mozilla/pdf.js · error · ParserEOFException

End of file inside array.

Error message

End of file inside array.

What it means

Thrown as a ParserEOFException by Parser.getObj() while collecting array elements. The loop reads objects until it sees ']' or EOF; if EOF arrives first the array is unterminated. In recoveryMode the partial array is returned instead of throwing — recovery mode is used during PDF repair.

Source

Thrown at src/core/parser.js:138

   */
  getObj(cipherTransform = null) {
    const buf1 = this.buf1;
    this.shift();

    if (buf1 instanceof Cmd) {
      switch (buf1.cmd) {
        case "BI": // inline image
          return this.makeInlineImage(cipherTransform);
        case "[": // array
          const array = [];
          while (!isCmd(this.buf1, "]") && this.buf1 !== EOF) {
            array.push(this.getObj(cipherTransform));
          }
          if (this.buf1 === EOF) {
            if (this.recoveryMode) {
              return array;
            }
            throw new ParserEOFException("End of file inside array.");
          }
          this.shift();
          return array;
        case "<<": // dictionary or stream
          const dict = new Dict(this.xref);
          while (!isCmd(this.buf1, ">>") && this.buf1 !== EOF) {
            if (!(this.buf1 instanceof Name)) {
              info("Malformed dictionary: key must be a name object");
              this.shift();
              continue;
            }

            const key = this.buf1.name;
            this.shift();
            if (this.buf1 === EOF) {
              break;
            }
            dict.set(key, this.getObj(cipherTransform));

View on GitHub (pinned to 5903d58d58)

Solutions

1. Ensure the PDF file is complete — re-download or verify file size against Content-Length.
2. If using range requests (disableRange/enableRange), confirm all requested ranges were satisfied.
3. For repair, PDF.js retries parsing in recoveryMode which returns the partial array; if that's insufficient, rebuild the PDF with qpdf/Ghostscript.
4. Catch ParserEOFException at the document-load level to fail gracefully.

try {
  await pdfjsLib.getDocument({ data }).promise;
} catch (e) {
  if (e.name === 'ParserEOFException') { /* truncated PDF */ }
  else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: getObj() handles a '[' command and loops reading objects; this.buf1 becomes EOF before ']' is found. Indicates the PDF stream was truncated mid-array or the array's closing bracket is missing/corrupted.

Common situations: A truncated PDF (download interrupted, range-request gaps), a PDF whose object stream or body was cut off, or corruption that consumed the ']'. Common with partially-written or damaged files. The parser's recoveryMode (enabled on second-chance parsing) suppresses this.

Related errors

• End of file inside dictionary.
• Dictionary key must be a name object
• Duplicate entry in "${this._type}" tree.
• Invalid header in flate stream: ${cmf}, ${flg}
• Parent must be a dictionary.

AI-assisted analysis of mozilla/pdf.js@5903d58d58 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/713258b9962acf84. Report an issue: GitHub.