Comments on: Acrobat/website integration

Question: Acrobat/website integration

daver — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:49:27 -0800

Open a .pdf to a page?

I have a bunch of data on a website, which corresponds to information in .pdf files. The information makes much more sense in the context of the .pdfs.

How can I link from my site to a particular page of a .pdf file?
Is there any way to get tighter integration between a .pdf and a website than simply shell executing Acrobat? For example: could I display web content in one 'frame' and PDF content in another?
If I wanted to learn more about Acrobat integration into sites, what's the best resource?

Thanks in advance!

By: em3

em3 — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 15:03:58 -0800

Here's an example:

http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/acrobat/PDFOpenParameters.pdf#page=8

By the way, that PDF linked contains other URL parameters you might find useful.

You can always display web content in one frame and PDF content in another, but I'm guessing having both make up one seamless web experience might be difficult (I'm no expert, though, so take that with a grain of salt)

By: daver

daver — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:31:04 -0800

Excellent. How about searching for a string in a .PDF on open?

By: mbrubeck

mbrubeck — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:03:57 -0800

http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/acrobat/PDFOpenParameters.pdf#search=string

(See page 7 of that document for details.)

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:06:36 -0800

Addressing your second question: Some Firefox users and most Safari users will see PDF files downloaded to a user directory rather than displayed in the target browser window. If you don't have to worry about that, you can use a PDF file in pretty much any browser window or frame you can an HTML file.

Sometimes treating PDF files in this way is a reasonable option, particularly in intranet sites, but my knee jerks when I see PDF files used as enhanced web pages. I'm old, and I don't like full-frame Flash either. Kids these days. Sheesh.

By: Well that's a lie

Well that's a lie — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 05:22:10 -0800

These tricks don't work with OS X's built-in PDF/image viewer, Preview (Safari, viewing in browser window).

By: daver

daver — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 09:06:11 -0800

Duh, don't know how I missed page 7 (well, I know but I'm unwilling to admit to laziness and stupiditiy in such a large forum). FYI: this is an intranet site, I wouldn't inflict such evils on the world at large.

Thanks all for the tips!