PDF from ASP.NET?

  • Thread starter Thread starter rooster575
  • Start date Start date
R

rooster575

Anyone know where to get the .dll from adobe to create PDF's on the fly.

[No 3rd party suggestions please.]

Thanks.
 
Rooster575,
Anyone know where to get the .dll from adobe to create PDF's on the fly.
Click to expand...

Yes, you could go to adobe.com, what are you doing to create PDF files? If you are using a Crystal report then you can export a PDF easliy. I think it caps off at 5 users processing at once though. Licnseing on another server can be a pain too. You have to build a installer with the SN from crystal. Enough to make a guy cry at times. The new Report Services from Microsoft does PDFs as well from what I hear.

-Calvin Luttrell
ProjectThunder.com


oreport.SetDataSource(oDataSet)

CrystalReportViewer1.DisplayToolbar = False

Me.CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = oreport

Me.CrystalReportViewer1.ShowFirstPage()

If Request.QueryString("view") <> "html" Then

Dim s As System.IO.MemoryStream

s = oreport.ExportToStream(CrystalDecisions.[Shared].ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat)



With HttpContext.Current.Response

..ClearContent()

..ClearHeaders()

..ContentType = "application/pdf"

..AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "inline; filename=Report.pdf")

..BinaryWrite(s.ToArray)

..End()

End With

Session("s") = Nothing
 
Yeah, you will likely encounter threading issues trying to use Adobe on a web server. I built an app about two years ago that needed to generate .PDF files - the information I had (at the time) was that the Adobe .dll is strictly single-thread - so I didn't even try it. What we did was purcahse a product called ActivePDF. With a single license (cost about $1000), you can install it on your web server. It functions as a "virtual printer" and converts print output to .pdf files. Users can then access the .pdf files with the browser plugin. It has worked very well for us, though admittedly we do not have really high traffic with our apps

Go to www.activepdf.com - I think you can download a thirty-day eval copy for free

I've also tried using the Crystal Reports feature Calvin mentioned. That seemed to work well, too. I didn't know about the five concurrent user limit

If you do go the ActivePDF route, here's another tip: You can buy a one-year support license - costs about another grand. I would expect that once you're app is up and running, you won't need much support. From what I could see, the support we got (having purchased the support license) in getting things working at the beginning not much better than the free support they give you. So, you may want to save some money that way

Good Luck
 
Thanks for the reply.

I was hoping to not have to integrate a 3rd party package into our existing
software, but all roads seem to be pointing to activePDF or dynamicPDF.

What I really wanted to do was write a pdf from scratch with codebehind and
save the file for a limited amount of time for download only. I went to the
adobe site, but couldn't find the .dll.
I'll have to try again, but the single thread issue could be a problem.

I hadn't really thought too much about crystal, especially since it will be
on it's way out of ASP.NET at some point soon.

Thanks again for the suggestions.
PS. I would think that adobe would want to make it a little easier to spread
the good word.


Rich said:
Yeah, you will likely encounter threading issues trying to use Adobe on a
Click to expand...
web server. I built an app about two years ago that needed to generate .PDF
files - the information I had (at the time) was that the Adobe .dll is
strictly single-thread - so I didn't even try it. What we did was purcahse
a product called ActivePDF. With a single license (cost about $1000), you
can install it on your web server. It functions as a "virtual printer" and
converts print output to .pdf files. Users can then access the .pdf files
with the browser plugin. It has worked very well for us, though admittedly
we do not have really high traffic with our apps.
Go to www.activepdf.com - I think you can download a thirty-day eval copy for free.

I've also tried using the Crystal Reports feature Calvin mentioned. That
Click to expand...
seemed to work well, too. I didn't know about the five concurrent user
limit.
If you do go the ActivePDF route, here's another tip: You can buy a
Click to expand...
one-year support license - costs about another grand. I would expect that
once you're app is up and running, you won't need much support. From what I
could see, the support we got (having purchased the support license) in
getting things working at the beginning not much better than the free
support they give you. So, you may want to save some money that way.
 
Snitty replies aside (for both of us... sorry if I offended)...

Adobe has a product that can be used to generate PDF files. The PDF
format is not open source, so anyone writing a DLL to generate them
will either need to totally re-engineer it (lots of time and effort)
or you will need to pay a royalty fee. Crystal works just fine for
most people, but has its faults. One of them is that it is difficult
to get installed on a hosted web site. Of course this is true of just
about any implementation method you choose.

Crystal has been "on it's way out" for quite some time, and it's still
there. I would go ahead and write with it since it is "free" (you paid
for it in the cost of VS).
 
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