Displaying PDF ASP.Net MVC

Question

I have a file on my desktop for test. I am trying to display it in a view that looks like this:

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "ShowFile";
}

<h2>ShowFile</h2>

The code I am using for the controller is:

   [HttpGet]
        public ActionResult ShowFile(string path)
        {
            path = @"C:\Documents and Settings\nickla\Desktop\nlamarca_06_15.pdf";

            return File(path, "application/pdf", "nlamarca_06_15.pdf");
        }

When I run this code the view displays "undefined" any ideas on what could be wrong here?

Darin Dimitrov · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-17 14:46:36Z

8

You don't seem to have specified the filename in your path:

public ActionResult ShowFile(string filename)
{
    var path = @"C:\Documents and Settings\nickla\Desktop";
    var file = Path.Combine(path, filename);
    file = Path.GetFullPath(file);
    if (!file.StartsWith(path))
    {
        // someone tried to be smart and sent 
        // ?filename=..\..\creditcard.pdf as parameter
        throw new HttpException(403, "Forbidden");
    }
    return File(file, "application/pdf");
}

edited Jul 17, 2012 at 14:46

answered Jul 17, 2012 at 14:12

Darin Dimitrov

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13 Comments

Darin Dimitrov Over a year ago

What view are you talking about? There's no view here. The controller action returns the file directly.

Nick LaMarca Over a year ago

do I have do something more to ShowFile.cshtml to display the files contents? Should I remove the view all together?

Darin Dimitrov Over a year ago

You could completely remove this view. To invoke your controller action you simply navigate to /home/showfile in your browser (replace home with the name of the controller containing the ShowFile action if necessary).

jim tollan Over a year ago

ahhh - this little nugget of info (the presence of ShowFile.cshtml) reveals the issue now!! slowly but surely teasing a problem out :)

Nick LaMarca Over a year ago

Do you think creating the view is messing this up?

|

Shyju · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-17 14:12:44Z

2

You are missing the file name in the path. your path only up to the directory. Give the full PDF file name.

public ActionResult ShowFile(string path)
{
   //not sure why you overwrote although you have a parameter to pass the path

    path = @"C:\Documents and Settings\nickla\Desktop\nlamarca_06_15.pdf";
    return File(path, "application/pdf", "nlamarca_06_15.pdf");
}

Assuming the PDF file name you have in that particular directory is nlamarca_06_15.pdf

answered Jul 17, 2012 at 14:12

Shyju

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4 Comments

Nick LaMarca Over a year ago

this returns the word "undefined" to the view

Shyju Over a year ago

Make sure you have the file exist in that path.

Nick LaMarca Over a year ago

this file is on my desktop, I am running the application via localhost

Shyju Over a year ago

Try moving the file to a different location and see ( Ex : C:\\nlamarca_06_15.pdf). Make sure to edit your path in the code also. And are you passing the path parameter value in url ?

jim tollan · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-17 14:18:40Z

0

Nick,

Appears at 1st look to be a path issue (no filename, only path), try:

[HttpGet]
public ActionResult ShowFile(string path)
{
    path = @"C:\Documents and Settings\nickla\Desktop\nlamarca_06_15.pdf";

    return File(path, "application/pdf", "pdf_download_name.pdf");
}

the final parameter is purely the name that you want the downloaded file to be given as it 'hits' the users local drive.

[Edit] I see you've updated your question, which invalidates all of the suggestions so far. The only addition that I can see is that you may not have a route setup that handles the path parameter. this question could be a moving target :)

edited Jul 17, 2012 at 14:18

answered Jul 17, 2012 at 14:12

jim tollan

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