title: Display PDF in Web Application
body: <p>I have googled this, searched this, looked through SO and other sites (I've been trying to read on this issue for hours now), but I still can't seem to find a satisfactory solution to what seems to be a simple, common programming issue.</p>
  
  <p>Let me set the scene:</p>
  
  <ul>
      <li>I've got a website/web application that allows the user to search a SQL Server library.</li>
      <li>Most of the documents related to the search results are PDF files.</li>
      <li>The PDF files are stored inside of the SQL Server database a BLOBs.</li>
      <li>I want to be able to dynamically pull a PDF from the database and display it to the user.</li>
      <li>In order to preserve the user's search progress, I think I'd like to open the file in another browser window/tab</li>
      <li>I've figured out how to save the PDF to the server in a specified directory.</li>
      <li>I <b>DON'T</b> want the user to see the path to the file.</li>
      <li>Within reason, I want a solution that works in all major browsers:</li>
      <ol>
          <li>Internet Explorer</li>
          <li>FireFox</li>
          <li>Chrome</li>
          <li>Safari (including iPhone/iPad Mobile Safari)</li>
      </ol>
      <li>I'd prefer not to buy a 3rd party component, but I'm willing to go that route if necessary.</li>
      <li>I don't think I want to send the file as a download (which I think I've figured out how to do), because wouldn't this fail on iPhone/iPad?</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Every solution I've tried so far has some basic problems wrong with it:</p>
  
  <ul>
      <li>Using iFrames seems to fail miserably on iPhones/iPad</li>
      <li>Using Server.Transfer (I'm using ASP.NET) shows gibberish instead of PDF</li>
      <li>I've tried a couple of demo 3rd party solutions, but they stink, too!</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I can't figure it out! I'm really a desktop developer, and this was <b><em>EASY</em></b> in Windows! Why is it so hard with the web?</p>
  
  <p>Am I stupid and this is really an easy exercise, or is this basic task really that hard?</p>
  
  <p>Please help point me in the right direction!</p>
  
  <p>Thanks!!!</p>