How to Access PDF sections to Reduce Bandwidth Load?

[KenArcher]

I have built a web-based application that (among other things) provides links to PDFs sitting on my server. Some of the PDFs are several hundred pages long, though, so I would like to create customized links that download Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, etc, as well as a link that downloads the entire PDF. Where would I get started to do this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tgreer]

You can either link to specific Pages, via the syntax:

http://www.myHost.com/myPDF.pdf#page=5

or, to Acrobat Named Destinations, which is more involved (well, only slightly. You have to create Named Destinations, is all), and link them with:

http://www.myHost.com/myPDF.pdf#nameddest=CHAPTER1

Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[KenArcher]

Thanks! I see that these methods allow you to open an entire PDF to a particular page. Is there a way to link from an HTML page to a section of the PDF (e.g. download only pages 11-25 of a 500 page PDF file to your browser)?

 

[tgreer]

No, not unless they are separate documents. Be aware, however, that PDFs are byte-served. Meaning, that they are streamed to the browser, and pages are displayed before the entire document is transferred.



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[KenArcher]

I am hoping that there is an API provided by Adobe that allows one to link to, and download, a particular section of a pdf. In Acrobat there is an Extract Pages tool, so they have exposed this functionality to Acrobat. Does anyone know if this is exposed to developers as well? Thanks in advance!!

 

[tgreer]

It isn't. Adobe's API is well, not good. If wishes were fishes...



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting