ASP.Net C# Save PDF to directory

Question

I have a webpage that should work as the following: When a user fills the form's fields and hits submit, a PDF file will be generated for the user (filled with the info the user entered) and that PDF file gets saved in a directory.

What I have is, when the user hits Submit the PDF gets generated for the user:

 var pdfPath = Path.Combine(Server.MapPath(path_name)); String file_name_pdf = "Test.pdf"; var pdfContents = PDFHelper.GeneratePDF(pdfPath, formFieldMap); PDFHelper.ReturnPDF(pdfContents, file_name_pdf);

Here is my attempt for saving the PDF in the directory,

 var pdfPath = Path.Combine(Server.MapPath(path_name)); var formFieldMap = PDFHelper.GetFormFieldNames(pdfPath); string username = "Test"; string password = "12345"; String file_name_pdf = "Test.pdf"; var pdfContents = PDFHelper.GeneratePDF(pdfPath, formFieldMap); WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/" + pdfContents)); request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.UploadFile; request.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(username, password); Stream reqStream = request.GetRequestStream(); reqStream.Close();

When I ran the above I get a file: System.Byte[] Saved in the PDF directory, please advise what am I missing to get the generated PDF get saved in the directory.

The code for each Method as requested:

 protected void generate_pdf() { String path_name = "~/Forms/Form1.pdf"; var pdfPath = Path.Combine(Server.MapPath(path_name)); String file_name_pdf = "Test.pdf"; var pdfContents = PDFHelper.GeneratePDF(pdfPath, formFieldMap); PDFHelper.ReturnPDF(pdfContents, file_name_pdf); } protected void save_pdf() { String path_name = "~/PDF/"; var pdfPath = Path.Combine(Server.MapPath(path_name)); var formFieldMap = PDFHelper.GetFormFieldNames(pdfPath); string username = "Test"; string password = "12345"; String file_name_pdf = "Test.pdf"; var pdfContents = PDFHelper.GeneratePDF(pdfPath, formFieldMap); WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/" + pdfContents)); request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.UploadFile; request.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(username, password); Stream reqStream = request.GetRequestStream(); reqStream.Close(); }

PDFHelper code:

using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Collections; using System.Linq; using System.Web; using System.IO; using iTextSharp.text.pdf; public class PDFHelper { public static Dictionary<string, string> GetFormFieldNames(string pdfPath) { var fields = new Dictionary<string, string>(); var reader = new PdfReader(pdfPath); foreach (DictionaryEntry entry in reader.AcroFields.Fields) fields.Add(entry.Key.ToString(), string.Empty); reader.Close(); return fields; } public static byte[] GeneratePDF(string pdfPath, Dictionary<string, string> formFieldMap) { var output = new MemoryStream(); var reader = new PdfReader(pdfPath); var stamper = new PdfStamper(reader, output); var formFields = stamper.AcroFields; foreach (var fieldName in formFieldMap.Keys) formFields.SetField(fieldName, formFieldMap[fieldName]); stamper.FormFlattening = true; stamper.Close(); reader.Close(); return output.ToArray(); } public static string GetExportValue(AcroFields.Item item) { var valueDict = item.GetValue(0); var appearanceDict = valueDict.GetAsDict(PdfName.AP); if (appearanceDict != null) { var normalAppearances = appearanceDict.GetAsDict(PdfName.N); if (normalAppearances != null) { foreach (var curKey in normalAppearances.Keys) if (!PdfName.OFF.Equals(curKey)) return curKey.ToString().Substring(1); // string will have a leading '/' character, so remove it! } } var curVal = valueDict.GetAsName(PdfName.AS); if (curVal != null) return curVal.ToString().Substring(1); else return string.Empty; } public static void ReturnPDF(byte[] contents) { ReturnPDF(contents, null); } public static void ReturnPDF(byte[] contents, string attachmentFilename) { var response = HttpContext.Current.Response; if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(attachmentFilename)) response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" + attachmentFilename); response.ContentType = "application/pdf"; response.BinaryWrite(contents); response.End(); } }

You need to post all the code. Where is the source for PDFHelper? — Jon
– Jon, Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 21:31
When you say "I get a file: System.Byte[]" do you mean the contents of the file is the string "System.Byte[]"? — agriffin
– agriffin, Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 21:36
No sir, the file that gets saved in the directory is called: System.Byte[] @AndrewGriffin — David DeVaio
– David DeVaio, Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 22:15
@Mangist Sure, I have updated the code to include that. Thank you. — David DeVaio
– David DeVaio, Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 22:16
Where do you use PDFHelper.ReturnPDF(pdfContents, file_name_pdf);? — Roman Marusyk
– Roman Marusyk, Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 22:22

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:32:36Z

The PDFHelper.GeneratePDF is returning array of bytes of PDF file. As I understood, ater that you need to store this PDF in local folder. In that case you can use

using (var stream = File.Create(Path.Combine(pdfPath, file_name_pdf))) { stream.Write(pdfContents, 0, pdfContents.Length); }

or

File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(pdfPath, file_name_pdf), pdfContents)

Also, please see Can a Byte[] Array be written to a file in C#

So, your method should looks like that

protected void save_pdf() { String path_name = "~/PDF/"; var pdfPath = Path.Combine(Server.MapPath(path_name)); var formFieldMap = PDFHelper.GetFormFieldNames(pdfPath); string username = "Test"; string password = "12345"; String file_name_pdf = "Test.pdf"; var pdfContents = PDFHelper.GeneratePDF(pdfPath, formFieldMap); File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(pdfPath, file_name_pdf), pdfContents); WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(Server.MapPath("~/PDF/" + pdfContents)); request.Method = WebRequestMethods.Ftp.UploadFile; request.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(username, password); Stream reqStream = request.GetRequestStream(); reqStream.Close(); }

thank you so much for your help, it worked perfectly. I accepted the answer but I am still under the 15 reputation to mark it as "Useful". To everybody who ran into the same issue, the answer from MegaTron solved it for me.

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