Open and Encode PDF into OBX.5 Field

[Jerry Tilsley]

All,

I need to load a PDF and encode it into the HL7 OBX.5 format.  Can I just read the file in like I would any file and pass that value to the base-64 encode package?

Thanks,

Jerry

Topic

[Charlie Bursell]

Just be sure to read it in the binary mode.

[Max Drown (Infor)]

Here is some tcl code that will encode/decode pdf documents.

Code:

package require base64

set file test.pdf

# base64 encode the .pdf file
set fi [open $file r]
fconfigure $fi -translation binary
set pdf [base64::encode [read -nonewline $fi]]
close $fi

# Insert $pdf into the HL7 message

# base64 decode the .pdf file
set fo [open test_out.pdf w]
fconfigure $fo -translation binary
puts $fo [base64::decode $pdf]
close $fo

-- Max Drown (Infor)

[Jim Kosloskey]

I find I have to add -nonewline to the read or else the PDF when decoded is not usable by acrobat.

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 30+ years Cloverleaf, 60 years IT – old fart.

[Max Drown (Infor)]

That’s a good tip, Jim.

-- Max Drown (Infor)

[Jerry Tilsley]

Thanks for the responses!  They have been very helpful!

[Author]

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