pdf.js: PDF file from servlet which requires a variable

Question

I am using pdf.js to view PDF files in my GWT application. I've implemented the viewer exactly as the product of a build operation as described on the readme.

When I use the viewer with a static pdf, this works fine. When I supply the link to a servlet that serves the pdf however, the pdf viewer doesn't load.

Works fine

http://127.0.0.1:8888/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=http://127.0.0.1:8888/staticpdf.pdf

Doesn't work

http://127.0.0.1:8888/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/getPdf?nodeRef=001

http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/getPdf?nodeRef=001 yields a pdf file. The servlet has always worked.

This won't work, because pdf.js#getDocument proceeds to make a GET call without parameters, while the servlet needs the nodeRef:

GET http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/getPdf?nodeRef
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/pdf
Content-Length: 0

How would I implement the java servlet and pdf.js to be able to view a PDF file given a certain nodeRef? (only the servlet knows how to turn nodeRef into PDF, I need the path to the PDF to remain hidden)

I've been thinking along the lines of api/getPdf/001, but have no idea how to catch this on the tomcat server, and if that is even possible.

Answer 1

It turns out I was thinking too much within pdf.js I had been tinkering with it for hours, and even this question itself has changed a dozen times because I kept finding new leads.

However, I've now found a simple solution.

• Instead of accessing my servlet as /getPdf?nodeRef=001, I access it /getPdf/001
• My servlet mapping is now /getPdf/*

The servlet contains the following new code in doGet:

String nodeRef = request.getPathInfo().substring(1);

This omits the need for basic GET parameters in the url, at least in the format ?a=1&b=2, and works fine to pass a variable to a servlet that returns a PDF file using pdf.js.

EDIT: I have editted my question title to reflect the situation so that those who stumble upon this problem too may find their answer here.

Answer 2

If you don't want to change your server mapping, you should encode your URL (with encodeURIComponent, for example):

http://127.0.0.1:8888/api/getPdf?nodeRef=001 will turn into http%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A8888%2Fapi%2FgetPdf%3FnodeRef%3D001 and pdf.js will handle it correctly as 'file' parameter value.

Cheers!