Working with Adobe Acrobat ActiveX

[kisa]

I try to work with acrobat reader from CVI. I've created ActiveX controller from Adobe Acrobat server by means of the wizard. But it seem that I have problem to get a CAObjectHandle to the reader. I observed each function in the received .fp and didn't find any function that returns this handle. Previously I've worked with ActiveX of Word and Excel, but the difference is that I could not find a function that creates/opens/activates application (Acrobat reader) and returns me I handle for the rest of operation. I had try to work with Acrobat ActiveX control, it works fine, but I need to build a uir panel, which I don't want.

Please help.
thank's

[Jeremy_L]

Hi Kisa,

I'm not totally sure, but I think you have to have the full version of Acrobat in order to use the ActiveX interface that allows you to open and navigate to a pdf file. If you just have the free Reader, the ActiveX interface is designed to be used as a control or document, meaning that you must put it inside of an ActiveX Container. This is why you would need a UIR or a Windows Form to run this. I tried this on my machine using the two different registered ActiveX controls, and could not find a function to open Reader. I would go back over to the Adobe Website to see if you can find some information on the different ActiveX Controls/Objects/Servers and see which one you need to be able to open a standalone version of AcroRead32. Hope this helps!

Jeremy L.
National Instruments

[kisa]

I have a full version of Adobe Acrobat Writer 5.5, but still it does not help to work directly with Acrobat ActiveX server without having a control on uir panel. I even try to get a handle to Acrobat application through Class ID from registry, but still no luck. I thing there is no possible way to call Reader from CVI code, without using interface panel with Acrobat control. If any body do know another way to work with Acrobat Reader/Writer it will help.
Thank's

[Jeremy_L]

Hi Kisa,

What you're accessing then is ActiveX Controls rather than the ActiveX Automation Server. The difference between the two is that ActiveX Controls must have a container for it to be accessed in. The Adobe Acrobat Reader Application isn't an ActiveX Control -- it must be an Automation Server (Just like MS Excel, Word, etc). So, the problem lies in finding where the Adobe Acrobat Reader Automation Server is (if it exists). I don't have the full version of Acrobat, and so I cannot point you to the correct Automation Server. I would go to Adobe's website to see if there's documentation on how to find and use Acrobat's Automation Server. Hope this helps!

Jeremy L.
National Instruments