Skip to main content
Announcements
Qlik Connect 2024! Seize endless possibilities! LEARN MORE
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
pennetzdorfer
Creator III
Creator III

Launch application: Open PDF from URL

I'm trying to create a button that opens a PDF file from an URL.

How can I force Qlikview to show the file in Adobe Reader rather than Internet Explorer?

I tested 2 approaches:

  • Action "Open URL" --> opens the URL in browser
  • Action "Launch" --> opens Adobe Reader but cannot open the URL

But generally, Adobe Reader is able to open URLs (File > Open > Insert URL works)

Please see the attached qvw (URL = dummy PDF file)

Regards,

Florian

9 Replies
Anonymous
Not applicable

Florian,

This works for me:

Action - Launch

Application - iexplore.exe

Filename - "C:\...\file.pdf"

Regards,

Michael

pennetzdorfer
Creator III
Creator III
Author

Thank you Michael, but actually I'm trying to open a PDF via URL (e.g. http://www.terna.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Partner/Dokumente/terna_QV11_Whats_new_in_QV_11_de.pdf)

And: the PDF should be opened in Adobe Reader, rather than browser.

Any ideas?

Regards,

Florian

Anonymous
Not applicable

I see now what you mean...  But, what's wrong with opening the file in browser???

pennetzdorfer
Creator III
Creator III
Author

The main reason is: we have disabled all Internet Explorer toolbars (tabs, adress bar etc.) for our Qlikview environment. So, if the user opens a QV application, he just sees the IE title bar + the QV application itself.

Linking to a pdf via "Open URL" action opens the file in a new IE tab and now the user has no evident way to switch between the "QV tab" and "pdf tab" (due to the missing tab bar) ... You see what I mean?

Regards,

Florian

Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi Florian

did you find a solution? I am facing the same problem

Thanks

Yaniv

Not applicable

Hello,


There is a way to do that in a macro where the pdf will be downloaded then opened with adobe.

But I did not test on server, just on qv desktop.

Here's the sample macro in vbscript where you'll change the paths accordingly, hope it'll be helpful:


sub openPDFfromURL

pdfurl = "weburl/yourpdffile.pdf"

savepath = "C:\Users\Test\Desktop\QVW\File.pdf"

adobepath = "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\Acrobat.exe"

set objHTTP = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP")

set objPDF = CreateObject("Adodb.Stream")

objHTTP.Open "GET", pdfurl, False

objHTTP.Send

objPDF.Type = 1 'binary

objPDF.Open

objPDF.Write objHTTP.responseBody

objPDF.SaveToFile savepath, 2 'overwrite

objPDF.Close

'below can be set from launch trigger

set app = ActiveDocument.GetApplication

app.Launch adobepath, savepath

end sub

Make sure to change the security flag to "Allow system access".

pennetzdorfer
Creator III
Creator III
Author

Unfortunately not

Not applicable

Hi Florian,

Were you able to check my suggestion above with the macro ?

Or you tried it on the server and it didn't work ?

ErikG
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

we solved the issue using https://www.webrunapps.com/

It's a small app for windows, which has to run in background. Downside: you have to install this app on each client where you need the fuctionality.

Regards, Erik