I have a MVC application. I need to open the pdf file when user clicks the open button on the page. The filepath where the pdf is stored is read from the database and it is a file on c:. How do I open it in my html code? I have this code:
<a href="@Model.CertificatePath" target="_blank" class="button3">Open</a>
but this doesn't open my file. What do I have to do? I need to specify somewhere that it is a pdf??
You will need to provide a path to an action that will receive a filename, resolve the full path, and then stream the file on disk from the server to the client. Clients out in the web, thankfully, cannot read files directly off your server's file system (unless... are you suggesting @Model.CertificatePath is the path to the file on the remote user's machine?).
public ActionResult Download(string fileName)
{
string path = Path.Combine(@"C:\path\to\files", fileName);
return File(path, "application/pdf");
}
Update
If @Model.CertificatePath is the location on the client's actual machine, try:
<a href="file://@Model.CertificatePath" target="_blank" class="button3">Open</a>
Note that some browsers may have security settings disallowing you from opening local files.
CertificatePath?Try like this in your View
@Html.ActionLink("View", "ViewPDF", new { target = "_blank" })
Now Link will open in new window. You can write the pdf bytes in ViewPDF controller method
You could have the link fire a method such as the one below which will then stream your chosen file to the file download rather than opening the pdf in the broswer.
/// <summary>
/// Forces a file to be displayed to the user for download.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="virtualPath"></param>
/// <param name="fileName"></param>
public static void ForceDownload(string virtualPath, string fileName)
{
HttpResponse response = HttpContext.Current.Response;
response.Clear();
response.AddHeader("content-disposition", "attachment; filename=" + fileName);
response.WriteFile(virtualPath);
response.ContentType = "";
response.End();
}
Well if your getting the path value and the value is in @Model.CertificatePath
this wiil not work
<a href="@Model.CertificatePath" target="_blank" class="button3">Open</a>
You will need to add this
<a href="@Url.Content(Model.CertificatePath)" target="_blank" class="button3">Open</a>
and make sure you path is relative by adding this ~
for example if your path is /Content/pdfs/CertificatePath.pdf
it would need to look like
~/Content/pdfs/CertificatePath.pdf
This should be the simplest way to make it work. Hope this helps.
Unfortunately you can't dictate where the PDF will be opened, mainly because you can't guarantee the Adobe Acrobat reader plugin is installed or how it functions.
You could in theory open a new window, and in that new window have a JavaScript function to open the PDF file, but again you can't guarantee it will open in a embedded window without the plugin, the best you can hope for is "best try".
