Checking to see if Adobe Reader (fka Acrobat) is installed on client

[jimoblak]

Someone just asked a question about using PHP to do a client-side function of checking if the Adobe Reader program was installed. Someone else criticized the question because PHP is server-side. I typed up a helpful response and hit the submit button only to find that the post record had been deleted from the database. Are some of us asking Tek-Tips to remove any post that we simply do not like? The question did relate to PHP.

So here is my helpful Tek-Tip in response to the original question:

Although not explicitly stated, the poster was questioning how to make his PDFs accessible to all. Many search engines (google/yahoo) allow you to view a PDF link in its original form or roughly converted to HTML. You could use PHP to assist in the server-side HTML conversion.

I would recommend against javascript or ActiveX client-side tricks. The effort you would have to go through to check for Reader - - and the required consent of the user to allow this check - - is much more than simply offering a link to adobe.com to manually download the Reader. Give the user a clear choice of downloading the program or viewing roughly converted HTML. Don't try to automate anything for them behind their back.

You may find better solutions at adobeforums.com. While Tek-Tips is great, you cannot beat a forum hosted on the software developer's site.

- - picklefish - -
Why is everyone in this forum responding to me as picklefish?

 

[sleipnir214]

Excatly how does a question that can only be solved through the use of client-side scripting have anything to do with PHP? The fact that you might use PHP to output the client-side code does not make the question relate to PHP.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[jimoblak]

Sometimes the best answer to a question is to ask another question: why do you need to check for a program?

You may not have your browser configured to view the bold text I put in the previous post. Generating HTML from PDF is not a client-side issue. This is PHP.

As you know from my many questions posted here, many of us do not know what we are asking and our questions may need to be rephrased.

- - picklefish - -
Why is everyone in this forum responding to me as picklefish?