[FIXED] java How to combine itextpdf and java mail?

Issue

hey i'm working on a web application and i have problems to combine 2 features (build a pdf and send it as attachment with a email). Both parts are working separately, but i don't know how to get the file path of the creaded PDF to add it to the mail attachment.

The following are the importent codesnippets:

1. I create a new PDF file (with itext 5) with the java servlet CreatePDF and show it in a new tab:

CreatePDF Servlet:

    //initial new ByteArrayOutputStream
    ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

    //get absolute path of the logo
    String relativeLogoWebPath = "/logo.jpg";
    String absoluteLogoDiskPath = getServletContext().getRealPath(relativeLogoWebPath);

    //build PDF with itextpdf
    new BuildPDF(baos, acc, absoluteLogoDiskPath, header, body, footer, vat);

    // setting the content type
    response.setHeader("Expires", "0");
    response.setHeader("Cache-Control","must-revalidate, post-check=0,precheck=0");
    response.setHeader("Pragma", "public");
    response.setContentType("application/pdf");
    response.setContentLength(baos.size());

    // write ByteArrayOutputStream to the ServletOutputStream
    OutputStream os = response.getOutputStream();
    baos.writeTo(os);
    os.flush();
    os.close();

BuildPDF Class:

public BuildPDF(ByteArrayOutputStream baos, Accounting acc, String absolutLogoPath, 
  Collection<String> header, Collection<String> body, Collection<String> footer, Double vat){
    //init document
    Document document = new Document(PageSize.A4, 60, 30, 140, 90);
    document.setMarginMirroring(false);

    //init pdf writer
    PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.getInstance(document, baos);
    writer.setBoxSize("art", new com.itextpdf.text.Rectangle(36, 54, 559, 788));

    //add header and footer
    HeaderFooter event = new HeaderFooter(header, footer, absolutLogoPath);
    writer.setPageEvent(event);

    //open the document
    document.open();

    //add title and body
    addTitle(document, acc)
    addBody(document, acc, body, vat, writer);

    //close document and pdf writer
    document.close();
    writer.close();
}

2. In the other tab I go to the next jsp page and after a button click (to open the servlet SendAccouningPage) it should be possible to send this creaded pdf with a email (with java mail):

SendAccountingPage Servlet:

//TODO: get path of created PDF
String[] attachFiles = new String[1]; 
//attachFiles[0] = (String) request.getSession().getAttribute("pdfPath");
//request.getSession().removeAttribute("pdfPath");

EmailUtility.sendEmailWithAttachments(host, port, fromMail, passwort,
     mail, subject, message, attachFiles);

EmailUtility Class:

 public static void sendEmailWithAttachments(String host, String port,
        final String userName, final String password, String toAddress,
        String subject, String message, String[] attachFiles)
        throws AddressException, MessagingException {

    // sets SMTP server properties
    Properties properties = new Properties();
    properties.put("mail.smtp.host", host);
    properties.put("mail.smtp.port", port);
    properties.put("mail.smtp.auth", "true");
    properties.put("mail.smtp.starttls.enable", "true");
    properties.put("mail.user", userName);
    properties.put("mail.password", password);

    // creates a new session with an authenticator
    Authenticator auth = new Authenticator() {
        public PasswordAuthentication getPasswordAuthentication() {
            return new PasswordAuthentication(userName, password);
        }
    };
    Session session = Session.getInstance(properties, auth);

    // creates a new e-mail message
    Message msg = new MimeMessage(session);

    msg.setFrom(new InternetAddress(userName));
    InternetAddress[] toAddresses = { new InternetAddress(toAddress) };
    msg.setRecipients(Message.RecipientType.TO, toAddresses);
    msg.setSubject(subject);
    msg.setSentDate(new Date());

    // creates message part
    MimeBodyPart messageBodyPart = new MimeBodyPart();
    messageBodyPart.setContent(message, "text/html");

    // creates multi-part
    Multipart multipart = new MimeMultipart();
    multipart.addBodyPart(messageBodyPart);

    // adds attachments
    if (attachFiles != null && attachFiles.length > 0) {
        for (String filePath : attachFiles) {
            MimeBodyPart attachPart = new MimeBodyPart();

            try {
                attachPart.attachFile(filePath);
            } catch (IOException ex) {
                ex.printStackTrace();
            }

            multipart.addBodyPart(attachPart);
        }
    }

    // sets the multi-part as e-mail's content
    msg.setContent(multipart);

    // sends the e-mail
    Transport.send(msg);

}

So is there a way to get the file path of the creaded pdf and store it e.g. into the session? (and if yes: How resistant is this path? Is it lost if I close the tab with the created pdf?)

If not:

How can I combine it otherwise?

Do i have to save the pdf (if yes: Which chances do I have to do and is it possible to save it only temporary?)

Solution

You are creating the PDF in memory using a ByteArrayOutputStream (named baos), and then you write this file to the output stream of the servlet:

OutputStream os = response.getOutputStream();
baos.writeTo(os);

That is good practice, but there's also an alternative way. The ByteArrayOutputStream has a method called toByteArray(), so you could also do it like this:

OutputStream os = response.getOutputStream();
byte[] bytes = baos.toByteArray();
os.write(bytes, 0, bytes.length);
os.flush();
os.close();

Now you have the complete file in the byte[] named bytes, you need to adapt your EmailUtility class so that it accepts a byte array instead of the path to a file. That's explained in the answer to the following question: Mail Attachments with byte array:

MimeBodyPart att = new MimeBodyPart(); 
ByteArrayDataSource bds = new ByteArrayDataSource(byte, "application/pdf"); 
att.setDataHandler(new DataHandler(bds));
att.setFileName(bds.getName());

And that's how you send a mail with an attachment of a file that is created in memory and never stored as a file on disk on the server.

Answered By - Bruno Lowagie