[RESOLVED] Need help with PDF files

[peakymatt]

Hi All

I know this has probably been done to death, however I can't work it out. I am very new to php and am trying to get a pdf file to download. When I click on the link to download the file, it directs to a server page with all the pdf files listed.

I need to be able to download from the first page. I think it has something to do with headers, but I can't apply what I have read to my file.

Please help.

The URL for you to see my problem is:

http://www.casaliving.com.au/testing/download.php

Please help, I'm starting to think that I'm going to be able to get this job finished.

Thanks

Matt

[bradgrafelman]

Your link points to:

http://www.casaliving.com.au/testing/pdf/?ID=WickerStorageBoxAssembly.pdf

Since there is no index file (index.php, index.html, default.htm, etc. etc.), the Apache webserver is configured to simply show a directory listing.

Why, then, aren't you simply linking directly to the PDF file from the first page?

[peakymatt]

Hi bradgrafelman

I guess that's what I am trying to do, but as the filename etc is stored in a DB and the pdf in "pdf" folder I am trying to link to them dynamically, as you can upload pdf files via a form in the back end of the site.

Being new to this whole thing, maybe I am looking at it the wrong way around.

Please help, and it indicate what I SHOULD be doing.

thanks

[bradgrafelman]

Getting the filename doesn't seem to be an issue, since you've placed it in the query string of the URL.

My question is why are you generating URLs with a query string at all? Why are you putting the filename after "?ID=" instead of simply linking directly to the file?

[peakymatt]

Maybe I need it explaining to me like I'm a four year old.

So how do I do that and call the unique file when the file is dependant on what gets uploaded to the DB and server to begin with, without knowing what the file will be, isn't that why we use the "?ID=" ?

I'm very confused. I'm sure this isn't a hard concept

[sneakyimp]

Well you haven't posted your source code for your PHP file. The code in that php file is probably already talking to your SQL server and fetching all the pdf filenames. The problem is that the links it creates don't actually point to the pdf files.

Brad's suggesting that you modify the php script so that instead of a link like this:

http://www.casaliving.com.au/testing/pdf/?ID=WickerStorageBoxAssembly.pdf

You change the PHP code to make links like this:

http://www.casaliving.com.au/testing/pdf/WickerStorageBoxAssembly.pdf

But, neither brad nor I know whether that is actually a link to a real pdf file or not. The first type of link could be valid if your server was configured a certain way but apparently it's not.

Given the amount of trouble you are having, you may want to try and find someone to work on this who's a bit more attuned to the programmer's way of thought.

[peakymatt]

Hi Guys, thanks for all your help. Sneakyimp, the url

http://www.casaliving.com.au/testing/pdf/WickerStorageBoxAssembly.pdf

is what I am trying to link to (one of the files anyway). "WickerStorageBoxAssembly.pdf" is the actual filename.

How do I link directly to that file though without knowing the name of the file, seeing though the files will be added over time as the client uploads them? That's where I thought the ""ID=" bit came in

[peakymatt]

Thought I would attach the code for the page. I apologise now, it i probably a mess.

<?php require_once('Connections/casalivi_CASA.php'); ?>
<?php
if (!function_exists("GetSQLValueString")) {
function GetSQLValueString($theValue, $theType, $theDefinedValue = "", $theNotDefinedValue = "") 
{
  if (PHP_VERSION < 6) {
    $theValue = get_magic_quotes_gpc() ? stripslashes($theValue) : $theValue;
  }

  $theValue = function_exists("mysql_real_escape_string") ? mysql_real_escape_string($theValue) : mysql_escape_string($theValue);

  switch ($theType) {
    case "text":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;    

    case "long":
    case "int":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? intval($theValue) : "NULL";
      break;
    case "double":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? doubleval($theValue) : "NULL";
      break;
    case "date":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? "'" . $theValue . "'" : "NULL";
      break;
    case "defined":
      $theValue = ($theValue != "") ? $theDefinedValue : $theNotDefinedValue;
      break;
  }
  return $theValue;
}
}

mysql_select_db($database_casalivi_CASA, $casalivi_CASA);
$query_rsAbout = "SELECT * FROM pdf";
$rsAbout = mysql_query($query_rsAbout, $casalivi_CASA) or die(mysql_error());
$row_rsAbout = mysql_fetch_assoc($rsAbout);
$totalRows_rsAbout = mysql_num_rows($rsAbout);


$currentPage = $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"];

