[Tutor] Problems serving up PDF

[Tim Johnson]

* Luke Paireepinart <rabidpoobear at gmail.com> [060914 17:36]:
> Tim Johnson wrote:
> >Hi: 
> >
> >This is *not* really a python problem, but :-) since this
> >is such an helpful list and others may have the same issue...
> >
> >I have a python script which searches a server for a pdf file
> >and if found, reads the file to stdout, as one would read html
> >to stdout.
> >  
> >The question is really about the proper content-type:
> >
> >Both of the following functions have been tried:
> >
> >def pdf_header1(file_name,length):
> >    """ Serve a PDF document via CGI with content length."""
> >    print (
> >        'Content-type: application/pdf\n'
> >        'Content-Length: %d\n'
> >        'Content-Disposition: attachment;filename="%s"\n'
> >        ) % (length,file_name)
> >
> >def pdf_header(file_name,length):
> >    """ Serve a PDF document via CGI with content length."""
> >    print (
> >        'Content-type: application/pdf\n'
> >        'Content-Disposition: inline; filename=%s\n'
> >        'Content-length: %d\n'
> >        ) % (file_name,length)
> >
> >  
 
 Hi Luke:

> You have a cgi script on your server that searches itself for a file and 
> serves it to the user?
  
   Correct.

> One note, you should be using \r\n instead of \n.

  Both development and deployment are on a linux OS, so
  this is the correct procedure. However, I don't think that
  using '\r' does any harm on *nix.... 
  in fact, it would be the more portable approach. 
  Thanks for pointing that out.

> Also, you're putting \r\n\r\n after your header, right?
 
   Not sure what you mean. Either of the functions provide the
   header. Could you explain further?
   regards
   tim

> >Regardless of which is used, on Mozilla, I have the following
> >response: 
> >  A dialog that names the file, identifies the filetype, and
> >  gives a choice of whether to download or open the file.
> >  when the choice is made, progress is reported via another
> >  window and the selected action occurs when download is finished.
> >  
> Sounds like it's working to me.
> >On Internet Explorer 6, Windows XP, the user experience is different.
> >IE ignores the file name, and does no progress reporting, but does
> >"understand" the file type.
> >  
> Sounds like it's working to me.
> 
> 
> As far as I can tell, it seems to me like you have some file (example .wmv)
> that I.E. is saying 'okay I know how to open this' and it tries to do 
> something with it.
> Firefox, humble as it is, admits that it doesn't know what to do and 
> just lets you download it.
> If this is the case, then it's a configuration issue with IE that's 
> making it attempt to open the file.
> You could just as well configure Firefox to automatically open these 
> files too, although
> that doesn't mean that it'll work :)
> 
> So unless you can be more specific, I'd say that it's just a difference 
> in the browser and not a problem
> with your code at all.  Do I not understand correctly?
> HTH,
> -Luke
> >Does anyone have any experience with this issue? Or could anyone
> >recommend a more appropriate place to post this question?
> >Thanks
> >tim
> >
> >  

-- 
Tim Johnson <tim at johnsons-web.com>
      http://www.alaska-internet-solutions.com