How to share the PDF document with other apps using .NET MAUI PDF Viewer?

This article demonstrates how to share a PDF document from a .NET MAUI application using the Syncfusion PDF Viewer and the Share API.

After loading a PDF into the .NET MAUI PDF Viewer, you can share the document by saving it to the file system using the SaveDocument method, and then using the Share API to share the saved PDF.

Prerequisites

• A .NET MAUI project set up.
• The Syncfusion PDF Viewer NuGet package installed.

Step 1: Install Required NuGet Package

To get started, create a new Maui app and ensure the following package is installed in your .NET MAUI project:

Syncfusion.Maui.PdfViewer

You can install this package using the NuGet Package Manager or through the NuGet CLI.

Step 2: Initialize the PDF Viewer in XAML

Start by adding the Syncfusion PDF Viewer control to your XAML file.

a. Add the Syncfusion namespace in your MainPage.xaml:

Define the XAML namespace to enable access to the PDF Viewer.

XAML

xmlns:syncfusion="clr-namespace:Syncfusion.Maui.PdfViewer;assembly=Syncfusion.Maui.PdfViewer"

b. Add the PDF Viewer control to your layout:

Initialize the SfPdfViewer in Xaml file. This will display the PDF Viewer in your app. You can load any PDF document into this Viewer.

XAML

<syncfusion:SfPdfViewer x:Name="pdfViewer" ShowToolbars="False" Grid.Row="1"/>

c. Load the PDF in the PDF Viewer control:

Load the PDF document as embedded resource using the DocumentSource API in the PDF Viewer.

C#

pdfViewer.DocumentSource = this.GetType().Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("SharePDF.Assets.PDF_Succinctly1.pdf"); 

Step 3: Add a Share Button in XAML

Add a share button to the XAML file.

XAML

<Button Text="Share"        
       FontSize="24"
       TextColor="White"
       VerticalOptions="Start"
       HorizontalOptions="End"               
       WidthRequest="50" 
       HeightRequest="50"
       Margin="0,0,5,0"
       Clicked="SharePdf_Clicked"/>

Handle the Clicked event for the share button in MainPage.xaml.cs.

Step 4: Implement the Share PDF Functionality in C#

1. Save the PDF using the SaveDocument method.
2. Copy the saved PDF to a temporary location for sharing.
3. Create a ShareFileRequest with the temporary file path.
4. Use Share.RequestAsync to open the system’s share dialog.
5. This allows the user to select an app to share the PDF.

C#

private async void SharePdf_Clicked(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
   try
   {
       string fileName = System.IO.Path.Combine(FileSystem.Current.AppDataDirectory, "ModifiedDocument.pdf");

       // Save the PDF document to the specified file
       using (FileStream pdfStream = File.Create(fileName))
       {
           // Assuming pdfViewer is an instance of a class that can save the PDF document
           PdfViewer.SaveDocument(pdfStream);
       }

       // Check if the file exists
       if (File.Exists(fileName))
       {
           // Create a temporary file with the PDF content
           var tempFilePath = System.IO.Path.Combine(FileSystem.CacheDirectory, "ModifiedDocument.pdf");

           // Copy the PDF content to the temporary file
           File.Copy(fileName, tempFilePath, true);

           // Create a ShareFileRequest with the file path
           var request = new ShareFileRequest
           {
               Title = "Share PDF File",
               File = new ShareFile(tempFilePath)
           };

           // Call the Share API
           await Microsoft.Maui.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.Share.RequestAsync(request);
       }
       else
       {
           await DisplayAlert("Error", "PDF file not found.", "OK");
       }
   }
   catch (Exception ex)
   {
       // Handle exceptions
       await DisplayAlert("Error", ex.Message, "OK");
   }
}

Step 5: Run the app

Finally, run your .NET MAUI app. The PDF Viewer will display the PDF document along with a share button. When clicked, the share dialog will appear, allowing you to select an app (such as email, messaging apps, or cloud storage) to share the PDF.

Output:

Sample Link :

View sample in GitHub

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed learning about how to share the PDF document in MAUI PDFViewer.

You can refer to our MAUI PDFViewer feature tour page to know about its other groundbreaking feature representations and documentation, and how to quickly get started for configuration specifications.

For current customers, you can check out our components from the License and Downloads page. If you are new to Syncfusion, you can try our 30-day free trial to check out our other controls.

If you have any queries or require clarifications, please let us know in the comments section below. You can also contact us through our support forums, Direct-Trac, or feedback portal. We are always happy to assist you!