ASP.NET

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

21-Feb-07 23:49

I am having trouble finding out how to open a document in its native external program client side.

The application is a web based serverside .Net App(C#) that needs to open a file which exists on the server, but using a clients local program (eg notepad for .txt files). I have tried Process.start(), however, this only starts a server-side process which the client machine never sees.

I want to avoid using a hyperlink as I really need the files to be opened on a _SelectedIndexChanged event, and also creating a hyperlink to the servers local drive will not work for the clients. The scope for installing on client machines is basically nill so I seem to be somewhat stuck.

Please can someone help, as this is the whole point of the app and it will screw up my process if it can't be done Frown | :(

Thank you all in advance

Mark

Paddy Boyd22-Feb-07 0:55

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 0:55

If you stream the file to the client and put a bit in the header of the page as so:

Response.AppendHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename=<filename>")

Should open the file (as long as the user has the appropriate application.

markymark8222-Feb-07 1:17

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 1:17

Ok, that sounds good but...
I don't have the file name until the SelectedIndexChang event as it is calculated from the results of a grid view? would I have to pass the file name to a new page with the above Response.AppendHeader?

I'm afraid I'm new to .Net so may need some guidance here

Many thanks for your response, it has at least provided some light at the end of the tunnel.

Paddy Boyd22-Feb-07 1:21

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 1:21

That sounds about right to me.

markymark8222-Feb-07 1:34

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 1:34

Ok, I am redirecting to the new page having set the full filename (inc. path) as session.

ie.

String FullPath = "the path of my file on the server (not on the client machine)";

Session["FullFilePath"] = FullPath
Response.Redirect("OpenFile.aspx");

I am then in page load event of 'OpenFile.aspx' running:

Response.AppendHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename="+Sesion["FullFilePath"]);

However, it is just asking me to confirm that I want to open 'OpenFile.aspx', what am I missing?

I can at least see that this should work though so I am extremely grateful

Mark

Paddy Boyd22-Feb-07 1:35

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 1:35

Have you also opened the file and streamed it to the browser?

markymark8222-Feb-07 1:37

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 1:37

oops no,

do I do that on the new page? before appending the header?

I'm not sure i understand

badgrs22-Feb-07 1:45

badgrs

22-Feb-07 1:45

You do that on the new page but don't stream it to the response until after you've added the header!

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

Paddy Boyd22-Feb-07 1:41

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 1:41

'Open filestream from your file

'Set your headers

Response.BinaryWrite(filestream.GetBuffer())

Response.Flush()
Response.Close()

output.Close()
output.Dispose()

markymark8222-Feb-07 3:32

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 3:32

ok, sorry been a while have been out the office,

whats the namespace for output? system..

sorry im a newbie and can't seem to find it

Paddy Boyd22-Feb-07 3:35

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 3:35

Apologies, that shouldn't have been output, that should be your filestream object... copy paste error... D'Oh! | :doh:

markymark8222-Feb-07 3:39

Re: Open a server side document using a client's program

22-Feb-07 3:39

ok that makes sense, whats the syntax for the binary write?

it wants an arguement of byte[] buffer do i ned to put in the max file size in the squares? and do i need buffer at the end?
thank you so much for yourhelp,

its digging me out of lots of c**p!

mark

markymark8222-Feb-07 4:20

Disable all textboxes in a page.

22-Feb-07 4:20

OK , worked out the binarywrite bit,

compiled my site which was all fine

then got server error in my app.

'Specified argument was out of the range of valid values.
Paramater name: offset'?

but I can't see that anythings wrong?

my code so far:

FileStream theFile = File.Open(Session["FullFilePath"].ToString(), FileMode.Open);

Response.AppendHeader("content-disposition", "attachment;filename="+Session["FullFilePath"].ToString());
Response.Write(Session["FullFilePath"].ToString());

long filesize = theFile.Length;

byte[] getContent = new byte[filesize];
Response.BinaryWrite(getContent);
Response.Flush();
Response.Close();
theFile.Close();
theFile.Dispose();

any thoughts at all?

MY120121-Feb-07 23:39

MY1201

21-Feb-07 23:39

Hello.

I have a problem - and it's probably me not understanding the concept - but I want to programatically disable all controls in my aspx page - if the user watching the page is not authorized to edit the content.

Now this should be an easy task, so I've tried a couple of methods like looping through the page's Controls property and have all textboxes set their Enabled property to false. The following code does not work. I'm using a MasterPage, but I can't think of anything, that makes this a problem.

When I "ask" the MasterPage to print out the "count" for it's controls property it says there is about 5 items in the list. Although the page contains around 10 TextBoxes!

So what am I misunderstanding here?

Anyway here's the code:

 foreach (Control c in Page.Controls)
 {
     switch (c.GetType().ToString())
     {
         case "System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox":
             ((TextBox)c).Enabled = false;
             break;
         case "System.Web.UI.WebControls.DropDownList":
             ((DropDownList)c).Enabled = false;
             break;
         case "System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton":
             ((ImageButton)c).Enabled = false;
             break;
         default:
             break;
     }
}

I hope someone can help!

Thanks in advance.

Best Regards
Soeren

Michael Sync21-Feb-07 23:48

Michael Sync

21-Feb-07 23:48

The easiest way to do is showing "50% transparency image" with higher z-order.
All you need to do is that you hav to create one gif image with transparency background. (file size should not be too big.) set the position of that image to absolute. and set the width and height of this image to 100%.. finally, set the zorder of image to highest value..(you may check out "LightBox" javascript toolkit.)

hopefully, you got my point. Smile | :)

Thanks and Regards,
Michael Sync ( Blog: http://michaelsync.net)

If you want to thank me for my help, please vote my message. Thank you.

Harini N K22-Feb-07 0:00

Harini N K

22-Feb-07 0:00

Hi
I think better way for disabling fields is to write javascript function. I have added sample code below. Hope this helps.

'aspnetForm' - Form name of a web form

Example:

function DisableFields(vAccessRights)
{
//parameter - vAccessRights - to check access rights for particular user..
elm=document.aspnetForm.elements;
for(i=0; i < elm.length ; i++)
{
if(elm[i].type=="checkbox")
{
var chkboxId = elm[i].id;
//add code to enable / disable field
}
else if(elm[i].type=="textbox")
{
var txtboxId = elm[i].id;
//add code to enable / disable field here
}
}
}

- Harini

anufabian22-Feb-07 1:09

anufabian

22-Feb-07 1:09

I had some what the same problem . Finally I had put the controls in a panel and do something like this

Dim ctrls As Control

For Each ctrls In Me.Panel1.Controls

If TypeOf ctrls Is TextBox Then
Dim tb As TextBox
tb = ctrls
tb.Text = DateTime.Today
tb.Enabled = False
(instead u can manipulate any property here)

End If

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