Opening Acrobat Files

[Peter Reid]

Hi Klaus

Thanks for the feedback.

>>1) how do I open Acrobat Reader under Windows, only when necessary 
>>for a given PDF file? If I query the registry and then use the 
>>launch command, this will open a fresh copy of Acrobat Reader for 
>>every file I try to open I think, instead of re-using any currently 
>>open copy of the Reader!
>
>Sorry, dunno...
>
>But this has been on the list some time ago. you could find it in 
>the archives...

The list shows how to find the application but not how to open 
additional files within the currently running application!

>>
>>2) how do I get the path to Acrobat Reader on the Mac into a Rev 
>>variable so I can use the "launch" command? (more generally, how do 
>>I get results back from an AppleScript script?)
>
>Did you check the new (!) and free externals for Mac (AND OS X) on 
>the RR website.
>
>They do exactly what you are looking for... :-)

Well, yes and no!  The externals allow you to find the name of the 
application for use in a "launch" command but don't help with the 
problem of opening an additional PDF file once the Reader is open.

So, using the Externals for the Mac and querying the registry for 
Win, I now have the following situations.

With Windows:

a) launch PDF file with Acrobat Reader, with Reader currently NOT 
running - opens Reader and displays PDF file

b) launch PDF file with Acrobat Reader, with Reader currently running 
- opens fresh copy of Reader and displays PDF file - now have TWO 
copies of the Reader running!

With Mac:

a) launch PDF file with Acrobat Reader, with Reader currently NOT 
running - opens Reader and displays PDF file

b) launch PDF file with Acrobat Reader, with Reader currently running 
- nothing happens, it won't open a new Reader (which is good), but 
also won't open 2nd PDF file either (which is bad)!

The only solution I have is to "kill" any currently running Acrobat 
Reader and then allow a new one to open.  However this is not very 
neat, slow (the user has to wait for program launch each time) and 
doesn't allow the user to have more than one PDF file open at a time!

The old MetaCard Externals Collection worked just as I liked it for 
both Mac and Win, only opening the application if it wasn't already 
running, otherwise opening additional documents within the currently 
running application.

One other comment/question about the Externals - how do I include 
BOTH Mac OS Classic and Mac OS X versions of the external functions 
for building standalone programs?

Cheers

Peter
-- 
Peter Reid
Reid-IT Limited, Loughborough, Leics., UK
Tel: +44 (0)1509 268843 Fax: +44 (0)870 052 7576
E-mail: preid at reidit.co.uk
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