Call extern app Adobe Acrobat to open *.pdf

[Lodhart]

Hi, i need help
i do not know how i can call external view (Adobe) to open *.pdf ... from Qt.

[nightghost]

OSX has the command "open". Just create a QProcess with the string "open <PATH_TO_YOUR_PDF>". OSX will use the default application to open the file. Windows and Linux have similiar commands.

[nightghost]

Funny, i was searching in our sourcecode today and found the code, where we implemented the external open. Maybe it will help you a bit more than me last short answer. (System and Environment are our own classes, but I think you will get it) the env variable DESKTOP_LAUNCH points to the program that handles the file open (under linux) if that variable is not set, than the default launcher is used.

const QString System::EnvironmentVariableIdentifyingDesktopLauncher("DESKTOP_LAUNCH");
 
 
QString System::getDefaultApplicationLauncher() {
        if (Environment::isSet(EnvironmentVariableIdentifyingDesktopLauncher)) {
            QString launcher = Environment::get(EnvironmentVariableIdentifyingDesktopLauncher);
            return launcher + " %1";
        } else if (System::isWindows()) {
            return "cmd /c \"start %1\"";
        } else if (System::isMacOSX()) {
            return "open \"%1\"";
        } else if (System::runningGNOME()) {
            return "gnome-open \"%1\"";
        } else if (System::runningKDE()) {
            return "kfmclient exec \"%1\"";
        } else {
            // last try. Only used by XFCE, but no better Idea for default
            return "exo-open \"%1\"";
        }
    }
 
 
bool System::openFileWithTheDefaultApplication(const QUrl& url) {
        QString launcher = getDefaultApplicationLauncher();
        QString url_to_execute = url.toEncoded();
        return QProcess::execute(launcher.arg(url_to_execute));
}

const QString System::EnvironmentVariableIdentifyingDesktopLauncher("DESKTOP_LAUNCH");


QString System::getDefaultApplicationLauncher() {
        if (Environment::isSet(EnvironmentVariableIdentifyingDesktopLauncher)) {
            QString launcher = Environment::get(EnvironmentVariableIdentifyingDesktopLauncher);
            return launcher + " %1";
        } else if (System::isWindows()) {
            return "cmd /c \"start %1\"";
        } else if (System::isMacOSX()) {
            return "open \"%1\"";
        } else if (System::runningGNOME()) {
            return "gnome-open \"%1\"";
        } else if (System::runningKDE()) {
            return "kfmclient exec \"%1\"";
        } else {
            // last try. Only used by XFCE, but no better Idea for default
            return "exo-open \"%1\"";
        }
    }


bool System::openFileWithTheDefaultApplication(const QUrl& url) {
        QString launcher = getDefaultApplicationLauncher();
        QString url_to_execute = url.toEncoded();
        return QProcess::execute(launcher.arg(url_to_execute));
}

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Maybe it can be done better, but it works for us The default case (the else) is not really perfekt, but we never get this far

[sophister]

I onlyy know how to start an excutive application:

QObject *parent = NULL;
QString program = "J:\\2\\exeshan\\Debug\\11.ppt";
    QStringList arguments;
    arguments << "-style" << "motif";
    QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(this);
    myProcess->start(program, arguments);

QObject *parent = NULL;
QString program = "J:\\2\\exeshan\\Debug\\11.ppt";
    QStringList arguments;
    arguments << "-style" << "motif";
    QProcess *myProcess = new QProcess(this);
    myProcess->start(program, arguments);

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the "program" is the path of the application you want to run.

[andy.fillebrown]

I'm using QProcess::startDetached, to do the same, fwiw.

[nightghost]

Jep. Thats better to prevent the GUI from freezing if the started program takes a long time to start.

[spirit]

why don't you just use QDesktopServices:: openUrl?

[nightghost]

Cool. I didn't know about this class. Works great.

[sophister]

why don't you just use QDesktopServices:: openUrl?

I have tried this, but it cannot open files such as ".pdf", ".txt", and it only can run ".exe" applications. The following is my codes:

if(!QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl(path)))
    {
        qDebug() << "Fail to run the file";
    }

if(!QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl(path)))
    {
        qDebug() << "Fail to run the file";
    }

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the path is the path of the file to be run or open.
thanks

[spirit]

can you provide a compilable example?

[sophister]

Maybe the source codes are a little complicated:

MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
    : QMainWindow(parent), ui(new Ui::MainWindowClass)
{
    ui->setupUi(this);
}
 
