Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
14 posts by 4 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder: Plugins & Add-ons
Last Post: April 4, 2011 (RSS)
By gkornbluth - March 24, 2011
This is actually a 2 part question relating to the createPDF plugin.
BACKGROUND
I had been adding some additional parameters to code in the "the output_as_inline_pdf" example to preset the PDF reader window when it opens.
In the head:
<?php if (@$_REQUEST['pdf']) { createPDF_fromOutput('inline', 'example.pdf'); } ?>and in the body:
<?php if (@$_REQUEST['pdf']): ?> <?php else: ?><a href="http://my_site.com/about.php?pdf=1&<?php echo $my_tableRecord['num'] ?>#toolbar=1&navpanes=1&scrollbar=1&zoom=100">CLICK TO CONVERT THIS PAGE TO A PDF</a><?php endif ?>I now need to create a PDF from a page that has a black background and white type. (about.php)
Here’s what my approach has been so far (it works but it seems a bit klugey):
1) Create a page with a white background and black type. (about3.php)
2) Create an interim page (about2.php) using the code from the url_as_inline example in the head to convert the white background page to a PDF
<?php
$url = "http://www.my_site.com/about3.php";
$data = createPDF_fromUrl($url);
createPDF_display('inline', $data, 'example.pdf');
?>3) link to about2.php from about.php
<a href="about2.php">CLICK TO CONVERT THIS PAGE TO A PDF</a>THE QUESTIONS
1) How would I add the reader parameters to the code in step 2 above? Everything that I’ve tried gave me php errors before I ever uploaded the page.
2) Is there a more elegant approach to accomplish the entire process?
Thanks,
Jerry Kornbluth
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Re: [gkornbluth] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By Jason - March 25, 2011
Just to clarify what you're trying to do. You have a page that displays with a black background with white text. You want to convert this into a pdf that uses a white background with black text.
Is that right? Let me know and I can send you some steps to try.
Thanks
Jason Sauchuk - Project Manager
interactivetools.com
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Re: [Jason] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By gkornbluth - March 25, 2011
Thanks for the reply.
I'm already accomplishing the steps you outlined, but I can't figure out how to pass reader parameters along.
My two questions are...
1) how can I pass the properties to the PDF reader as I was doing in the example above,
2) Is there a more elegant way to accomplish the whole task...
IE:convert to white BG, Black text, pass the parameters to the reader that make it open dependably at 100%
Thanks,
Jerry
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Re: [gkornbluth] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By Jason - March 28, 2011
I've never worked with the parameters you're showing. Could you provide us with a link that shows these parameters working? Could you also provide us with a link to your current page so we can see what's happening on your page vs a working example?
If you don't want to post links in the forum, you can email them to support@interactivetools.com
Hope this helps
Jason Sauchuk - Project Manager
interactivetools.com
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Re: [Jason] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By gkornbluth - March 28, 2011
Thanks for looking at this.
Here’s a link to a working example using some of the parameters:
http://50.6.159.105/about.php
Here’s the link to the page using the code above, but without the parameters added.
http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions.php
And here’s a link to Adobe’s PDF on parameters that can be passed to a PDF reader (using some of those parameters).
http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/devnet/acrobat/pdfs/pdf_open_parameters_v9.pdf#zoom=100&pagemode=none
If you need anything else, please let me know.
Jerry Kornbluth
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Re: [gkornbluth] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By Damon - March 29, 2011
I'm getting inconsistent results. I might vary from browser to browser and also with what version of Acrobat is installed?
Also, I tried changing the zoom variable to 200 in the URL and reloading with no effect:
http://50.6.159.105/about.php?pdf=1&1#toolbar=1&navpanes=1&scrollbar=1&zoom=200
But I was able to change the zoom to 200 here and it worked:
http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions2.php?pdf=1&1#toolbar=1&navpanes=1&scrollbar=1&zoom=200
Can you just add the parameters you want to the PDF link?
That seems like it should work.
Damon Edis - interactivetools.com
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Re: [Damon] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By gkornbluth - March 29, 2011
Thanks for your suggestion but I’m more lost than ever.
As I mentioned in the first post in this thread, I can get the added parameters to set the opening style of the reader in the output_as_inline_pdf implementation by simply appending them to the createPDF call. The problem comes in with the url_as_inline_pdf code.
Based on your suggestion, I thought that I could create a field called pdf_parameters, use that in a variable ($addon, and append that variable to the url that’s created. The test value I used for pdf_parameters was #toolbar=1&navpanes=1&scrollbar=1&zoom=185, expecting that on success, the reader would open at 185% zoom.
I tried changing the original url_as_inline_pdf createPDF call:
<?php
$url = "http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions3.php";
$data = createPDF_fromUrl($url);
createPDF_display('inline', $data, 'example.pdf');
?>To this:
<?php
$url = "http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions3.php"; ?>
<?php $addon = $common_informationRecord['pdf_parameters'] ;
$data = createPDF_fromUrl($url);
createPDF_display('inline',$data . $addon, 'example.pdf');
?>That didn’t work, so also tried this:
<?php
$url = "http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions3.php"; ?>
<?php $addon = $common_informationRecord['pdf_parameters'] ;
$data = createPDF_fromUrl($url);
createPDF_display('inline',$data, 'example.pdf . $addon');
?>And this:
<?php
$url = "http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions3.php"; ?>
<?php $addon = $common_informationRecord['pdf_parameters'] ;
$data = createPDF_fromUrl($url . $addon);
createPDF_display('inline',$data, 'example.pdf');
?>Since in each case when the PDF was created the zoom was never set to 185, and I don’t know how to show the URL that’s actually being passed to the plugin, I’m lost as to how to proceed.
Any help would be appreciated.
Jerry Kornbluth
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Re: [gkornbluth] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By robin - March 30, 2011
I think you were closest with the 2nd last example. Here is a suggested change:
<?php
$url = "http://www.elleschorrphotography.com/exhibitions3.php"; ?>
<?php $addon = $common_informationRecord['pdf_parameters'] ;
$data = createPDF_fromUrl($url);
createPDF_display('inline',$data, 'example.pdf' . $addon);
?>Damon and I were testing with pdf parameters and as he said it is inconsistent between browsers, but hopefully you have some success with the above change.
Good luck!
Robin
Programmer
interactivetools.com
Re: [robin] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By gkornbluth - March 30, 2011
I'll give it a try.
Jerry
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Re: [robin] Create PDF and Reader Open Parameters
By gkornbluth - March 30, 2011 - edited: March 31, 2011
I must be doing something wrong, because no matter what I put into the pdf_parameter field (even gibberish) it has no effect on the resulting PDF.
I'm guessing that nothing is actually being appended to the URL passed to the createPDF plugin, but I don't know how to test what the actual value of the url + $addon is.
Any suggestions how to test the actual URL+?
BTW, I'm no longer using a proxy server. One less possible complication.
Thanks,
Jerry
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