General Discussion - Problems using QuickPDF as the viewer

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Problems using QuickPDF as the viewer

Printed From: Debenu Quick PDF Library - PDF SDK Community Forum
Category: For Users of the Library
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: Discussion board for Debenu Quick PDF Library and Debenu PDF Viewer SDK
URL: http://www.quickpdf.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=288
Printed Date: 22 Nov 24 at 8:04PM
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Problems using QuickPDF as the viewer

Posted By: kurumo
Subject: Problems using QuickPDF as the viewer
Date Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 6:22PM

Hello.
I'm testing QuickPDF for the means of using it as the pdf-viewer for our app. Playing around with ActiveX version I've already got a couple of bugs like:
1. One of my pdf file just doesn't render. QuickPDF loads it, RenderDocumentToFile says that everything is great but the resulting images are empty. Strange.
2. Rendering pdfs with big images inside I've got the full-scale copy of these images in the work dir - seems like QuickPDF saves them there first before rescaling and never removes these files.
Looking around the forum I've noticed the couple of other problems with QuickPDF's rendering. So the general question here is - is it the good idea at all to use QuickPDF as the viewer? Or it's primary objective is to create pdfs and not to view them?
And if it's not got for that purpose - can anyone recommend anything else? I've already found some good words about Foxit SDK here so I'm going to try it too but maybe there's something else? I do not need to create PDFs, I need only to view them.

Replies:

Posted By: chicks
Date Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 6:50PM

Adobe has published the specs for the COM interface to Reader starting with version 7. It's pretty easy to integrate, renders very fast and accurately, and of course supports all features of Reader.

Your end users need to have Reader 7 installed for it to work.

See Adobe's IACReference PDF for details...

Posted By: kurumo
Date Posted: 26 Jan 06 at 6:53PM

But I need to be able to view pdfs without requiring users to install Adobe's Reader, that's why I'm looking for another solution.

Posted By: DELBEKE
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 1:19AM

FoxIt SDK is good at rendering the Pdf. It is very expensive and it just do the rendering on a device context.

You can also try tu use QuickPdf with GhostScript. I Found the results are better than with QuickPdf alone.

function GhostScriptInit(DLLFileName As String) As Long

function GhostScriptGetPagePreview(InputFileName As String,
OutputFileName As String,
Password As String,
Page As Long,
Resolution As Long,
Options As Long) As Long

Posted By: dsola
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 2:30AM

I don't see reason why wouldn't you require from your users to install Adobe Reader ?
If they install it you have no problem now or in future.

They need it for reading PDF's outside your PDF.

-------------
registered QuickPDF user

Posted By: Pirmin
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 2:28PM

Hi chicks

Are you sure, that just the Adobe Reader (which is free) is necessary and not the Adobe Acrobat Standard or the Adobe Acrobat Professional?

When I was searching the web for a library with a certain set of features for a reasonable price, I found iSEDQuickPDF which should be able to do everything I needed.

For some of my wanted features, I'm sure that the Adobe Reader wouldn't suffice.
Then after a while, perhaps confused about the features of the lot of libraries, I began thinking that the Adobe Reader could not be used to display something in a self made application.

If it really can be used, it could at least be an alternative for the Render functions of iSEDQuickPDF.

I took a look at IACReference.pdf but I'm not sure what would be necessary to display a page.

Is it possible for you, to give more hints or even some sample code?

Best Regards
Pirmin

Posted By: chicks
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 2:56PM

100% sure, I embed Reader 7 in one of my applications.

Here's an example (C++):

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

If you're using VB, the interface name is AcroPDF.PDF.1 In Adobe's IACReference, it's referred to as AxAcroPDFLib.AxAcroPDF

Note that you can embed Reader for viewing and printing, and everything else Reader can do, but you can't save data typed into form fields with it to the local PC, unless the form has been "enabled" by Adobe's (expensive) software.

