Determining when user moves to webcontrol (1 Viewer)

theDBguy · Oct 24, 2019

CedarTree said:
Thanks. I'd need some guidance if JS (and/or maybe HTML) is the way to go (I understand some basics). I'd rather avoid Acrobat API b/c not all my users have Acrobat Pro.

Unfortunately, as I was saying earlier, I don't have enough time right now to pursue this line of thought, but it's just an idea I think may be possible. If I get a chance to try it later on, I'll let you know, but no promises though. My initial thought was what if instead of loading the PDF file into the web browser, you would create a HTML page that displays the PDF in it and load this HTML file in your browser control. You are then free to design and code the HTML file to maybe do other things and possibly interact with the user too. Just my 2 cents...

isladogs · Oct 24, 2019

CedarTree said:
As a reminder (to myself), using scrollbar=0 in the URL hides the scrollbars, but I can still pageup/down and mouse wheel myself around.

I haven't been following this thread and I'm therefore unclear why you need this. However for info it is possible to disable the page up/down buttons and mouse wheel scroll whilst using your form

CedarTree · Oct 24, 2019

Maybe the best idea so far is to split the PDF into separate pages (do this in batch beforehand) and have the user open each page explicitly via PageUp / PageDown buttons. This might be the best compromise unless someone donates some time in my direction to determine the page # the person is looking at on the fly! Thanks guys!

CJ_London · Oct 24, 2019

I kind of agree, you need to find a different way

for example you might be able to open the pdf to a specific page. then have your own scrollbar to move around the pages by refreshing the control. OK, the display doesn't scroll from one page to the next, but if the purpose is just for the viewer to see whole pages at a time, you have control of which page they are looking at....

I know you can open a pdf to a specific page using command line switches with adobe reader - not sure they would work in a web control but perhaps worth a try. See this link for the switches

https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/acom/en/devnet/acrobat/pdfs/pdf_open_parameters.pdf

Edit: see you are thinking along the same lines

CedarTree · Oct 24, 2019

Right. What would be REALLY cool is if Adobe page URL parameters allowed you to open to a range of pages so you could just show 1 page at a time, but the user could still scroll up and down that singular page.

isladogs · Oct 24, 2019

You can open a pdf to a specific page without having the full Acrobat Pro app.
See https://www.devhut.net/2013/12/04/vba-open-a-pdf-to-a-specific-page/

CedarTree · Oct 24, 2019

Right - the goal for my purposes however is to not just open to a specific page (&page=x), but to open ONLY that page.

isladogs · Oct 24, 2019

CedarTree said:
Right - the goal for my purposes however is to not just open to a specific page (&page=x), but to open ONLY that page.

Well perhaps you said that earlier in the thread but I hadn't seen that point before.
In that case combine the suggestions in my last two posts.
Disable page up/down and mouse wheel scrolling AND open to a specific page.
QED

BTW have you considered using the ActiveX Web browser control instead?

CedarTree · Oct 24, 2019

Opening to a specific page does not stop the user from scroll down to another page, and therefore not knowing which page they end up at.

isladogs · Oct 24, 2019

At the risk of repeating myself, turn scrollbars off and do the other things I said before
In case you haven't seen it, read https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/acom/en/devnet/acrobat/pdfs/pdf_open_parameters.pdf

CedarTree · Oct 24, 2019

That's the issue - you can't just turn off scrollbars easily in a PDF inside a Web Control.

isladogs · Oct 24, 2019

CedarTree said:
That's the issue - you can't just turn off scrollbars easily in a PDF inside a Web Control.

Your post #37 indicates it works.
And I'll ask again, have you considered using the ActiveX Web browser control?

CedarTree · Oct 24, 2019

Didn't have any more luck with ActiveX.
I can hide the scroll bar... but you can still scroll around to ANOTHER page.
If I somehow disable scrolling, then you can't scroll down within the SAME page.
It's a catch-22.

isladogs · Oct 24, 2019

OK I'll drop out again now.
You haven't said whether you have tried to disable PageUp & Pagedown controls or mouse wheel scrolling as I suggested

Good luck...whatever the point of this happens to be

CJ_London · Oct 25, 2019

I have a possible solution for you if all you are trying to capture is the page number.

I was unable to disable mousewheel in the web control and page up/down went out of sync after a few pages but by putting an invisible form over the web control I can prevent the user interacting with it so enables you to provide 'previous, next, enter a page number, home grown scrollbar' type functionality on your main form - the code resizes the pdf so a complete page viewed.

The attached is crude but demonstrates the principle.

Not sure how much of an explanation you require but form1 contains the web control and basic 'select a page' navigation

form2 is the invisible form, I've set a very low level of visibility so it can just be seen. It is a popup (needs to be) and I haven't provided any window placing code so you'll need to open it and drag it over the web control to get it to to its job.

You'll also need to populate the file name control.

I tried it on a pdf with some 3300 pages (mySQL manual) and it was pretty quick going from page 1 to page 3000 for example

isladogs · Oct 25, 2019

That's clever.
I use a similar idea of a semi transparent form to dim the background behind a popup form. The purpose there is to focus attention on the popup.
In case you are interested, its one of the options in my Attention Seeking database

CJ_London · Oct 25, 2019

My primary use for it (with some colour and transparency) is to highlight columns in a datasheet or continuous form

isladogs · Oct 25, 2019

I'd not thought of doing that.
However to my mind its easier to highlight columns without using an overlay.

For example in a continuous form

Or in a datasheet form

CJ_London · Oct 25, 2019

I use that method as well, but if there is conditional formatting involved, it looks a bit messy. Columns are being highlighted for reasons of user taking some action rather than emphasising a particular column.

isladogs · Oct 25, 2019

My purpose in highlighting columns is usually to indicate something has been done to the column(s). In the case of the continuous form, I'm highlighting the columns filtered based on combo selections. No CF involved

I rarely use datasheets so knocked up a quick example which did use CF to save time. However if I had used a datasheet subform, the same non CF code used in the continuous form would have worked for the DS subform also.

Anyway... not sure why you say CF can look messy. The end appearance can be identical whether CF used or not.

Determining when user moves to webcontrol (1 Viewer)

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