how to output to pdf from a perl script

I had problems when trying to generate a pdf file with perl and outputting to MSIE 5.0. To fix this, I did content type = application/pdf. Thanks to help from wonderful perl monks I found out that I could do this. :) Thanks for the nifty trick! I just thought I'd share for those who don't know.

the url was simple....
/dumb_perlscript.pl?ext=.pdf
[download]

by simply adding .pdf to the end of the URL, Microsoft's dumb MIME content override was tricked.

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Re: how to output to pdf from a perl script by merlyn (Sage) on Jan 16, 2001 at 23:01 UTC
You can also use the PATH_INFO area, as I show in my WT column on creating .tar.gz files on the fly to define the download filename (and therefore IE type). -- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker	[reply]
Re: how to output to pdf from a perl script by skeight (Novice) on Jan 25, 2001 at 03:59 UTC
couldn't you also just do this at the beginning of the html: `print "Content-type: application/pdf\n\n";` correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure this would work skeight	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Re: how to output to pdf from a perl script by myocom (Deacon) on Jan 25, 2001 at 08:08 UTC
You should certainly be including that in your HTTP header, but IE prefers to pay attention to the file extension. If you have a URL such as `http://www.someserver.com/cgi-bin/sendpdf.cgi`, and that CGI script generates a PDF file and sends it along, IE won't see it as a PDF, it will see it as a .CGI file.	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Re: Re: how to output to pdf from a perl script by skeight (Novice) on Jan 25, 2001 at 10:52 UTC
Ahhh, Now I see. Thanks for the input on that one. I wasn't aware of that... skeight	[reply]