GWT: Sending PDF document from server to client - pdf

Question

I have an RPC service and one of the method is generating a report using Pentaho Reporting Engine. Report is an PDF file. What I'd like to do, is when user request a report, the report is sent back to him and save dialog or sth pops up. I tried this inside my service method:
Resource res = manager.createDirectly(new URL(reportUrl), MasterReport.class);
MasterReport report = (MasterReport) res.getResource();
report.getParameterValues().put("journalName", "FooBar");
this.getThreadLocalResponse().setContentType("application/pdf");
PdfReportUtil.createPDF(report, this.getThreadLocalResponse().getOutputStream());
But it doesn't work. How it can be done?

Answer 1

I do it a little bit differently. I've got a separate servlet that I use to generate the PDF. On the client, do something like:
Cookies.setCookie(set what ever stuff PDF needs...);
Window.open(GWT.getModuleBaseURL() + "DownloadPDF", "", "");
The servlet, DownloadPDF looks something like this:
public class DownloadPDF extends HttpServlet {
public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) {
Cookie[] cookies = request.getCookies();
try {
// get cookies, generate PDF.
// If PDF is generated to to temp file, read it
byte[] bytes = getFile(name);
sendPDF(response, bytes, name);
} catch (Exception ex) {
// do something here
}
}
byte[] getFile(String filename) {
byte[] bytes = null;
try {
java.io.File file = new java.io.File(filename);
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(file);
bytes = new byte[(int) file.length()];
fis.read(bytes);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return bytes;
}
void sendPDF(HttpServletResponse response, byte[] bytes, String name) throws IOException {
ServletOutputStream stream = null;
stream = response.getOutputStream();
response.setContentType("application/pdf");
response.addHeader("Content-Type", "application/pdf");
response.addHeader("Content-Disposition", "inline; filename=" + name);
response.setContentLength((int) bytes.length);
stream.write(bytes);
stream.close();
}
}