How to open a pdf stored either in res/raw or assets folder?

Ikky picture Ikky · Jun 27, 2011 · Viewed 53.8k times · Source

I'm going to show a pdf in my application, and the pdf has to be bundled with the application.

What is a good way to do this?

I have read that it might be possible to do this by adding the pdf file to a res/raw folder and read it from there, but i get project errors when i put the pdf file there.

So i tried to put the pdf file in the asset folder of the project, and it gave no errors.

This is how i've tried to show the pdf:

File pdfFile = new File("res/raw/file.pdf");
Uri path = Uri.fromFile(pdfFile);
Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
intent.setDataAndType(path, "application/pdf");
intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Answer

Deepak Sharma picture Deepak Sharma · Dec 28, 2012

You cannot open the pdf file directly from the assets folder.You first have to write the file to sd card from assets folder and then read it from sd card.The code is as follows:-

     @Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    File fileBrochure = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + "abc.pdf");
    if (!fileBrochure.exists())
    {
         CopyAssetsbrochure();
    } 

    /** PDF reader code */
    File file = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + "abc.pdf");      

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    intent.setDataAndType(Uri.fromFile(file),"application/pdf");
    intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
    intent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
    try 
    {
        getApplicationContext().startActivity(intent);
    } 
    catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) 
    {
         Toast.makeText(SecondActivity.this, "NO Pdf Viewer", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
}

//method to write the PDFs file to sd card
    private void CopyAssetsbrochure() {
        AssetManager assetManager = getAssets();
        String[] files = null;
        try 
        {
            files = assetManager.list("");
        } 
        catch (IOException e)
        {
            Log.e("tag", e.getMessage());
        }
        for(int i=0; i<files.length; i++)
        {
            String fStr = files[i];
            if(fStr.equalsIgnoreCase("abc.pdf"))
            {
                InputStream in = null;
                OutputStream out = null;
                try 
                {
                  in = assetManager.open(files[i]);
                  out = new FileOutputStream(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory() + "/" + files[i]);
                  copyFile(in, out);
                  in.close();
                  in = null;
                  out.flush();
                  out.close();
                  out = null;
                  break;
                } 
                catch(Exception e)
                {
                    Log.e("tag", e.getMessage());
                } 
            }
        }
    }

 private void copyFile(InputStream in, OutputStream out) throws IOException {
        byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
        int read;
        while((read = in.read(buffer)) != -1){
          out.write(buffer, 0, read);
        }
    }

Thats all..Enjoy!! and please dont forget to give +1.Thanks