Store base64 encoded string as file

Question

I have a web service that returns a base64 encoded string of a PDF file.

I want to save this file to the SD Card. but when i try do this, adobe reader tells me that the file is corrupt. obviously i am not saving it properly.

byte[] pdfAsBytes = Base64.decode(resultsRequestSOAP.toString(), 0);

File filePath = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()+"/braodcasts.pdf");
FileOutputStream os = new FileOutputStream(filePath, true);
os.write(pdfAsBytes);
os.close();

resultsRequestSOAP.toString() looks like this:

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

Thats just a snippet!

Thanks

I just noticed all pdf's start with `JVBERi0xLj`. And I was only using the first part to check if my pdf changed or not... — miva2, Dec 29 '15 at 10:14
It looks like you're opening it for appending. Is there already a file with that name to which you're appending? — MRAB, Jun 07 '11 at 16:49
i'm not opening it for append, i'm overwriting the file each time — AhmedW, Jun 07 '11 at 16:56
Have a look at the PDF in a text editor. The first line should be something like "%PDF-1.4" and the last line should be "%%EOF". — MRAB, Jun 07 '11 at 17:03
yeah it is, i just wasn't flushing the file after writing. Thanks for your help :) — AhmedW, Jun 07 '11 at 17:16

score 12 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 05 '12 at 14:22

12

Perhaps you can flush the FileOutputStream before you close it.

os.write(pdfAsBytes);
os.flush();
os.close();

edited Apr 05 '12 at 14:22

Andro Selva

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answered Jun 07 '11 at 16:53

Vito Limandibhrata

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3

That surprises me. I would've expected that close would automatically flush any unwritten bytes. – MRAB Jun 07 '11 at 18:11
the `flush()` method in `FileOutputStream` does nothing, it is inherited from `OutputStream`. As the doc says `Flushes this stream. Implementations of this method should ensure that any buffered data is written out. This implementation does nothing.` – miva2 Dec 29 '15 at 14:44
I think it flushes out any remaining bytes that might be in the stream, which explains why it fixed my issue. – AhmedW Jan 13 '16 at 12:34

Store base64 encoded string as file

1 Answers1