OT: Website Builders-How to make a DL'd PDF file?

[gjm]

Hi Folks. I have a very basic website I built using a... well... a website building program Just your basic templates for buttons and colors, metatags, stats etc. I have been able to paste in HTML code (I think thats what it is) for a news letter sign up and the soundcloud player widgets, just the usual stuff. What I would like to be able to do is also include downloadable PDF doc's, you know the ones that you just click and it's viewable and able to be down loaded if you so choose. Can someone point me in the right direction to be able to do this?

Cheers. G.

[mikemc]

I *think* what you are saying is that you do not simply want to include a link and have it downloaded and opened in Adobe Reader (because that's all you'd have to do is include a link to it) but you want it to open up in the browser and have various navigation features (magnify, etc) available in that 'widget-like' window-- is that right?

[gjm]

I *think* what you are saying is that you do not simply want to include a link and have it downloaded and opened in Adobe Reader (because that's all you'd have to do is include a link to it) but you want it to open up in the browser and have various navigation features (magnify, etc) available in that 'widget-like' window-- is that right?

Yes. An example would be the PDF doc's avaliable on the Apple website for Software support, things like the Getting started manuals. It opens that actual doc, allows you to read it, magnify and if you so choose then DL it. Having said that though, I never thought of the other option, which I guess means hosting the file somewhere and having a link to it. We could discuss this too. But the first option sounds and looks better, and to my mind more professional.

[fishmonkey]

as far as i know, the display of a PDF file in a web browser window is dependent on the browser itself...

in other words, if the user's browser has PDF support set up (through plugins or whatnot) then it will download the PDF and display it immediately, but i don't think you have much control over that...

[gjm]

A much better example of what I want to do is here. It looks the same in Safari and Firefox. The PDF's open in a browser window and you can choose to DL it if you want. They only thing I will do different is have a Soundcloud widget next to it to listen to or DL an mp3 as well. This should be easy to do in my website prog by creating a table in my web page where each 'item' can live.

[fishmonkey]

that page is a set of links to PDF files stored on their server...

once you click on a link, the download and display is up to your browser...

[kaffein]

Once again It's up to the pdf reader the user has and if it has browser support.

If the user chooses to install the browser support for his/her reader of choice, that user can left click the link and it will auto magically open in their browser... However they can still right click and save as, bypassing the in browser support.

[gjm]

Thanks folks. I think I was misunderstanding the chain of events. I have just figured out how to get the PDF doc onto the site and how to link to it, that was the first step and the subject of the OP.

Cheers. G.

[kaffein]

Didn't know, but It looks like you CAN force embed the pdf if you want...

http://forums.aspfree.com/asp-developme ... 20131.html

Code: Select all

<OBJECT WIDTH=1000 HEIGHT=680>
	<PARAM NAME="SRC" VALUE="<%=virtualPath%>"> 
	<EMBED SRC="file.pdf" WIDTH=1000 HEIGHT=680> <NOEMBED> Your browser does not support embedded PDF files.</NOEMBED> </EMBED>
</OBJECT>

[leonard]

do you know the w3 schools tutorials?
http://www.w3schools.com/
very excellent resource...

[crumhorn]

Didn't know, but It looks like you CAN force embed the pdf if you want...

http://forums.aspfree.com/asp-developme ... 20131.html

Code: Select all

<OBJECT WIDTH=1000 HEIGHT=680>
	<PARAM NAME="SRC" VALUE="<%=virtualPath%>"> 
	<EMBED SRC="file.pdf" WIDTH=1000 HEIGHT=680> <NOEMBED> Your browser does not support embedded PDF files.</NOEMBED> </EMBED>
</OBJECT>

The problem with embedding PDFs is that you have to specify the size - which is lame.