Acrobat Reader + Java

[kentgibson@yahoo.com@adobeforums.com]

I am trying to preview pdf documents using the Acrobat Interapplication Communication. This works with reader version 5 & 6, but not 7.

Does anyone know why? or have an example where this works with version 7?

thanks.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

What interapplication communication interface are you using in the IAC
Reference?

Aandi Inston

[kentgibson@yahoo.com@adobeforums.com]

I am trying to use OLE Automation.

The method which worked in versions 5 & 6 is called "LoadFile" - on pg 244 of the guide.

I am trying to view a pdf and hopefully programmitcally control the activeX component, like zooming it.

I try to create a OleControlSite, but with the progID "AcroPDF.PDF" nothing works.

With the prog ID "AcroExch.Document", I at least get a dialog popping up and after choosing a file it will embed the pdf into a dialog.

But I cannot then do anything with the document, or load another one.

Any ideas? I have tried getting help on java sites, and no one can help.

Thanks.

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

I don't understand how it could have worked in earlier releases, at
least not unchanged. AXAcroPDF is a new interface in Reader 7.
Previous versions of Acrobat did not include this. There was the
unsupported pdf.ocx, however. Are you trying to convert old code based
on the reverse-engineered pdf.ocx?

AcroExch is not a part of Reader, only Acrobat.

Aandi Inston

[kentgibson@yahoo.com@adobeforums.com]

hmm. I am sure it worked, here you can see a screen shot here:

<http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/library/os-activex/>

This is the code I am trying to get running for version 7, in that article the progId is "PDF.PdfCtrl.5".

Odd that AcroExch.Document "almost" works, because I do not have acrobat installed, only reader.

Plus I am not trying to directly use the pdc.ocx. I do not think that example was based on the on the reverse-engineered pdf.ocx, what do you think?

[Aandi_Inston@adobeforums.com]

The article is absolutely using PDF.OCX. It has to be, because there
is no other suitable OLE interface. I think it's somewhat
irresponsible of the article not to make clear it's using an
undocumented, unsupported interface not intended for programmers!

I haven't worked with the control, but it may be worth starting from
the top with the new documentation, rather than assuming you simply
adapt the reverse engineered code. Not sure if the full SDK includes
examples - anyone?

Aandi Inston

[chicks@adobeforums.com]

<http://www.codeproject.com/miscctrl/acroview.asp>

[kentgibson@yahoo.com@adobeforums.com]

still no one with ideas? this must be possible.

[Leonard_Rosenthol@adobeforums.com]

What is possible is documented in the Acrobat SDK.

Have you downloaded the SDK and read the necessary documentation?

Leonard

[kentgibson@yahoo.com@adobeforums.com]

I have tried to download version 7 of the sdk, but you can't download it (at least for my machine), "Pending the release of the next Acrobat SDK, the Acrobat 7.0.5 SDK has been removed".

I am holding out hope that in version 8 there might be a java example, but I kind of doubt it (and who knows when that will be available). I have never seen any type of java example for this type of thing from adobe. And after trawling the internet, and finding lots of people who are having this exact problem I am sort of losing hope. There are some vendors who make this possible, but I really would like to do this myself, but I need an idea on how to precede.

[Reinhard_Franke@adobeforums.com]

Let's take you by the hand:

Can you open a PDF in your WebBrowser?
If yes, which versions is comming up?

br, Reinhard

[kentgibson@yahoo.com@adobeforums.com]

Thanks. I can open a pdf with a browser (version 7 of the reader) and I can also open a browser with java which opens a pdf fine. But I want to be able to embed the reader in an application, and hopefully do stuff like zoom programmatically.

Let me briefly reiterate my requirements:

* I need to be able to open a pdf with acrobat reader 7 with java and embed it and use the acrobat interapplication communication.

any help would be grand.

[Reinhard_Franke@adobeforums.com]

If you can open in IE then following should work:

$oPDF = ObjCreate("AcroPDF.PDF.1"); Create the Object
$oPDF.src =("C:\Test.pdf"); Load a file

That's not JAVA, but the command how I get it embedded. If that not works ask in a JAVA-Forum. You allways have to make sure, that no older version is already open.

HTH, Reinhard

[chicks@adobeforums.com]

As I replied on Nov 7, it's not only possible, but demonstrated with full source code here:

<http://www.codeproject.com/miscctrl/acroview.asp>

You'll need to figure out the details of calling it from Java. Using OLE controls from Java isn't exactly a widespread or recommended practice.