technical intricacies of streaming PDF files in Node.js and implementing the recommended techniques, you can create a high-performance web application that delivers PDF content seamlessly, captivates your audience, and ranks well in search engine results. So, take advantage of these strategies, optimize your PDF streaming process, and unlock the full potential of your Node.js application in terms of performance, user experience, and search engine visibility.

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