PDF to Open from Drop Down Menu

katemac · 12-11-2012, 03:46 AM

Not sure if this is the forum area for this, but I'll give it a try. I have a drop-down list that generates the section option depending on what user chooses. I would like that option chosen, to open the PDF from the submit button. Can't figure out how to do this. Is this even possible without having a database created? It's only going to be a couple of pdfs. Thanks for any help!

I have 2 folders on my server. Each house the pdfs.

Here is the php code:

PHP Code:


			
<html>

<head>

<title>PHP Test</title>

</head>

<body>

<?php  

 

$parent_directory = '.'; 

$file_types = 'pdf'; 

 

//===================================================// 

// FUNCTION: directoryToArray                        // 

//                                                   // 

// Parameters:                                       // 

//  - $root: The directory to process                // 

//  - $to_return: f=files, d=directories, b=both     // 

//  - $file_types: the extensions of file types to   // 

//                 to return if files selected       // 

//===================================================// 

function directoryToArray($root, $to_return='b', $file_types=false) { 

  $array_items = array(); 

  if ($file_types) { $file_types=explode(',',$file_types); } 

  if ($handle = opendir($root)) { 

    while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) { 

      if ($file != "." && $file != "..") { 

 

        $add_item = false; 

        $type = (is_dir($root. "/" . $file))?'d':'f'; 

        $name = preg_replace("/\/\//si", "/", $file); 

 

        if ($type=='d' && ($to_return=='b' || $to_return=='d') ) { 

          $add_item = true; 

        } 

 

        if ($type=='f' && ($to_return=='b' || $to_return=='f') ) { 

          $ext = end(explode('.',$name)); 

          if ( !$file_types || in_array($ext, $file_types) ) { 

            $add_item = true; 

          } 

        } 

 

        if ($add_item) { 

          $array_items[] = array ( 'name'=>$name, 'type'=>$type, 'root'=>$root); 

        } 

      } 

    } // End While 

    closedir($handle); 

  } // End If 

  return $array_items; 

} 

 

 

 

if (isset($_POST[pickfile])) { 

 

  // User has selected a file take whatever action you want based 

  // upon the values for folder and file 

 

} else { 

 

    echo ' 

<html> 

<head> 

  <script type="text/javascript"> 

    function changeFolder(folder) { 

      document.pickFile.submit(); 

    } 

  </script> 

</head> 

 

<body>'; 

 

 

echo "<form name=\"pickFile\" method=\"POST\">\n"; 

 

$directoryList = directoryToArray($parent_directory,'d'); 

 

echo "<select name=\"folder\" onchange=\"changeFolder(this.value);\">\n"; 

foreach ($directoryList as $folder) { 

  $selected = ($_POST[folder]==$folder[name])? 'selected' : ''; 

  echo "<option value=\"$folder[name]\" $selected>$folder[name]</option>\n";  

} 

echo '</select><br><br>'; 

 

$working_folder = ($_POST[folder]) ? $_POST[folder] : $directoryList[0][name]; 

 

$fileList = directoryToArray($parent_directory.'/'.$working_folder,'f',$file_types); 

 

echo "<select name=\"file\">\n"; 

foreach ($fileList as $file) { 

  echo "<option value=\"$file[name]\">$file[name]</option>\n";  

} 

echo '</select><br><br>'; 

 

echo "<button type=\"submit\" name=\"pickfile\">Submit</button>\n"; 

 

echo "</form>\n"; 

echo "</body>\n"; 

echo "</html>\n"; 

 

} 

?>





</body>

</html>

Fumigator · 12-11-2012, 07:25 PM

You need to send a header() directive to the browser that says "hey browser, here's a PDF. Do you know what to do with this? If not, can you ask the user what he/she wants to do with it? Thanks!" The browser then either opens it (if the browser has been set up to open PDFs, for example in the "Applications" tab in Firefox), or present a dialog box to the user along the lines of "Do you want to open or save this file?"

The header() directive looks something like this:

PHP Code:


			
    header('Content-Description: File Transfer');

    header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');

    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='.$_GET['downloadfile']);

    header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');

    header('Expires: 0');

    header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0');

    header('Pragma: public');

    header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($_GET['file']));



    readfile($_GET['file']);

katemac · 12-12-2012, 02:36 AM

Ok, unfortunately I don't understand this. Only because I am VERY new to php, but it has to be done. When the user clicks on the option I want them to hit submit then, it opens.

Not sure where to even put the code you suggested above. Thank you for your help though