Open a PDF file

[shadowsoulja]

Okay, i dislike using VB but for a certain assignment i must.

I want to have a button open a pdf file, it doesnt need to be in visual basic, i wud prefer it was clicked and then it loaded up in Acrobat.

I have the address of where the file is... and i know that obviously has something to do with it.

slap me if its that easy....


Leon

[Tophurious]

well you can always use shell commands to open up the file (same commands as say the command window) or you can CreateObject("PDF.PdfCtrl.5") (i think thats right) but the latter will view within your vb program. I think if you just want to open adobe to view a shell command would be easiest

[SammyB]

In .Net, it looks like:

Dim pRun As System.Diagnostics.Process = New System.Diagnostics.Process
pRun.StartInfo.FileName = "C:\SomePath\TheFile.pdf"
pRun.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = True
pRun.Start()
 

[shadowsoulja]

Im using VB6... not sure if that helps.

im not sure on any of this shell stuff.... you might have to babyfeed it to me until i have something i recognise.

Sorry

Leon

[Tophurious]

easy enough

basically its

Shell(pathname, window style)

pathname as string

window style i would recommend either
vbMaximizedFocus -maximize it and focus
vbNormalFocus -open normal and focus

[SammyB]

Im using VB6... not sure if that helps.

im not sure on any of this shell stuff.... you might have to babyfeed it to me until i have something i recognise.

Sorry

Leon

No problem, it's just a one liner, something like this:
Shell "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32 C:\Documents and Settings\cheryltest\My Documents\ArcMap.pdf", vbNormalFocus

IE
Shell "ReaderPath DocFileSpec", WindowState

[shadowsoulja]

Thanks for the help guys, much apprieciated

[Shayne82609]

No problem, it's just a one liner, something like this:
Shell "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32 C:\Documents and Settings\cheryltest\My Documents\ArcMap.pdf", vbNormalFocus

IE
Shell "ReaderPath DocFileSpec", WindowState

Ok, first please forgive me for being a noobie. I am working on a VB6 program to be included in a business CD. The goal is to burn it and the related .pdf files to a CD to be able to distribute to vendors and clients. Basically a autostart CD menu. VB6 is what I have to work with, not by choice.

The code lines above will open a specific version of A.R. if installed into a specific place. I need one that will open the AcroRd32 file in much more generic fashion. Is there a way to do this, so that no matter what version they have it will open the .pdf file with the "Windows default"?

This is what I have so far. It works if and ONLY if the drive letters are correct.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\acrord32 I:\brochure.pdf")
End Sub

If the drive letters are not right, it obviously wont work, hence the problem.


Thanx.

[rpicilli]

Hi there

If you're using new version of VB you can type the following


Process.Start("c:\mypdffile.pdf")

More easy then that just if you double click over the file...

[Timothy Howell]

I know that your project isn't being worked on any more. But the script to get the drive letter in VB looks like this:

Public Function OpticalDrive()
        Dim CDRom As String = ""
 
        For Each drive_info As DriveInfo In DriveInfo.GetDrives()
            If (drive_info.DriveType() = DriveType.CDRom) Then
                If (drive_info.IsReady = True) Then
                    CDRom = drive_info.Name
                End If
            End If
        Next drive_info
 
        Return CDRom
    End Function