Send PDF file to browser for display

[Meng Tan]

Hi,
Does anyone know how to send a PDF file in byte[] to the browser?
In doGet() :
res.setContentType("application/pdf");
OutputStream out = res.getOutputStream();
byte[] pdf; //PDF file obtained somewhere
byte[] buf = new byte[4 * 1024];
int i = 0;
while (i < pdf.length) {
int j = 0;
for (j = 0; (j < 4 * 1024) && (i < pdf.length); j++) {
buf[j] = b[i];
i++;
}
out.write(buf, 0, j);
}
The browser does not seem to displat the PDF.
What's wrong.
Please advise.

[Tim Holloway]

If the browser is Netscape, there's a well-known problem about PDF's not displaying unless you send a Content-length header with the exact size of the PDF in bytes.
Without the Content-length header a blank document will display, but if you save it as a file, then open the file from the local drive, you will be able to read it.

[Meng Tan]

Hi,
I m using IE6.
Is it OK when I didnt send the Content-length header at all?
Actually the browser only display the PDF only when I do a reload again.
So everytime I have to enter the URL, press enter and when it displays a blank page, I have to hit F5 again to get the PDF shown.
I believe this should be a common problem faced because the PDF byte[] stream is dynamically generated after processing by the Servlet.
Please advise.
Thanks!