PDF stored on Application Server - Need to retrieve and display

[Former Member]

Hi All,

Let me explain to you what I am doing and how I have not succeeded.

I am quiet a senior ABAP guy henceforth I am posting this and have also looked for previous posts to no avail.

Firstly, I use GUI_UPLOAD and OPEN dataset to store a PDF file on the Application Server. I have retrieved it with CG3Y without any problems. My requirement is that I have a list of these PDF files displayed on a report and a user selects ONE line and clicks VIEW PDF (custom ALV). This should then launch the PDF in acrobat from the Application server.

I have tried WS_EXECUTE but that does not work. I do not even mind if this PDF is displayed in HTML or an image. I just need some help??

ANy help will be greatly rewarded.

Thanks!!

[Former Member]

hi

what's the error?

the pdf is displayed with WS_EXECUTE opening directly the adobe acrobat reader. often the error in this case is that the path to the exe for pdf is wrong

[Former Member]

Hi, it just doesn't do anything. Say if the PDF location is /sap/usr/tmp/test.pdf, what should I do exactly?? Thanks in advance

[Former Member]

ok ...

I did it about a month ago and I get any problem with this; can you open other kind of file?

for example, try to open a doc with word or wordpad or the openoffice writer...

now I am at home and I haven't an access on system. tomorrow I'll post you the piece of code I used.

If you want to post your cade, I could see if I see something wrong, else you have to wait until tomorrow.

[Former Member]

That would be really, really handy and very appreciated.

I am also at home now, so please come back to me tomorrow.

I tried Excel File, but again, I just don't seem to get it right

[Former Member]

Hi try OPEN statement FOR OUTPUT in Binary mode.

or else try to use FTP function to get the file.

Thanks.

Regards,

Jey

[Former Member]

the working of this code is embedded in the comment:

" First I set some define for the program:

******************************************************************

• define for the program *****************************************

******************************************************************

DATA exe_4_doc TYPE string VALUE '"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.3\program\swriter.exe"'.

DATA exe_4_xls TYPE string VALUE '"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.3\program\scalc.exe"'.

DATA exe_4_ods TYPE string VALUE '"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.3\program\scalc.exe"'.

DATA exe_4_ppt TYPE string VALUE '"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.3\program\simpress.exe"'.

DATA exe_4_pdf TYPE string VALUE '"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 8.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"'.

*----

---

" local data

DATA file_path TYPE string.

" name of the executable

DATA program(128) TYPE c VALUE ''.

" I searched the file path for the extension for some type of file

" assigning the name of the program to use:

" pdf file

IF program IS INITIAL.

SEARCH file_path FOR '*pdf'.

IF sy-subrc = 0.

program = exe_4_pdf.

ELSE.

SEARCH file_path FOR '*PDF'.

IF sy-subrc = 0.

program = exe_4_pdf. " defined at the top

ENDIF.

ENDIF.

ENDIF.

....

.... " search for other extension

....

" then I assigned the value to

IF program IS NOT INITIAL.

" '"' are mandatory to avoid problems

" with white space in the path

CONCATENATE '"' file_path '"' INTO file_path.

CALL FUNCTION 'WS_EXECUTE'

EXPORTING

" file_path is the path to the file

commandline = file_path

" program is one of the define above

program = program

EXCEPTIONS

frontend_e

rror = 1

no_batch = 2

prog_not_found = 3

illegal_option = 4

OTHERS = 5.

IF sy-subrc = 0.

"error

ENDIF.

ENDIF.

-

---

With this code I can open every file I want with every program.

Hope this can help.

Cheers

Gabriele

[Former Member]

Hi Gab,

We are so nearly there - it works for files that are on say my local drive example if I pass to the field commandline D:\test.pdf; however if I pass in say /usr/sap/tmp/00029498_30960208_delegation.pdf

which is on my application server it does not do anything apart from load acrobat.

Thanks for your help so far

[Former Member]

ok

I don't know if I completley understand; in this way you are not putting information about network address. If you just set as path /usr/...

it cannot work: think if you have more hosts on the net. How can you find the correct path ? I suggest you this:

from windows "My Network Places" open a folder and then copy the path of the folder where the pdf is stored. Get from the explorer bar the address of the folder (it will be something like "
169.254.0.1\usr\.." or "
your_name_server\usr\...") and append the name of the file you want to open. Use this path in the WS_EXECUTE and retry, this should work .... (obviously you have to make sure that the folder is shared on the network)

Edited by: Gabriele Montori on Oct 8, 2008 10:07 AM

[Former Member]

Can you post your GUI_UPLOAD, OPEN DATASET and WS_EXECUTE code? Did you specify BINARY for GUI_UPLOAD/OPEN Dataset?

WS_EXECUTE is marked as Obsolete in my system, what is your SAP? Do you have GUI_EXEC available?

[Former Member]

Hi Dipesh ,

Please check the class CL_GUI_PDFVIEWER.

There is also a document which describes the method to display a PDF.

The link is beloe [PDF_VIEWER|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/d8bb0975-0e01-0010-2192-bd1fffd80cae]

Regards,

Arun