C# How to open a PDF in my project resources?

Question

I have a WinForms GUI that has a 'help' context menu. When clicked, I would like to open the user manual for the application. The manual is a pdf which is stored within the application resources.

Question: How do I open this for the user?

Code I'm working with

System.Diagnostics.Process process = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
bool adobeInstall = false;
RegistryKey adobe = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("Software").OpenSubKey("Adobe");
if (adobe != null)
{
    RegistryKey acroRead = adobe.OpenSubKey("Acrobat Reader");
    if (acroRead != null)
        adobeInstall = true;
}

if (adobeInstall == true)
{
    ///Open the pdf file??
}

How do I start(Properties.Resources.mypdf)? I the .start part inst my worries — stackoverflow, Mar 26 '13 at 16:24

coolmine · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-26T16:38:16.377

6

string locationToSavePdf = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "file name for your pdf file.pdf");  // select other location if you want
File.WriteAllBytes(locationToSavePdf,Properties.Resources.nameOfFile);    // write the file from the resources to the location you want
Process.Start(locationToSavePdf);    // run the file

edited Mar 26 '13 at 16:38

answered Mar 26 '13 at 16:26

coolmine

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+1, except you may wish to use `Path.Combine` instead of string.Format... Also, don't forget to clean up after viewing the file! – sǝɯɐſ Mar 26 '13 at 16:36
Good idea about the Path.Combine, thanks. As for the cleaning I will leave that to Mrshll187 since he might want to write the file in the application folder instead of the temp so no cleaning would be needed then. – coolmine Mar 26 '13 at 16:39

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 26 '13 at 16:22

1

Try this (you need just a path to the PDF file, no need to add it to the resource):

using System.Diagnostics;

Process.Start(“Path_of_PDFFile”)

answered Mar 26 '13 at 16:22

Leo Chapiro

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How do I give it a path. Its within the application resources – stackoverflow Mar 26 '13 at 16:24
But this file is on your system, I mean C:/Programs/bla-bla? Or not? ;) – Leo Chapiro Mar 26 '13 at 16:26
Its bundle in the application when it installs. Its all relative to where it gets placed. hardcoding a path is not an option – stackoverflow Mar 26 '13 at 16:28
1

In this case just copy this file to the directory of your application (sub-folder Help e.g. would be nice) ;) – Leo Chapiro Mar 26 '13 at 16:29

PiousVenom · Answer 3 · 2013-03-26T16:31:48.767

1

Add using System.Diagnostics; to your using, and then call:

Process.Start("path to pdf")

You won't need to find the PDF Reader exe or anything. Just call the path of the file you want.

edited Mar 26 '13 at 16:31

answered Mar 26 '13 at 16:24

PiousVenom

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This file is within my application resources. Giving it a file path is the hard part. Do I stream from my resources and recreate the file to some path THEN open it? How do I handle this? – stackoverflow Mar 26 '13 at 16:26
So the PDF is not stored on your computer at all? – PiousVenom Mar 26 '13 at 16:27
1

The path is relative to where the user installs/executes the application. The pdf is a resource of the application itself – stackoverflow Mar 26 '13 at 16:29
What about `process.Start(Properties.Resources.mypdf)`;` using the code you've got, and your resource path for pdf? – PiousVenom Mar 26 '13 at 16:29
Process.start() requires a string. what you mentioned above Resources.mypdf will return a byte[] – stackoverflow Mar 26 '13 at 16:32

C# How to open a PDF in my project resources?

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