Lack of interest Select option on how to open an attached file

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celebrir

celebrir

Active member
I'll use a PDF document as an example, but this may also apply for other file types.

Opening attached PDFs in a new Window instead of forcing a download is such a trivial feature that I cannot believe it is not a natively supported feature.

It is almost 2020 and virtually no website forced you to download a PDF anymore since most browsers can natively display PDF documents.
It is especially annoying on mobile devices.

I'd like to request an option so either admins can choose to have certain file types opened site-wide and/or the user can choose so when uploading.
I'll include an example from the educational software "Moodle" how they handle file uploads in the attachments. (Admins can set a default but users may override it)

I am aware that there is an Addon for the PDF use case but first of it doesn't support other file types and secondly… $35 for such a trivial thing, uuh no thanks.
(Link to said Addon: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/open-pdf.6100/)

Thanks for the consideration,
~celebrir

PS: related thread: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/open-download-in-new-window.146961/
 

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What happens to PDF or any other filetype is first dependent on your browser settings rather than on anything Xenforo. That is true even for the @AndyB addon you mention (and by the way the $35 fee is not for that one addon but for the whole package of his approximately 300 addons): the browser setting will override the addon unless you change it.

For example, you can control what happens to PDF files by changing your settings in your default browser.

For Firefox:
  1. Hamburger menu >> Options >> Files and Applications >> Portable Document Format (PDF)
  2. Set to "Preview in Firefox" in the dropdown for default actions.
I presume Chrome and Edge/Chrome have a similar setting.

You can do the same for other filetypes at the same Options location.
 
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djbaxter said:
What happens to PDF or any other filetype is first dependent on your browser settings rather than on anything Xenforo.
Click to expand...
So you're suggesting that he should recommend all his users to set up their default setting for the pdf attachment? Regardless of that not gonna happen, here's the fun thing: Except for "yay we're so different"-Firefox, all modern browsers default to open instead of download, yet here we are. :unsure:
 
I didn't say Firefox defaulted to save, did I? It probably doesn't. At some point in an older version of Firefox, I had set it to save PDFs.
 
djbaxter said:
What happens to PDF or any other filetype is first dependent on your browser settings rather than on anything Xenforo.
Click to expand...

Well I might be able to change it client side for me (although I have not yet found that option on Edge....) it is rather annoying as my internal forum consists of rather non-tech-savvy users.
Even my iPhone wants to force download and I doubt I really can change that.

And yes, I do understand that the $35 is for access to a whole bunch of addons. AndyB has a good amount of useful stuff in there and I am thankful for that, but unfortunately I won't get budget for any addons.


All I am saying is that I'd really appreciate something in the line of PDFs being opened in new windows as a good improvement to XenForo.
 
djbaxter said:
But you claimed or implied that Firefox did not open in browser by default. Do you even use Firefox?
Click to expand...

I don't get your problem? If Firefox changed that setting in the past few updates to default to "Open in browser", that would mean that all major browsers default to "Open in browser", yet XenForo still downloads the pdfs rather than opening them directly in browser, hence invalidating your claim that this would be "first dependent on your browser settings rather than on anything Xenforo".
 
My point was that browser settings may override any settings in Xenforo or in XF addons so check those settings first. What's difficult to understand about that?
 
djbaxter said:
My point was that browser settings may override any settings in Xenforo or in XF addons so check those settings first. What's difficult to understand about that?
Click to expand...
Alright, thanks.
I am not aware of any browser settings as I would have never overridden this on purpose.
I have tested this with multiple browsers/devices/users and it forces a download everywhere.
 
djbaxter said:
My point was that browser settings may override any settings in Xenforo or in XF addons so check those settings first. What's difficult to understand about that?
Click to expand...

Have you ever actually opened a PDF attachment in XenForo before or are you just arguing for the arguments sake now? :unsure: As the OP describes, PDF attachments are downloaded by the browser where they should/could be opened. As we're in the suggestions section, not in troubleshooting, you shouldn't be surprised that somebody takes your "troubleshooting suggestions" as suggestions on how to "do this without having it implemented in the software". Maybe if you'd posted your stuff in the right context, people wouldn't interpret it wrong, but what do I know.
 
celebrir said:
$35 for such a trivial thing, uuh no thanks.
(Link to said Addon: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/open-pdf.6100/)
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if you understand, but @AndyB charges $35 for a HUGE collection of add-ons, not ONLY/JUST the Open PDF add-on. You pay once, and can download any and all of his add-ons to your heart's content and install them as you wish.

From what I see, @AndyB currently has approximately 280 add-ons for XF2. At $35 for all of them, this means each add-on is priced at around $0.125 per add-on per year. That's twelve-and-a-half-cents per add-on !!!

I personally am running a total of 30 add-ons (non-XenForo made) on my XF forum. 18 of those 30 add-ons are from @AndyB -- that should tell you how useful his add-ons are, at least for me. And I am not the only one who uses a smattering of his add-ons.

Furthermore, @AndyB is one of the most responsive and prolific add-on developers out there. Normally, any correspondence with him about problems, questions or comments are answered within 60-90 minutes -- often within 15 minutes of being sent. He is technically astute and very helpful and sharing with his time and knowledge.

Just after subsribing to his add-ons, and paying my $35, I made a suggestion to improve one of them. I sort of thought, "Yeah right, he'll never listen to the likes of me." Interestingly enough, Andy thought enough of my suggestion that he implemented it in said add-on within 48 hours !!!

I had the privilege of meeting Andy for the first time (in person) within the past couple of months while in his area on a business trip. He is one of the genuinely NICEST, most down-to-earth, and friendly individuals I've met in a very long time. Very true to the extensive add-on support correspondence I'd had with him prior to meeting him.

You cannot go wrong subscribing to @AndyB's add-ons. Just check his catalog and you will find numerous useful add-ons, not just the Open PDF add-on.....

Cheers,
Gerry
 
ozzy47 said:
That would be once a year.
Click to expand...
Yep ... kind of said that. But thanks for reinforcing it.

gerryvz said:
I'm not sure if you understand, but @AndyB charges $35 for a HUGE collection of add-ons, not ONLY/JUST the Open PDF add-on. You pay once, and can download any and all of his add-ons to your heart's content and install them as you wish.

From what I see, @AndyB currently has approximately 280 add-ons for XF2. At $35 for all of them, this means each add-on is priced at around $0.125 per add-on per year. That's twelve-and-a-half-cents per add-on !!!
Click to expand...
 
@gerryvz Okay I think you might have misunderstood something.
I did not say that I am not willing to pay $35/y for an awesome collection of addons. I am thankful that there are developers like him.
I did not in any way want to get @AndyB involved into this nor did I want to talk about him/his addons.

It's just that I think XenForo should have this as a feature rather than it being an addon

Edit: Merry Christmas all of you btw. 🎄
 
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