AndroidStudio attaching PDF to email issue

Question

Can anyone help explain why this code works in the Geneymotion emulator but not in any actual android device? The code perfectly works in an emulator, I've had no issues with it, I'm totally confused as to why it won't work in actual device.

Here's the method, which is called when "create PDF" button is clicked:

    try {

        String path = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS) + "/invoices";

        File dir = new File(path);
        if(!dir.exists())
            dir.mkdirs();

        Log.d("PDFCreator", "PDF Path: " + path);

        File delete = new File(dir, "invoice.pdf");
        if (delete.exists())
            delete.delete();

        File file = new File(dir, "invoice.pdf");
        FileOutputStream fOut = new FileOutputStream(file);

        PdfWriter.getInstance(doc, fOut);

        //open the document
        doc.open();
        Log.d("test", "PDF Doccument Opened for input");

In the emulator: - when I click the "create PDF" button, email intent is called, and I can choose between email clients to use and send the PDF through it.

In an actual android device: When I click the "create PDF" in an actual device, absolutely nothing happens.

I assume the problem might revolve around the directory where I'm storing the PDF, but I have not been able to resolve it.

If someone could help me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

NOTE: I'm using DroidText library to produce the PDF.

Log from test on actual device says:

11-05 21:09:14.839  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/dalvikvm﹕ GC_EXTERNAL_ALLOC freed 93K, 47% free 2913K/5447K, external 0K/0K, paused 30ms
11-05 21:09:25.989  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/CLIPBOARD﹕ Hide Clipboard dialog at Starting input: finished by someone else... !
11-05 21:09:29.849  10375-10378/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/dalvikvm﹕ GC_CONCURRENT freed 153K, 47% free 3043K/5639K, external 171K/1281K, paused 7ms+2ms
11-05 21:09:39.899  10375-10378/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/dalvikvm﹕ GC_CONCURRENT freed 351K, 48% free 3105K/5895K, external 171K/1281K, paused 7ms+3ms
11-05 21:09:53.639  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/test﹕ set the fields for PDF input
11-05 21:09:53.649  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/test﹕ set the document
11-05 21:09:53.669  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/test﹕ set the calender
11-05 21:09:53.669  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/PDFCreator﹕ PDF Path: /mnt/sdcard/Download/invoices
11-05 21:09:53.669  10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf E/PDFCreator﹕ ioException:java.io.FileNotFoundException: /mnt/sdcard/Download/invoices/Invoice.pdf (No such file or directory)
11-05 21:10:31.420  10375-10378/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/dalvikvm﹕ GC_CONCURRENT freed 358K, 48% free 3152K/5959K, external 171K/1281K, paused 7ms+2ms

I don't see how I can post the logs if the code has no issues in the emulator? — almost a beginner, Nov 04 '15 at 05:32
I just want to see what you get in this line: Log.d("PDFCreator", "PDF Path: " + path); — Eric B., Nov 04 '15 at 05:33
11-04 05:36:50.240 2211-2211/motawaze.com.invoicepdf D/PDFCreator﹕ PDF Path: /mnt/sdcard/Download/invoices — almost a beginner, Nov 04 '15 at 05:41
The log by the way, is from android studio, I have no idea how to get log from actual android devise, if there is a way, then please advise me and I will try to extract it. — almost a beginner, Nov 04 '15 at 05:52
The log shown in android studio is from your device, if and only if, you have selected your device and not the emulator from the log panel — Eric B., Nov 04 '15 at 07:43
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/94166/discussion-between-almost-a-beginner-and-eric247). — almost a beginner, Nov 04 '15 at 07:55

Eric B. · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-05T09:09:34.680

1

As mentioned in the chat too. Looks like your PDF is not being created, hence you get the FileNotFoundException. Look into your PDF creation code. That's the problem.

