Cross platform system.openURL for embedded files

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

I have a PDF within my assets directory.  I’m attempting to trigger its display using:

 system.openURL('file:///' .. system.pathForFile('assets/schedule.pdf'))

based on another answer I found here on the forums.  The PDF loads properly from within the simulator.  When I try on my android device, I get the error “schedule.pdf is of invalid format”.  After some experimenting (using incorrect filenames) I believe that error means it can’t find the file.  What is the correct, cross-platform way to trigger the loading of an embedded PDF?

Thanks :slight_smile:

#2

It says, schedule.pdf is of invalid format

and not

assets/schedule.pdf is of invalid format?

That seems like you’re not running the version with the path you described.  Did you accidentally not install the build?

Question, why not just:

system.openURL( system.pathForFile('assets/schedule.pdf') )

This works for me universally.

Try this sample:

#3

Whatever you do, the local OS will needs a handler or this won’t work.  i.e. If there is no local app capable of loading a PDF and associated with the extension, this won’t work.

#4

Thank you.  Using your demo app helped me solve the issue as I knew you’d tried it universally.  For future developers, I installed Adobe Acrobat Reader and changed the default PDF association to use it.  For some reason Google Drive will open the PDF if I have it downloaded to the device but will not open the same PDF if my Corona app requests it.  Adobe handles both cases.

I guess my confusion was that I knew there was something capable of opening PDFs (as I could see it being opened when requested from outside the app) and I knew there was nothing specifically wrong with that particular PDF (again, coz it opened).

Is this worth investigating further?

Regardless, thanks for the help roaminggamer, much appreciated.

#5

It says, schedule.pdf is of invalid format

and not

assets/schedule.pdf is of invalid format?

That seems like you’re not running the version with the path you described.  Did you accidentally not install the build?

Question, why not just:

system.openURL( system.pathForFile('assets/schedule.pdf') )

This works for me universally.

Try this sample:

#6

Whatever you do, the local OS will needs a handler or this won’t work.  i.e. If there is no local app capable of loading a PDF and associated with the extension, this won’t work.

#7

Thank you.  Using your demo app helped me solve the issue as I knew you’d tried it universally.  For future developers, I installed Adobe Acrobat Reader and changed the default PDF association to use it.  For some reason Google Drive will open the PDF if I have it downloaded to the device but will not open the same PDF if my Corona app requests it.  Adobe handles both cases.

I guess my confusion was that I knew there was something capable of opening PDFs (as I could see it being opened when requested from outside the app) and I knew there was nothing specifically wrong with that particular PDF (again, coz it opened).

Is this worth investigating further?

Regardless, thanks for the help roaminggamer, much appreciated.