MainWindow::~MainWindow()
{
    delete ui;
}
 
bool MainWindow::on_addExeButton_clicked()
{
    QString filename = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this, tr("choose the file or application"), qApp->applicationDirPath(), tr("Excutable(*.*)"));
    if(filename.isNull())
        return false;
    //User chooses a file that has been chosen before
    if(buttons.keys().contains(filename))
    {
        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("Existed File"), tr("Sorry but the file you choose has been chose before.\n"
                                                           "check the buttons on the interface!!"));
        return false;
    }
    //User chooses a new file which has not been selected before
    QFileInfo fileInfo(filename);
    QFileIconProvider seekIcon;
    QIcon icon = seekIcon.icon(fileInfo);
    QToolButton *btn = new QToolButton;
    btn->resize( 500, 500);
    btn->setIcon(icon);
    connect(btn, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(callExe()));    
 //click the button to run the corresponding exe or open the file   
 buttons.insert(filename, btn);
    ui->verticalLayout1->addWidget(btn);
    ui->verticalLayout1->addStretch();
    qDebug() << buttons.size();
    return true;
}
 
void MainWindow::callExe()
{
    qDebug() << "Ready to execute program";
    QToolButton *sender = qobject_cast<QToolButton*>(this->sender());
    //This SLOT is called by these inner code, not the user, then return
    if(!sender)
    {
        return;
    }
 
    qDebug() << "Sender found successfully!";
    QString path;
    QMapIterator<QString, QToolButton *> i(buttons);
    while(i.hasNext())
    {
  //      qDebug() << "Enter the while loop successfully!";
        if(i.peekNext().value() == sender)
        {
            path = i.next().key();
            qDebug() << "Find the path!!\n";
            break;
        }
        else
        {
            i.next();
        }
    }
 
    if(path.isEmpty())
    {
        qDebug() << "******File path is null!!";
        return;
    }
//打开相应程序    In English------Using QProcess to run the applications
//Using class QDesktopServices to run the files or applications
    if(!QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl(path)))
    {
        qDebug() << "Fail to run the file";
    }
 
    qDebug() << "SLOT successfully!" << endl;
}

MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
    : QMainWindow(parent), ui(new Ui::MainWindowClass)
{
    ui->setupUi(this);
}

MainWindow::~MainWindow()
{
    delete ui;
}

bool MainWindow::on_addExeButton_clicked()
{
    QString filename = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this, tr("choose the file or application"), qApp->applicationDirPath(), tr("Excutable(*.*)"));
    if(filename.isNull())
        return false;
    //User chooses a file that has been chosen before
    if(buttons.keys().contains(filename))
    {
        QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("Existed File"), tr("Sorry but the file you choose has been chose before.\n"
                                                           "check the buttons on the interface!!"));
        return false;
    }
    //User chooses a new file which has not been selected before
    QFileInfo fileInfo(filename);
    QFileIconProvider seekIcon;
    QIcon icon = seekIcon.icon(fileInfo);
    QToolButton *btn = new QToolButton;
    btn->resize( 500, 500);
    btn->setIcon(icon);
    connect(btn, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(callExe()));    
 //click the button to run the corresponding exe or open the file   
 buttons.insert(filename, btn);
    ui->verticalLayout1->addWidget(btn);
    ui->verticalLayout1->addStretch();
    qDebug() << buttons.size();
    return true;
}

void MainWindow::callExe()
{
    qDebug() << "Ready to execute program";
    QToolButton *sender = qobject_cast<QToolButton*>(this->sender());
    //This SLOT is called by these inner code, not the user, then return
    if(!sender)
    {
        return;
    }

    qDebug() << "Sender found successfully!";
    QString path;
    QMapIterator<QString, QToolButton *> i(buttons);
    while(i.hasNext())
    {
  //      qDebug() << "Enter the while loop successfully!";
        if(i.peekNext().value() == sender)
        {
            path = i.next().key();
            qDebug() << "Find the path!!\n";
            break;
        }
        else
        {
            i.next();
        }
    }

    if(path.isEmpty())
    {
        qDebug() << "******File path is null!!";
        return;
    }
//打开相应程序    In English------Using QProcess to run the applications
//Using class QDesktopServices to run the files or applications
    if(!QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl(path)))
    {
        qDebug() << "Fail to run the file";
    }

    qDebug() << "SLOT successfully!" << endl;
}

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[spirit]

maybe something wrong with path.
try this example, works fine for me.

#include <QtGui>
#include <QApplication>
 
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);
 
    const QString file = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName();
 
    if (!QDesktopServices::openUrl(file))
        qDebug() << "fail";
 
    return 0;
}

#include <QtGui>
#include <QApplication>
 
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    QApplication app(argc, argv);
	
    const QString file = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName();

    if (!QDesktopServices::openUrl(file))
        qDebug() << "fail";

    return 0;
}

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[nightghost]

We've sometimes problems (only under Windows) if the string points to a local file and the implicit cast is used. Using QUrl::fromLocalFile() works always. In the above code change line 10:

if (!QDesktopServices::openUrl(file))

if (!QDesktopServices::openUrl(file))

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to

if (!QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl::fromLocalFile(file)))

if (!QDesktopServices::openUrl(QUrl::fromLocalFile(file)))

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[spirit]

yes, that's true.

[sophister]

Yea, only when I add the QUrl::from Local File() does the app works!!
Thanks a lot!

But I find that it cannot open files with extention ".png".
So strange it is.

[sophister]

thanks, it do works.
but, uh, it cannot open the files with extention ".png" or "jpg", a little strange.

[sophister]

in another application, it does works!!!