Hi all,

I got informed by someone using a windows computer about an error 
message if he tries to load a pdf form.

  file does not start with %PDF


I can't reproduce this error on any computer I have.


What does this mean and what is wrong configured?


Reimar



-- 
Reimar Bauer

Institut fuer Stratosphaerische Chemie (ICG-I)
Forschungszentrum Juelich
email: R.Bauer@fz-juelich.de
-------------------------------------------------------------------
         a IDL library at ForschungsZentrum Juelich
  http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg-i/idl_icglib/idl_lib_intro.html
===================================================================

Reimar Bauer wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I got informed by someone using a windows computer about an error 
> message if he tries to load a pdf form.
> 
>  file does not start with %PDF
> 
> 
> I can't reproduce this error on any computer I have.
> 
> 
> What does this mean and what is wrong configured?
> 
> 
> Reimar
> 
> 
>

Open any valid PDF file in a text editor (preferably one that can read 
binary data too such as UltraEdit) and you will see the beginning header 
is %PDF followed by the version such as %PDF-1.3 or %PDF-1.4
And the bottom of the file has %%EOF. (including the dot) to signal the 
End Of File.
Sometimes files may get corrupted by email software in which case there 
is usually invalid text at the start and maybe the end too. Try removing 
any data that may be coming in before the %PDF and after the %%EOF.

Kog wrote:
> Reimar Bauer wrote:
> 
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I got informed by someone using a windows computer about an error 
>> message if he tries to load a pdf form.
>>
>>  file does not start with %PDF
>>
>>
>> I can't reproduce this error on any computer I have.
>>
>>
>> What does this mean and what is wrong configured?
>>
>>
>> Reimar
>>
>>
>>
> 
> Open any valid PDF file in a text editor (preferably one that can read 
> binary data too such as UltraEdit) and you will see the beginning header 
> is %PDF followed by the version such as %PDF-1.3 or %PDF-1.4
> And the bottom of the file has %%EOF. (including the dot) to signal the 
> End Of File.
> Sometimes files may get corrupted by email software in which case there 
> is usually invalid text at the start and maybe the end too. Try removing 
> any data that may be coming in before the %PDF and after the %%EOF.
> 


Are you sure? Is this by forms the same. All of our form pdf which are 
stored encrypted do start by %����1.4


regards
Reimar






-- 
Reimar Bauer

Institut fuer Stratosphaerische Chemie (ICG-I)
Forschungszentrum Juelich
email: R.Bauer@fz-juelich.de
-------------------------------------------------------------------
         a IDL library at ForschungsZentrum Juelich
  http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg-i/idl_icglib/idl_lib_intro.html
===================================================================

In article <cappdr$7hj4$1@zam602.zam.kfa-juelich.de>, R.Bauer@fz-
juelich.de says...

> Are you sure? Is this by forms the same. All of our form pdf which are=20
> stored encrypted do start by %=E2=E3=CF=D31.4

Are you perchance referring to a Forms Data Format (FDF) file, and not a=20
PDF file at all ?

Mind you , even that isn't correct for an FDF file which begins '%FDF'

When you say these are stored encrypted, who has done the encrtyption ?

The data you quote appear to be a combination of the binary data=20
required for some editors and other applications to spot the PDF as a=20
binary file, and the normal PDF header. Your PDF files should begin:

%PDF-1.4
%=E2=E3=CF=D3

Is it possible that the editor you are using  doesn't handle carriage=20
returns without linefeeds ? Are you sending these files to your=20
customer, in which case you should ensure they are being sent as binary,=20
CR/LF translation will break PDF files.


=09=09=09=09=09Ken

Ken Sharp wrote:
> In article <cappdr$7hj4$1@zam602.zam.kfa-juelich.de>, R.Bauer@fz-
> juelich.de says...
> 
> 
>>Are you sure? Is this by forms the same. All of our form pdf which are 
>>stored encrypted do start by %����1.4
> 
> 
> Are you perchance referring to a Forms Data Format (FDF) file, and not a 
> PDF file at all ?
> 
> Mind you , even that isn't correct for an FDF file which begins '%FDF'
> 
> When you say these are stored encrypted, who has done the encrtyption ?
> 
> The data you quote appear to be a combination of the binary data 
> required for some editors and other applications to spot the PDF as a 
> binary file, and the normal PDF header. Your PDF files should begin:
> 
> %PDF-1.4
> %����
> 
> Is it possible that the editor you are using  doesn't handle carriage 
> returns without linefeeds ? Are you sending these files to your 
> customer, in which case you should ensure they are being sent as binary, 
> CR/LF translation will break PDF files.
> 
> 
> 					Ken


Dear Ken

it's a pdf file written by Acrobat PDF writer 6.x.
We used the encryption for protection of the file by this too.

you are right it was an editor problem. It starts right with

%PDF-1.4
%����

This are the the first 14 bytes

Ok, now the problem is more why does the customer has the problem not 
seeing the PDF string. On all of our systems here we do not have this 
problem.

I will visit the customer today to get more informations.


Reimar