PDF display

lintay

I would like to know if it is possible to display existing pdfs from within a php template.

I have seen a lot of information on how to use php to create a pdf and then display it, but I can't seem to adapt any of those concepts to use to "include" pdfs created in Adobe Acrobat 5.0.

My work around is to have pdf links from my php page template open in a new window. I would prefer to have pdf links display within the template just like my html pages do.

I would appreciate any suggestions!

Natty_Dreadlock

if i understand u correctly, u wanna get the information out of the php file and output it as html. I don't know if there's a pdf parser for php somewhere on the net, I never heard of one....
So maybe someone else knows a source - or check google

lintay

I think so??
I am essentially trying to mimic the functionality of the "include" function that allows me to display html pages from within my php template.

Natty_Dreadlock

ok i will try to find some pdf parser... would be a nice function for a lot of apps.

Natty_Dreadlock

check out http://pdftohtml.sourceforge.net/ . there's a c app that converts pdf to (x)html - maybe u can compile it on your machine, and call it via system/exec with the necessary arguments and store the html files in a folder. then just include 'em . One hint: when u use include in order to display your html pages, everybody who may add pages can add php code to them, too, because include() executes any code in the file. So maybe its better to output your pages using echo implode("", file("myfile.htm")); I just told u to avoid possible security holes has nothing to do with the pdf support.

lintay

After looking into your suggestion I have realized that I need the page/document to remain in pdf format. I guess this means I am looking for a way to open a pdf reader from php.

I am working on a RedHat Linux platform - can I run acroread from my php script?

Thanks for the great hint on the include! I've tried it and it works well!

Natty_Dreadlock

i think u wanna present the pdf files to your clients so installing acroread does not thelp u at all... your clients must install acroread or have a special browser plugin and and then the files should show up just in their browser...

Sxooter

Can't you just link it in with an anchor tag:

<A HREF="phonebook.pdf">phonebook</A>

hi-liter

perhaps you could load it into an <iframe>, just don't look at that page in ns 4.x..., or if concerned, feed ns4.x some other code.

still will need acrobat reader tho, of course.

lintay

Unfortunately, providing a link to the pdf
<A HREF="phonebook.pdf">phonebook</A>
will not get me closer to my goal of opening the pdf document inside a table in my php page template.

I have a php template that displays a menu based on queries to a MySQL database. Once a menu item is selected (if it is an html doc) the document is opened in a table on the same page. I would like to be able to do the same with a large number of pre-existing pdfs.

Here is a sample page - featuring a pdf opening in it's own window instead of within my php framework.

http://www.town.milton.on.ca/template.php?selectID=229&type=Business&cselect=4

Sxooter

pdfs aren't page embeddable, as far as I know.

You could use a frameset to do it.

the other option is to use pdflib and embed your html links and stuff in a pdf and deliver that.

lintay

I will try playing around with the frames option.

Thanks everyone, for all of your help 🙂

Sxooter

The other possibility might be to render the pdf file to a jpg / png and embed that.

lintay

Perfect!!
That never would have occurred to me - I was looking for something much more complicated...
Thanks so much!!