Change these lines:

 if(!dir.exists())
     dir.mkdirs();

to:

 boolean created = false;
 if(!dir.exists())
     created = dir.mkdirs();

 if(created)
  Log.d("test", "Path created");

This will check whether the directory is created or not.

edited Nov 05 '15 at 09:09

answered Nov 05 '15 at 04:36

Eric B.

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A little more detail to help would be appreciated, if you could explain, in my scenario, what may cause the app to work in an emulator, but throw FileNotFoundException in an actual device? If you do that, I will choose your answer as correct. – almost a beginner Nov 05 '15 at 05:30
Put the whole log of device here. – Eric B. Nov 05 '15 at 06:13
I'm testing it in Gingerbread android device. I'm assuming it has something to do with access to the directory, but I have already set that in the android manifest file: ' '. This was placed within '' – almost a beginner Nov 05 '15 at 08:20
Another error i think, i have seen in your code is, this log: 11-05 21:09:53.669 10375-10375/motawaze.com.invoicepdf E/PDFCreator﹕ ioException:java.io.FileNotFoundException: /mnt/sdcard/Download/invoices/Invoice.pdf (No such file or directory) This line has Invoice with capital 'I' where as in your code, Invoice is with small 'i' – Eric B. Nov 05 '15 at 09:15
That's weird, how on earth did that work? I'm totally confused, I used the code in your answer and the exception was not thrown, can you explain why? I understand it checks whether the directory has been created or not, but how does checking make a difference? – almost a beginner Nov 05 '15 at 13:30

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 09 '16 at 08:15

This code may help you.

I use DroidText.0.2.jar for Pdf Creation.

public void createPDF()
    {
        Document doc = new Document();

        try {
            path = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().getAbsolutePath() + "/droidText";
//            File path = Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS);

            File dir = new File(path);
            if(!dir.exists())
                dir.mkdirs();

            Log.d("PDFCreator", "PDF Path: " + path);


            file = new File(path, "HomeInventory.pdf");
            FileOutputStream fOut = new FileOutputStream(file);

            PdfWriter.getInstance(doc, fOut);

            //open the document
            doc.open();


            Paragraph p1 = new Paragraph("Hi! I am generating my first PDF using DroidText");
            Font paraFont= new Font(Font.COURIER);
            p1.setAlignment(Paragraph.ALIGN_CENTER);
            p1.setFont(paraFont);

            //add paragraph to document
            doc.add(p1);

            Paragraph p2 = new Paragraph("This is an example of a paragraph");
            Font paraFont2= new Font(Font.COURIER,14.0f, Color.GREEN);
            p2.setAlignment(Paragraph.ALIGN_CENTER);
            p2.setFont(paraFont2);

            doc.add(p2);

            ByteArrayOutputStream stream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
//            Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getBaseContext().getResources(), R.drawable.android);
            Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(),R.drawable.action_search);
            bitmap.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.JPEG, 100 , stream);
            Image myImg = Image.getInstance(stream.toByteArray());
            myImg.setAlignment(Image.MIDDLE);
            //add image to document
            doc.add(myImg);

            //set footer
            Phrase footerText = new Phrase("This is an example of a footer");
            HeaderFooter pdfFooter = new HeaderFooter(footerText, false);
            doc.setFooter(pdfFooter);



        } catch (DocumentException de) {
            Log.e("PDFCreator", "DocumentException:" + de);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            Log.e("PDFCreator", "ioException:" + e);
        }
        finally
        {
            doc.close();
        }
    }

Attach this created Pdf File to Email like this way..

String[] mailto = {"me@gmail.com"};
                Uri uri = Uri.fromFile(file);

                Intent emailIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND,Uri.parse("mailto:"));
                emailIntent.setType("text/plain");
                emailIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_EMAIL, mailto);
                emailIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, "My Subject");
                emailIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, "My Body");

                emailIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM, uri);

                emailIntent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK); // this will make such that when user returns to your app, your app is displayed, instead of the email app.
                getActivity().startActivity(emailIntent);

AndroidStudio attaching PDF to email issue

2 Answers2