How do I read pdf files inline within post?

[limmengwei]

Hi,

How do I configure a bbcode to enable viewing of pdf files inline within my post?

Or how do I make it such that when users click on a pdf file it will open up the pdf viewer in a new window?

Thanks!

[Steve Machol]

I'm not aware of any way to do that with BB Code. You can try searching over at www.vbulletin.org though.

[eJM]

Hi,

How do I configure a bbcode to enable viewing of pdf files inline within my post?

I don't know of a way either, but I am wondering why you would want it? A PDF's content can't be read by search spiders, as far as I know, so you might as well make the content a forum post that can be read. Your users can print the content just as easily as they can print a PDF file. If it isn't your content in the PDF, then you are subject to copyright issues.

Or how do I make it such that when users click on a pdf file it will open up the pdf viewer in a new window?

Thanks!

As far as I know, if you post a link in the thread to a PDF file, it will open in a new tab or window, depending on the user's browser preferences - it has the same effect any other link in a thread has. If you upload the file as an attachment, you will get a popup box when clicking it that asks if you want to open it, or save it to your computer.

Jim

[fwfp]

Maybe You could use this one?:

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=193841&highlight=BBcode+pdf

[eJM]

A number of people report that modification as not working and it is not supported by the author. It does nothing more than what would happen if you had Adobe Reader installed and clicked any link to a PDF file - opens in a new tab or window so you can read the PDF. That custom BBCode looks pretty much worthless to me. And I never support modification authors that don't support their mods.

Jim

[ANGLICO]

I am interested in the same capability.

My need is based on a large amount of history that is documented in .pdf files, some of which are no longer available on government servers. My forum members would like to be able to read these .pdf documents.

I'd like to upload some large .pdf files to my cPanel file folder and link to these so that forum members may view them with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

I am still a novice with vBulletin. I searched here for "pdf" with no results.

Does anyone know how to do this?

I'd like to use something like this:

[pdf]http://xxxxxx.org/forums/pdfs/The Marines In Vietnam.pdf[/pdf]

I'm open to alternatives, as the majority of comments seem to think this is a dumb idea. It's just that there is an abundance of historical and scientific research available in .pdf format. It's a highly compressed format, most of the professional organizations that I belong to use .pdf's as their standard means of distributing information, and much if not most of the historical information that I obtain for my BB is available in .pdf format. I don't want to spend all my evening hours exporting text and images out of .pdf files.

Help please, anyone!

Thanks


PS - OKAY, that was easy, just posted the url to the file and it opens in another window. THANKS eJM!
I can just embed that url in an image to click on and it'll look fine.

[eJM]

There's nothing wrong headed about helping your members with PDF files. The wrong-headedness comes in thinking you have to have some special BBCode of it. You don't. All you need is a link to the file. Period. The person clicking the file will need Adobe Reader to be able to read the file that way. You can provide a link to the reader download, but usually it isn't necessary.

And yes, Anglico, you can use an image as a link to the PDF file. However, I have always felt it mostly appreciated when you let your readers know that it's a PDF file before they click it. I do it this way: The Marines in Vietnam

R'gards,

Jim (a Vietnam Vet)

[mikem]

You should try to just do a regular link to the pdf file. The PDF reader should pick it up that its a pdf file to be read from the web. There is no such thing for any forum software yet. However, that is a great custom to do if anyone is willing to put time into it. Im sure its a great thing to have your clients purchase one day dont you think?

[eJM]

It makes no difference at all to the Adobe Reader how you link to a PDF file - whether a URL, link using anchor text or linking an image (or text and image as I have done) - the file name you link to is what triggers the Reader. If it's a valid PDF file, the Reader opens.

[ANGLICO]

Agreed, the title is necessary for me.

I titled the Adobe logos for 14 files averaging nearly 10 MB each, USMC accounts of the entire Vietnam War.

Most of us tried not to think about this for 40 years and now we have CRS disease. This has been great fun, to help us all figure out where we were and when.

Thanks for the ideas and assistance.