Posted By: chicks
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 3:16PM

Here's a quick VB6 example:

ViewPDF.frm:
--------------------------------------------------------
VERSION 5.00
Object = "{05BFD3F1-6319-4F30-B752-C7A22889BCC4}#1.0#0"; "AcroPDF.dll"
Begin VB.Form Form1
   Caption        =   "Form1"
   ClientHeight    =   7380
   ClientLeft      =   60
   ClientTop       =   345
   ClientWidth     =   10335
   LinkTopic       =   "Form1"
   ScaleHeight     =   7380
   ScaleWidth      =   10335
   StartUpPosition =   3 'Windows Default
   Begin VB.CommandButton Command1
      Caption        =   "&Load"
      Height          =   375
      Left            =   3720
      TabIndex        =   1
      Top             =   6840
      Width           =   1695
   End
   Begin AcroPDFLibCtl.AcroPDF AcroPDF1
      Height          =   5775
      Left            =   480
      TabIndex        =   0
      Top             =   360
      Width           =   9735
      _cx             =   17171
      _cy             =   10186
   End
End
Attribute VB_Name = "Form1"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
Private Sub Command1_Click()

    AcroPDF1.LoadFile ("c:\temp\f1040ez.pdf")

End Sub

-----------------------------------------------
ViewPDF.vpb:
-----------------------------------------------
Type=Exe
Form=ViewPDF.frm
Reference=*\G{00020430-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}#2.0#0#..\..\WINNT\system32\stdole2.tlb#OLE Automation
Object={05BFD3F1-6319-4F30-B752-C7A22889BCC4}#1.0#0; AcroPDF.dll
Startup="Form1"
Command32=""
Name="Project1"
HelpContextID="0"
CompatibleMode="0"
MajorVer=1
MinorVer=0
RevisionVer=0
AutoIncrementVer=0
ServerSupportFiles=0
VersionCompanyName="x"
CompilationType=0
OptimizationType=0
FavorPentiumPro(tm)=0
CodeViewDebugInfo=0
NoAliasing=0
BoundsCheck=0
OverflowCheck=0
FlPointCheck=0
FDIVCheck=0
UnroundedFP=0
StartMode=0
Unattended=0
Retained=0
ThreadPerObject=0
MaxNumberOfThreads=1

[MS Transaction Server]
AutoRefresh=1

Posted By: Pirmin
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 4:02PM

Hi chicks

Thank's a lot for your quick answers. I downloaded the sample project and had a look at the code above. The viewer in the picture (from your URL) looks very like an instance of the Adobe Reader.
I only will be able to examine it more precisely next week.
Maybe you could answer me some question in advance.

Is it possible to get user interaction events from the AcroView instance (e.g. MousMove, PageSelected and similars)?
Is it possible to modify the displayed pages on the fly without need to modify the PDF document (e.g. paint a frame around a page or draw a text on it).
Is it possible to draw the document without the options pane on the left and to disable other features of Acrobat.
Is it possible to display a single page (from a multi page PDF document) in a "normal" window or render the pages to files. With this point the points 1, 2 and 3 would be possible also.

Don't hurry with your answer. I can't look at it before next week.

Best Regards
Pirmin

Posted By: chicks
Date Posted: 27 Jan 06 at 4:28PM

No, it's strictly for viewing and printing PDF files. You can't use it to modify the files in any way, and it doesn't fire any events back to the embedding app (though I suppose you might capture its messages through subclassing).

See the IACReference for things like setting which features are visible, how to print, etc.

If you want modification capabilities, you need full Acrobat ( or QuickPDF

).

See my FormTool here for an example of a viewer (and form filler) using QuickPDF, subject to its limitations with rendering speed and accuracy:

http://www.geocities.com/sea_sbs/files/FormTool.zip

Posted By: Pirmin
Date Posted: 31 Jan 06 at 11:52AM

Hi chicks

Thanks a lot for your tipps and the sample. I think it will be useful for me.

Best Regards
Pirmin