Read Adobe Acrobat PDF files from my application

Problem/Question/Abstract:

Adobe Acrobat PDF is a well known format that some users love, so how can I open PDF files from a Delphi Application?

Answer:

Ok, you must have installed the Acrobat Reader program in your machine, if you don�t have it you can download it from Adobe�s site: www.adobe.com

After that you have to install the type library for Acrobat (Project -> Import Type Library from Delphi�s menu) select "Acrobat Control for ActiveX (version x)". Where x stands for the current version of the type library. Click the install button to install it into the IDE.

Now, Start a new Application, drop from whatever page of the component palette you have installed a TPDF component in a form, next add an OpenDialog, and finally a Button, in the Onclick event of the Button use:

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  if OpenDialog1.Execute then
    pdf1.src := OpenDialog1.FileName;
end;

in PdfLib_TLB Unit you can find the interface of the TPdf class in order to know the behaviour of that class so here it is:

TPdf = class(TOleControl)
private
  FIntf: _DPdf;
  function GetControlInterface: _DPdf;
protected
  procedure CreateControl;
  procedure InitControlData; override;
public
  function LoadFile(const fileName: WideString): WordBool;
  procedure setShowToolbar(On_: WordBool);
  procedure gotoFirstPage;
  procedure gotoLastPage;
  procedure gotoNextPage;
  procedure gotoPreviousPage;
  procedure setCurrentPage(n: Integer);
  procedure goForwardStack;
  procedure goBackwardStack;
  procedure setPageMode(const pageMode: WideString);
  procedure setLayoutMode(const layoutMode: WideString);
  procedure setNamedDest(const namedDest: WideString);
  procedure Print;
  procedure printWithDialog;
  procedure setZoom(percent: Single);
  procedure setZoomScroll(percent: Single; left: Single; top:
    Single);
  procedure setView(const viewMode: WideString);
  procedure setViewScroll(const viewMode: WideString; offset:
    Single);
  procedure setViewRect(left: Single; top: Single; width: Single;
    height: Single);
  procedure printPages(from: Integer; to_: Integer);
  procedure printPagesFit(from: Integer; to_: Integer; shrinkToFit:
    WordBool);
  procedure printAll;
  procedure printAllFit(shrinkToFit: WordBool);
  procedure setShowScrollbars(On_: WordBool);
  procedure AboutBox;
  property ControlInterface: _DPdf read GetControlInterface;
  property DefaultInterface: _DPdf read GetControlInterface;
published
  property TabStop;
  property Align;
  property DragCursor;
  property DragMode;
  property ParentShowHint;
  property PopupMenu;
  property ShowHint;
  property TabOrder;
  property Visible;
  property OnDragDrop;
  property OnDragOver;
  property OnEndDrag;
  property OnEnter;
  property OnExit;
  property OnStartDrag;
  property src: WideString index 1 read GetWideStringProp write
    SetWideStringProp stored False;
end;

finally here�s an advice:

You can�t be sure your users will have Acrobat Reader installed so please fisrt check that situation before you take any actions with the TPdf component. And second if your PDF file have links for an AVI file for example, they don�t work from Delphi.