Detect Acrobat Reader Install Dir

Submitted by jrchilds on Wednesday, 11 August, 2010 - 17:34

I made a macro that opens our programming language reference, which is a PDF, and locates the definition for the selected command.

I also have a batch file that installs jEdit and copies the configuration changes needed for editing in our own language. This install is used by anyone who wants to develop in our language.

Here's the problem... In Beanshell, I am using the exec() command to launch the PDF, which requires the full path to the acrobat reader. This is of course different based on the operating system and installed version of the reader.

Here's my question... Is there a way that I can determine the install directory of the acrobat reader? Or is there a simpler solution I haven't yet considered?

Thanks
James

default application

by Robert Schwenn on Thu, 12/08/2010 - 22:12

You could try to "run" the file itself and let the OS find and invoke the default application for this file type. On Windows, this macro works:

pathToPDF = "T:\\dummy.pdf";
CommandInterpreter = getenv("COMSPEC");
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(CommandInterpreter + " /C " + pathToPDF);

Something similar should work on Linux. There also exists a shell script for most applications which is found without a given path. For example, when i enter "okular dummy.pdf" into a terminal, the OKULAR viewer is opened and shows the dummy.pdf.

Robert

Almost!

by jrchilds on Fri, 13/08/2010 - 18:55

That works great for launching the pdf without knowing the path to the Acrobat reader, thanks for that.

I am having trouble figuring out how to pass a switch to the pdf though.

I am using named destinations to jump to specific topics like this...
pdfPath = "T:\\MyPDF.pdf#nameddest="+TopicName;

But when I do that, it wont launch the PDF anymore...

Any suggestions?

Registry

by Robert Schwenn on Fri, 13/08/2010 - 21:35

Ah yes, You can't "run" a file and specify command line parameters.

You could try to get the application's path from the Windows registry in two stages:
1. Get the default value of the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf". If it is "AcroExch.Document" then:
2. Get the default value of the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AcroExch.Document\Shell\Open\Command". For me it's ""C:\Programme\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" "%1"". Then You have to extract the path.

It should be possible to read the registry via the java.util.prefs.Preferences class ( http://www.jdocs.com/javase/7.b12/java/util/prefs/package-summary.html ), though I havn't had luck with this.

Robert

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file	ver	dls
GdbPlugin for jEdit 4.5+	0.5	1147
Hypersearch results analysis	1.0	2232
German Language Pack for jEdit 5 (up-to-date)	5.3	4141
Goal column macros	1.0	4028
Hyper-search all .txt files in home dir	1	3284
Select line	1.0	3444
Open_Copied_Path.bsh	1.0	8498
Select_All_or_Lines.bsh	1.0	3409
A BeanShell macro script to search and open a recent file or a file in the current directory.	1.0	5630
Select contents in between parentheses (excluding parentheses)	1.0	3539

file	ver	dls
German Localization light	4.4.2.1	82348
Context Free Art (*.cfdg)	0.31	46055
JBuilder scheme	.001	18495
BBEdit scheme	1.0	18116
ColdFusion scheme	1.0	18024
R Edit Mode - extensive version	0.1	17473
Advanced HTML edit mode	1.0	16206
Matlab Edit Mode	1.0	16068
jEdit XP icons	1.0	15229
XP icons for jEdit	1.1	14293

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