IE won't convert files to PDF

[ywickham]

Hi,

We're working on a solution to print HTML articles into PDF format using a PHP script and HTMLDoc. I have successfully been able to do this conversion with our articles on Mozilla based browsers, but when I try to run the same script on Internet Explorer, only one file, (the one that is found in the same directory as the php script), gets printed to the pdf.

So I found another post that eluded to some additional header settings being needed for Internet Explorer as follows:

$filename= "/path/to/filename.pdf";
$handle = fopen ($filename, "rb");
$buf = fread ($handle, filesize($filename));

$len = strlen($buf);
header("Content-type: application/pdf");
header("Content-Length: $len");
header("Content-Disposition: inline; filename=filename.pdf");
print $buf;

So my question is, if I have multiple files that are being converted into one PDF, should I be duplicating the header lines for "Content-Length" and "Content-Disposition" (without the filename reference)? Or am I approaching this the wrong way?

I would appreciate any help in this as I have already read through the HTTP Protocols manual and the reference for the Content-Disposition Header and really didn't find any references as to how to handle the passing of multiple files.

Thanks!

[AstroTeg]

I haven't tried it, but I'm pretty sure you can only send one content type and mime type at a time. Then you send your file.

If all you're trying to do is send 1 PDF to the browser, then the code you have there should work.

[ywickham]

The code above is not mine, but a sample I found in another forum.

The code I'll include below is mine. I'm sending several files to a PDF. I'm only sending my headers once. As I said before, this code is working in Mozilla based browsers, but not in Internet Explorer:

<?
// Globals...
global $HTTP_GET_VARS;
global $HTTP_HOST;
global $HTTP_REFERER;
global $PHP_SELF;

$url = $HTTP_REFERER;
$prods_local_path = "{local path}/PRODS/";
$prods_http_path = "{web address}/PRODS/";
$prodvar_found = 0;

//Converts the named file/URL to PDF.
function topdf($filenames, $options, $folder) {

$print_filename = $folder."P.PDF";

//Write the content type to the client...
header("Content-Type: application/pdf");
header("Content-Disposition: inline; filename=\"".$print_filename."\"");
flush();

//Standard Files added to PDF
$copyright_file = "{web address}/PDF/copyright.htm";

//Create additional options
$options .= "-t pdf "; //specify output format for document - leave as general pdf
$options .= "--quiet "; //prevents error messages from being sent to stderr
$options .= "--jpeg "; //enables jpeg compression of images
$options .= "--webpage "; //specifies that multiple files comprise a complete web page for printing
$options .= "--continuous "; //allows multiple files to be processed
$options .= "--no-localfiles "; //disables access to local files on system for security
$options .= "--no-compression "; //specifies that Flate compression should not be performed on output files
$options .= "--bodyfont Arial "; //specify default text font used in document body
$options .= "--links "; //specifies that there are to be links in the file
$options .= "--permissions no-copy "; //specify user cannot copy text and images from document
$options .= "--permissions no-modify "; //specify user cannot modify document
$options .= "--permissions print "; //specify user can print document
$options .= "--encryption "; //required with permissions options

//Create Additional Files String
foreach ($filenames as $value) {
	if ($value) {
		$files_to_process .= "'".$value."' ";
	}
}

$files_to_process .= "'$copyright_file' ";

//echo "htmldoc $options $files_to_process";

# Run HTMLDOC to provide the PDF file to the user...
passthru("htmldoc $options $files_to_process");
}


//Locate /PRODS string in url
$prods_pos = strpos($url, '/PRODS');

//Parse out everything before string, including string
$folder = substr($url, $prods_pos + 7);

//Locate slash in folder string
$slash_pos = strpos($folder, '/');

//Parse out everything after slash to create folder
$folder = substr($folder, 0, $slash_pos);

//Check if this is a long-form review
$file_name = $prods_local_path.$folder."/PRODVAR.HTM";

if (file_exists($file_name)) {

$prodvar_found = 1;

//Locate last slash in rekey URL
$slash_pos = strrpos($url, '/');

//Parse out everything before last slash, including slash
$prefix = substr($url, $slash_pos + 1);

//Locate A marker in remaining string
$period_pos = strrpos($prefix, 'A');

//Parse out everything after A marker to create prefix
$prefix = substr($prefix, 0, $period_pos);

//Create array of files present in directory for PDF printing
$i = 1;
$content_file = $prods_local_path.$folder."/".$prefix."A1.htmf";
while (file_exists($content_file)) {

	//Create correct file path string
	$content_file = $prods_http_path.$folder."/".$prefix."A".$i.".htmf";

	//Add file to array
	$files_to_pdf[$i] = $content_file;

	//Create next file to check for addition to array
	$i++;
	$content_file = $prods_local_path.$folder."/".$prefix."A".$i.".htmf";
}

//Check if last file had a 'html' extension
if (file_exists($content_file)) {

	//Create correct file path string
	$content_file = $prods_http_path.$folder."/".$prefix."A".$i.".htmf";

	//Add file to array
	$files_to_pdf[$i] = $content_file;
}
}

//Process as short form review if not long-form
if (!$prodvar_found) {

//Add files to array
if (file_exists($prods_local_path.$folder."/001.htmf")) {

	$files_to_pdf[0] = $prods_http_path.$folder."/001.htmf";
} elseif (file_exists($prods_local_path.$folder."/001.htm")) {

	$files_to_pdf[0] = $prods_http_path.$folder."/001.htm";
} else {
}

if (file_exists($prods_local_path.$folder."/002.htmf")) {

	$files_to_pdf[1] = $prods_http_path.$folder."/002.htmf";
} elseif (file_exists($prods_local_path.$folder."/002.htm")) {

	$files_to_pdf[1] = $prods_http_path.$folder."/002.htm";
} else {
}
}

$options = "";
topdf($files_to_pdf, $options, $folder);
?>

[necron]

ywickham - sorry, this is a really old post, I know, but I have got the same problem as you had. Did you ever manage to fix the problem?

Thanks.

[ywickham]

Sorry, but I found no fix for it. I actually abandoned the project will be picking it up again with the FPDF library.

I really wanted to make HTMLDoc work, but even when it did work, it had a bug that couldn't be gotten around.

Best of luck.