How do you hyperlink a pdf from from datagrid control?

[Ken011]

Hello again, all:

So right now, using a datagrid, each pdf file is listed with its associated records:

<asp:HyperLinkColumn HeaderText="<font color=white>PDF</font>" DataNavigateUrlField="filename" DataNavigateUrlFormatString="downloadTracker.aspx?id={0}" DataTextField="filename" Target="_new" />

I want to be able to click on this pdf file called filename and have it open in an adobe reader.

I am so lost as to what to do. Can someone, please assist?

Thanks in advance

 

[ca8msm]

You have a couple of options, the easiest of which is to just do a response.redirect in the "downloadTracker" page to the pdf based on whatever querystring value is passed to it.


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[jmeckley]

if it's a real file you could point the url directly to the file. If you're dynamically generating the report I would suggest a http handler instead of a webform.

url example: viewpdf.ashx?pdfid=1

public class viewpdf : ihttphandler
{
   public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)
   {
      int id = int.Parse(context.Request["pdfid"]);
      byte[] bytes = PDF.Generate(id);

      context.Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
      context.Response.Headers.Add("content-disposition", "inline;filename=mtdocument.pdf");
      context.Response.BinaryWrite(bytes);
   }
}

Jason Meckley
Programmer
Specialty Bakers, Inc.

 

[Ken011]

thank you so much jmeckley,

Your solution is the best I have seen so far.

I have solved it as far as opening a PDF file associated with a record.

However, I like your method, if I can make it work because it allows me to use additional code to track what files are downloaded, etc.

The question that I have is, I am getting PDF not declared on this line:

byte[] bytes = PDF.Generate(id);

How do I resolve it?

Also, what does this mean:

"inline;filename=mtdocument.pdf"

???

Thanks a bunch

 

[jmeckley]

PDG.Generate is just a function i made up. in it's place you would have an object which fetches the document as a byte array.

inline means the file will open automatically for the user. the other option is attachment which will prompt users to Save, Open, Cancel the operation.

filename=doc.pdf is the name you want to associate with the file. it could be anything you want.

Jason Meckley
Programmer
Specialty Bakers, Inc.

 

[Ken011]

thanks for your assistance.