ASP MVC - Creating a PDF in controller and displaying as HTML object

Question

I would like to create a PDF file in a controller (based on a Crystal Report), serve it back to the user in an HTML object. My current iteration of the following controller simply returns a File Stream, which just loads the PDF document. In order to display the PDF to the user in an iframe or HTML object, is it required to first save the PDF to the server and then return the path to my view? What is the best way to accomplish this task? Thanks!

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Index(string test)
{
    ReportClass rptH = new ReportClass();

    rptH.FileName = Server.MapPath(@"~/Reports/Report.rpt");
    rptH.SetParameterValue("@ID", 33);
    rptH.Load();
    Stream stream = rptH.ExportToStream(CrystalDecisions.Shared.ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat);

    return File(stream, "application/pdf");   
}

Fus Ro Dah · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-18 22:15:28Z

1

Did you try using FileStreamResult:

Controller

    [HttpGet]
    public ActionResult DisplayPdfInIframe(string test)
    {
        ReportClass rptH = new ReportClass();

        rptH.FileName = Server.MapPath(@"~/Reports/Report.rpt");
        rptH.SetParameterValue("@ID", 33);
        rptH.Load();
        Stream stream = rptH.ExportToStream(CrystalDecisions.Shared.ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat);

        return new FileStreamResult(stream, "application/pdf");
    }

View

 <iframe src="@Url.Action("DisplayPdfInIframe", "YourController")"></iframe>

edited Aug 18, 2015 at 22:15

answered Aug 18, 2015 at 21:26

Fus Ro Dah

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4 Comments

PaulP Over a year ago

Thanks for your input. The issue is that after I receive the FIleStreamResult on the view side, I don't think that I will have a path to provide to the HTML object data (since its in memory?). My current solution involves saving the PDF locally and passing a model containing the PDF file path to the view. However, I'm quite the novice and would appreciate any further feedback. Thanks!

Fus Ro Dah Over a year ago

See my edit. In your view you want to call the Helper Url.Action to load up the method in your controller that will serve back the response stream which gets rendered in your iframe.

PaulP Over a year ago

Yes, that will definitely work. Thanks for helping me with this sorcery.

Fus Ro Dah Over a year ago

Also, you're going to want to decorate it with [HttpGet] I think as well

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