$queryString_RS_test = "";
if (!empty($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'])) {
  $params = explode("&", $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']);
  $newParams = array();
  foreach ($params as $param) {
    if (stristr($param, "pageNum_RS_test") == false && 
        stristr($param, "totalRows_RS_test") == false) {
      array_push($newParams, $param);
    }
  }
  if (count($newParams) != 0) {
    $queryString_RS_test = "&" . htmlentities(implode("&", $newParams));
  }
}
$queryString_RS_test = sprintf("&totalRows_RS_test=%d%s", $totalRows_RS_test, $queryString_RS_test);
?>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><!-- InstanceBegin template="/Templates/casa_main.dwt.php" codeOutsideHTMLIsLocked="false" -->
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="doctitle" -->
<title>CASA Care and Maintenace Page</title>
<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
<link href="css/stylesheet.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="css/menu_style.css" />

<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="head" -->
<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->

<script src="SpryAssets/SpryMenuBar.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<link href="SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarHorizontal.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
</head>

<body>
<div class="HeaderContainerOuter">
  <div class="HeaderContainer">
    <div class="SmallNavContainer"></div>
    <div class="NavContainer">
      <div id="container">
        <ul id="MenuNav" class="MenuBarHorizontal">
          <li><a href="index.php">home</a>          </li>
          <li><a href="#" class="MenuBarItemSubmenu">profile</a>
            <ul>
              <li><a href="payment.php">payment info</a></li>
              <li><a href="about.php">about us</a></li>
            </ul>
          </li>
          <li><a class="MenuBarItemSubmenu" href="#">shop</a>
            <ul>
              <li><a href="wickerHome.php">wicker &amp; outdoor</a>              </li>
              <li><a href="tableHome.php">tables &amp; chairs</a></li>
              <li><a href="bedHome.php">beds &amp; mattresses</a></li>
              <li><a href="loungeHome.php">lounges</a></li>
              <li><a href="accessHome.php">accessories</a></li>
            </ul>
          </li>
          <li><a href="#">specials</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="MenuBarItemSubmenu">support</a>
            <ul>
              <li><a href="faq.php">faq's</a></li>
              <li><a href="contact.php">contact info</a></li>
              <li><a href="warranty.php">warranty</a></li>
              <li><a href="careHome.php">care &amp; maintenance</a></li>
            </ul>
          </li>
        </ul>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
<div class="ContentContainerOuter"> 
<div class="ContentContainerText"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="Body" -->  

  <p><span class="setting">Welcome to the CASA PDF Download Page</span><br />
    <br />
    Select the links below to download the insstructions that you need to help assemble your product.<br />
  </p>
 <table width="82%" align="center" class="table">
   <tr>
     <td width="35%"><p><strong><?php echo $row_rsAbout['pdfName']; ?></strong></p></td>
     <td width="6%" align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><img src="images/pdf_icon.jpg" alt="pdf_icon" width="31" height="30" /></td>
     <td width="59%" align="center" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><a href="pdf?ID=<?php echo $row_rsAbout['name']; ?>"><?php echo $row_rsAbout['name_loc']; ?></a></td>
   </tr>
 </table>
<p><br />
</p>
<!-- InstanceEndEditable --><br />
  <table width="400" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="1" class="shopheader_categorytree">
    <tr>
      <td><div align="center"><a href="index.php">home</a></div></td>
      <td><div align="center"><a href="testim_view.php">testimonials</a></div></td>
      <td><div align="center"><a href="download.php">downloads</a></div></td>
      <td align="center"><a href="contact.php">contact Us</a></td>
      <td align="center"><a href="login.php">admin</a></td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="FooterContainerOuter">
<div class="FooterContainer">
  <br />
  <table width="611" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="1">
    <tr>
      <td align="center"><p><img src="images/call.jpg" alt="Call: 0466 110 109" width="192" height="25" /></p>
        <p>© 2010 casa collezione
          <br />
        <strong>abn: </strong>61 134 546 704</p></td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  <p>&nbsp;</p> 
  </div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
var MenuBar1 = new Spry.Widget.MenuBar("MenuNav", {imgDown:"SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarDownHover.gif", imgRight:"SpryAssets/SpryMenuBarRightHover.gif"});
</script>
</body>
<!-- InstanceEnd --></html>
<?php
mysql_free_result($rsAbout);
?>

Hope I added this right.

[sneakyimp]

There's a line in your code containing this snippet

<a href="pdf?ID=<?php echo $row_rsAbout['name']; ?>">

change the ?ID= to a /

[peakymatt]

I cannot believe that is all it was. Gee you guys must think I am as thck as two planks.

Thank you so much for that. I guess that's what happens when you don't really understand PHP and code.

Thanks again