LiveCode Forums.

Hi all

Can anyone help me to view a preloaded PDF file in android device?

I use the following example code, which can view PDF file in iOS device, but it cannot work in android device.

On preOpenCard
# create the browser
MobileControlCreate "browser"
put the result into sBrowserId
put "file://" & specialfolderpath("engine") & "/sample.pdf" into tLocalPDF

# set up the basic defaults
MobileControlSet sBrowserId, "rect" , the rect of group "Browser"
MobileControlSet sBrowserId, "visible" , "true"
## Then set the iOS browser to that URL
MobileControlSet sBrowserId, "url", tLocalPDF
end preOpenCard

Does it need special command for android device?

Regards

Terry Ho

Hello Terry,
Android browser does not support .pdf viewing.

...it cannot work in android device

You have it right

Simon

Any other way to display a PDF in Android?

Hi Terry,

I read this one on the mailing list, maybe this will help:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7437 ... ding-first

Use it like this:
...
put (the path to the PDF on the device) into tURL
put "http://docs.google.com/gview?embedded=true&url=" before tURL
mobileControlSet "webPage","URL",tURL
...
I do not develop for ANDROID (yet) so I cannot test this.


Best

Klaus

Thanks Klaus,

"put "http://docs.google.com/gview?embedded=true&url=" before tURL" really does work. It's a bit clunky but the pdf opens and you can zoom in to read it.

How did we ever make progress before we had the internet and forums like this?

Hi Jack,

JackD wrote:How did we ever make progress before we had the internet and forums like this?

well, I did!
Maybe thats why I am so "fit" in Livecode, I had to learn it the hard way with try an error in my early days without internet!

That's why I really get angry about people posting here but don't bother to take a short look into the dictionary but start to waste our time right way!
Not you, don't get me wrong!


Best

Klaus

Hi all -

Once again, I'm sure I'm missing something fundamentally obvious and simple. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing where I've gone astray and I'd appreciate any advice you may have.

I am trying to display a PDF in a browser on an Android device. I've made sure to put the appropriate file in the "copy files" pane of the standalone settings. But when I use this code:
the browser window appears, but is blank. If I change the last line with an actual URL, the URL appears correctly. So I'm fairly sure I have the control set up correctly.

When I add the line: answer theURL, I get this as a result: I'm not sure what that "-1" before the .apk is doing there. When I intentionally remove the "-1", the browser window is still blank.

So... That's where I'm at. I think I may be close. Sure would appreciate a final nudge in the right direction.

Thanks so much.

Joel

Hi Joel,
In reading the google docs, I don't think it can be a local file.
You will have to upload the file to a server and use it's URL.

Simon

Hi Simon -

Thanks so much for the speedy response.

So is it correct to say that - given the limitations of the Android platform - there is no way to display an on-board PDF directly within LiveCode?

I appreciate your help.

Joel

Hi Joel,
I can't say for sure that you can't, but I haven't seen a way.
You could export the pdf to images, if you had Adobe Acrobat.

Simon

Is this still the case? Does anyone know how to open a pdf that has been stored as a local file on the android device?

I hope you do well

launch URL "file:/mnt/sdcard/formularios/preciario.pdf"

You need a viewer like Adobe Reader

This doesn't work though, when the file is bundled with the standalone app, the specialFolderPath("documents") is not accessible by the Adobe or 3rd party application. Is there a consistent location that we can copy the file to on different devices, which can be accessed by the 3rd party reader?

As josepxavier said /mnt/sdcard/ is a public folder where any app can access.

As josepxavier said /mnt/sdcard/ is a public folder where any app can access.

Well I had always hoped that would be a constant but looking at my Galaxy S4 it's now
/storage/extSdCard/

Simon