[RESOLVED] Retrieving / displaying a pdf stored above the web root

bbsemail

I am trying to create a script to display pdf docs for a library. On my Linux box, I have the pdfs stored in /var/www/Library/. In other words, at the same level as the html folder (web root) at /var/www/html. I split each book into one pdf per page for improved indexing and display. So, for example, there is a folder named: /var/www/Library/CATJ_1903 with about 300 individual pdfs page_001.pdf page_002.pdf …

How can I display a pdf page from that level? I want to use an IFRAME or AJAX and a div for displaying the pdf. And navigation links to the next/previous page in the book. When a navigation ink is clicked, I want to retrieve and display the desired pdf in the Iframe or div. If I try to use readfile, it sends the pdf's binary code and not the viewable pdf. And, since the pdfs are above the web root, I can't get to them directly. (I put the books there for security, the Library wants to make its research library publicly available, but does not want someone to download/steal the entire collection)

It looks like I nead to "read" the pdf from its current location and then somehow echo it out to the browser. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Brad

Kudose

bbsemail wrote:
it sends the pdf's binary code and not the viewable pdf

Set the proper content type [man]header[/man].

bbsemail

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried that. It prompts to Save or Cancel but doesn't display the pdf. Here is the test script: (since my first attempt didn't work, I tried just copying from the "book")

http://www.automobilelibrary.org/test2.php

<?php
// We'll be outputting a PDF
header('Content-type: application/pdf');

// It will be called ???
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="download.pdf"');

// The PDF source is in original.pdf
readfile('../Library/CATJ_1903/page_415.pdf');
?>

cahva

Leave the second header out and it will/should open inside the browser.

bbsemail

Thank you ... it works! But now it's almost identical to what I started with. The only dif is using your corrected code uses a static file name and my original version used a php variable for the file name. I will keep working on it; thanks again.

bbsemail

As I said, your syntax is quite like my original, if I try to use a variable instr=ead of a static file name, reader throws an error: "... does not begin with %PDF-".

<?php
// We'll be outputting a PDF
header('Content-type: application/pdf');

// The PDF source is in original.pdf
$fil="'../Library/CATJ_1903/page_415.pdf'";
readfile($fil);
?>

bbsemail

That's odd, but good. Firefox displays correctly using a variable, and clearing IE's cache eliminated the error message there. Hopefully all is good now.