Download a PDF file via REST service with "Content-Disposition" Header on Android

Question

I have to download a pdf file through a GET request that has the following structure:

http://example.example.com/folder/folder/orders/id/folder/download

In postman the response that gives me the server when making the request is as follows:

BODY:

%PDF-1.4
%����
4 0 obj
<undefined</Type/XObject/ColorSpace/DeviceRGB/Subtype/Image/BitsPerComponent 8/Width        174/Length 4410/Height 65/Filter/DCTDecode>>stream
����JFIF��C     

And so on....

HEADERS:

Connection →Keep-Alive
Content-Type →application/pdf
Date →Sun, 16 Feb 2014 04:52:34 GMT
Keep-Alive →timeout=5, max=15
Server →Apache
cache-control →must-revalidate, no-cache, no-store, post-check=0, pre-check=0, private
content-disposition →filename="EXAMPLE.pdf"
content-length →9869
expires →Sat, 25 Mar 1978 10:00:00 GMT
pragma →no-cache    

First I tried to capture the body response with:

HttpEntity httpEntity = response.getEntity();
inputStream = httpEntity.getContent();

Then I tried to create a File with pdf extension so then I can call it with an intent and finally show it via an pdf reader app.

String extStorageDirectory = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()
                .toString();
                File folder = new File(extStorageDirectory, "PDF");
                folder.mkdir();
                File file = new File(folder, "example.pdf");
                try {
                    file.createNewFile();
                    FileUtils.writeStringToFile(file, inputStream);
                } catch (IOException e1) {
                    e1.printStackTrace();
                }  

File fileobject_in_other_method = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()+"/PDF/example.pdf");
    Intent intent = new Intent();
    intent.setAction(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    Uri uri = Uri.fromFile(file);
    intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/pdf");
    startActivity(intent);

Did not work... : ( XD

I saw some example where they talk about downloading files with php and using the "Content-Disposition" Header. but a don't get it. I need to do it on android, please some advice : )

THANKS!

Answer 1

Finally this is the way that work for me : )

public String downloadPdf() {
    String responseServer = "";

    try {

        //////PDF folder and file init///////////////////////////

        HttpClient client = HttpClientCustomized.getHttpsClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
       //you can use the default Http Client class instead

        HttpGet get = new HttpGet(sUrl);
        get.addHeader("x-wsse", header);
        HttpResponse response = client.execute(get);
        responseCode = response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode();
        Log.d("responseCode", responseCode + "");
        HttpEntity httpEntity = response.getEntity();
        is = httpEntity.getContent();

        try {

            String typeS = "someFileName".pdf";


directory = new File(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS) + "/SomeFolderName/");

    // if no directory exists, create new directory
            if (!directory.exists()) {
                directory.mkdir();
            }

            FileOutputStream fi = new FileOutputStream(Environment.getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.DIRECTORY_DOWNLOADS) + "/ShippingOrders/" + typeS);

            byte[] buf = new byte[8 * 1024];
            int len = 0;
            while ((len = is.read(buf)) > 0) {
                fi.write(buf, 0, len);
            }

            fi.close();
            is.close();

            System.out.println("Hurra!! : D");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("owww : (" + e.toString());
        }

        responseServer = "TRUE";



    } catch (IOException e) {
        Log.d("IOException", e.toString());
        return "Problems with the server";
    }

    return responseServer;
}