jQuery Ajax: pdf response

Question

I have a link and when user click on it, then he get a PDF. In jQuery, I create a POST ajax call to the server to get the PDF. The response is a PDF, with correct content headers etc that would normally cause the browser to open the Reader plugin, or allow the user to save the PDF. But in my case, this is not working. Is there any way to set data content type, or set content type to PDF?

My ajax call:

$('#sf_getpdf').click(function() {

 $.ajax({    //create an ajax request to load_page.php

        type: "POST",

        url: "index.php?route=sale/order/superfaktura_getpdf&token=<?php echo $token; ?>",

        data: 'invoice_id=<?php echo $invoice_id; ?>&sf_token=<?php echo $sf_token ?>',  //with the page number as a parameter

        dataType: "text",   //expect html to be returned


        success: function(msg){



            if(parseInt(msg)!=0)    //if no errors

            {

            document.write(msg)
            }

        }

    });

});

Firebug, response: Firebug

Response in browser...

response in browser

I already tried to set content-type in server, without success:

content-type in server

Edit: The Ajax is not needed, to do this.

<a id="adr_stitok" target="_blank" href="index.php?route=sale/order/superfaktura_getpdf&token=<?php echo $token; ?>&invoice_id=<?php echo $invoice_id; ?>&sf_token=<?php echo $sf_token ?>" >Download</a></td>

Will do the thing.

document.write() isn't meant to be used like that. You're better off just sending the user to a new page. — Corbin, May 16 '12 at 21:41
Ahhh, I am stupid. Download I don't need ajax to do this. :) — Adrian, May 16 '12 at 21:56
Why you don't simply hyperlink the pdf link? or make a post request through form? — John, May 16 '12 at 22:05
This might help http://stackoverflow.com/questions/291813/best-way-to-embed-pdf-in-html — kazinix, May 17 '12 at 03:56

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered May 17 '12 at 03:48

Be sure your server side returns a downloadeable content and make a submit to the file, something like:

            //$.download('path', 'data' [, 'post'])
            $.download = function(url, data, method) {
                //url and data options required
                if(url && data) {
                    var form = $('<form />', { action: url, method: (method || 'get') });
                    $.each(data, function(key, value) {
                        var input = $('<input />', {
                            type: 'hidden',
                            name: key,
                            value: value
                        }).appendTo(form);
                    });
                return form.appendTo('body').submit().remove();
                }
            throw new Error('$.download(url, data) - url or data invalid');
            };

$.download("index.php?route=sale/order/superfaktura_getpdf&token=<?php echo $token; ?>", {}, 'post')

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 16 '12 at 21:41

0

It won't work because AJAX calls do NOT fetch PDF and load it inside the browser. That's why it's called XMLHttpRequest.. it only exchanges just text!

answered May 16 '12 at 21:41

netrox

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jQuery Ajax: pdf response

2 Answers2