Creating an add-on called Open PDF

[AndyB]

Description:

When a PDF file is attached to a post, clicking the attachment link will open a dialog box asking where to save the file. This Add-on changes this behavior so the PDF is opened in the browser.

Requirements:

This add-on only works on Xenforo v1.2 and above.

 

[AndyB]

Create the new add-on:

Admin CP -> List Add-ons -> Create Add-on

 

[AndyB]

Create the Code Event Listener:

 

[AndyB]

Create the add-on directories and files:

library
--Andy
----OpenPDF
------Lisener.php
------ViewPublic
--------Attachment
----------View.php

 

[AndyB]

The Listener.php file:

Create the /library/Andy/OpenPDF/Listener.php file.

<?php

class Andy_OpenPDF_Listener
{
   public static function View($class, array &$extend)
   {
     $extend[] = 'Andy_OpenPDF_ViewPublic_Attachment_View';
   }
}

?>

 

[AndyB]

The View.php file:

Create the /library/Andy/OpenPDF/ViewPublic/Attachment/View.php file.

<?php

class Andy_OpenPDF_ViewPublic_Attachment_View extends XFCP_Andy_OpenPDF_ViewPublic_Attachment_View
{
   //######################################## 
   // the original renderRaw() function is located in library/Xenforo/ViewPublic/Attachment/View.php
   // this renderRaw() will run instead of the original unless we the return parent::renderRaw()
   //########################################

   public function renderRaw()
   { 
     $attachment = $this->_params['attachment'];
     $extension = XenForo_Helper_File::getFileExtension($attachment['filename']);
 
     if ($extension === 'pdf')
     {
       $this->_response->setHeader('Content-type', 'application/pdf', true);
       $this->setDownloadFileName($attachment['filename'], true);
   
       $this->_response->setHeader('ETag', $attachment['attach_date'], true);
       $this->_response->setHeader('Content-Length', $attachment['file_size'], true);
       $this->_response->setHeader('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff');     
   
       return new XenForo_FileOutput($this->_params['attachmentFile']);
     } else {
       // run the original renderRaw() function
       return parent::renderRaw();
     }
   }
}
?>

 

[AndyB]

The Add-on is now complete:

Click on a PDF attachment and it should open in the browser.

 

[Alpha1]

Have you considered using a more advanced PDF viewer? I find that browsers like Firefox display PDF's really bad.
Plus nowadays there are various very nice document viewers (jQuery, flash or HTM5) with flipbook effect, full screen view and other options. FlexPaper is a free solution.

 

[AndyB]

Hi Alfa1,

I agree, the PDF reader that now ships with Firefox is terrible. Thankfully Mac's come with Preview and it works very well to read PDF files. I have set the preference in Firefox to use Preview.

 

[Alpha1]

Unfortunately most people are not power users, they will use firefox's PDF reader.

 

[AndyB]

Unfortunately most people are not power users, they will use firefox's PDF reader.

I was better when Firefox didn't have a PDF reader built in so the PDF would be read with either Adobe Reader or Preview.

 

[0ptima]

Thanks for posting this.