Saving pdf document from webbrowser control

Question

I'm navigating from webbrowser control to an url like this; http://www.who.int/cancer/modules/Team%20building.pdf

It's shown in webbrowser control. What I want to do is to download this pdf file to computer. But I tried many ways;

Dim filepath As String
filepath = "D:\temp1.pdf"
Dim client As WebClient = New WebClient()
client.DownloadFileCompleted += new AsyncCompletedEventHandler(client_DownloadFileCompleted);
client.DownloadFileAsync(WebBrowserEx1.Url, filepath)

This one downloads a pdf but there is nothing in the file.

Also tried with

objWebClient.DownloadFile()

nothing changed.

I tried to show a save or print dialog;

WebBrowserEx1.ShowSaveAsDialog()
WebBrowserEx1.ShowPrintDialog()

but they didnt show any dialog. Maybe the last one is because it doesnt wait to load the the pdf into webbrowser completely.

When I try html files there is no problem to dowload, but in this .pdf file, I think I didn't manage to wait the file to be loaded as pdf into browser. This function(s);

 Private Sub WaitForPageLoad(ByVal adimno As String)
    If adimno = "1" Then
        AddHandler WebBrowserEx1.DocumentCompleted, New WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventHandler(AddressOf PageWaiter)
        While Not pageReady
            Application.DoEvents()
        End While
        pageReady = False
    End If

End Sub

Private Sub PageWaiter(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs)
    If WebBrowserEx1.ReadyState = WebBrowserReadyState.Complete Then
        pageReady = True
        RemoveHandler WebBrowserEx1.DocumentCompleted, New WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventHandler(AddressOf PageWaiter)
    End If
End Sub

are not working for this situation. I mean it gets into infinite loop.

So anyone knows how to wait this to load pdf then save into computer.

Jason Bayldon Jason Bayldon · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-15T14:39:57

you could test the URL when document completed fires and if its .pdf, then do the following then navigate back, for example.

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    WebBrowserEx1.Navigate("http://www.who.int/cancer/modules/Team%20building.pdf")
End Sub

Private Sub WebBrowserEx1_DocumentCompleted(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowserDocumentCompletedEventArgs) Handles WebBrowserEx1.DocumentCompleted

    If WebBrowserEx1.Url.ToString.Contains(".pdf") Then

        Using webClient = New WebClient()
            Dim bytes = webClient.DownloadData(WebBrowserEx1.Url.ToString) 'again variable here

            File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop), "TEST.pdf"), bytes) 'save to desktop or specialfolder. to list all the readily available user folders
        End Using

 'WebBrowserEx1.goback() 'could send browser back a page as well

    End If



End Sub

You will need to make the filename "TEST" as a variable instead of a static string or else you will overwrite the same file each time. Perhaps:

 WebBrowserEx1.DocumentTitle.ToString & ".pdf"

instead, which would save the file as pdf named by the webpage title. Only problem there is if the page contains illegal characters (that windows doesnt let you save with) it will throw an exception so that should be handled.

Saving pdf document from webbrowser control

1 Answers