[SOLVED] Open a PDF in new tab from URL from my MVC Controller [EDITED]

Open a PDF in new tab from URL from my MVC Controller [EDITED]

In my view, I generate a link with a username, acct number and date that is passed to the controller:

   @Html.ActionLink(AccountGroup.AcctNum + " " + AccountGroup.DocDate.ToShortDateString(), "GetIndividualStatement", "Statements",  new { statementDate = @AccountGroup.DocDate.ToShortDateString(), Userid = @ViewBag.UserID, acctNumber = AccountGroup.AcctNum.ToString() }, new { @class = "form-control, col-sm-6,  medwidth" , target = "_blank" })

I have tried to use an AJAX link also:

 @Ajax.ActionLink(AccountGroup.AcctNum + " " + AccountGroup.DocDate.ToShortDateString(), "GetIndividualStatement", "Statements", new { statementDate = @AccountGroup.DocDate.ToShortDateString(), Userid = @ViewBag.UserID, acctNumber = AccountGroup.AcctNum.ToString() }, new AjaxOptions { HttpMethod ="POST", UpdateTargetId = "detailsDiv" }, new { @class = "form-control, col-sm-6,  medwidth" })

Then my controller takes that info generates an encrypted URL for the PDF (I have to create this on the spot in my controller, so I cannot just have a link in my view for the user to click (that would be too easy!). I need to open the URL which returns a PDF. I need to take that and open that PDF in a new tab (while keeping the original tab open). Here is my latest attempt, which opens in the same window, but how do I open in a new tab ?

    WebClient client = new WebClient();
    Byte[] buffer = client.DownloadData(path);
    if (buffer != null)
    {
        Response.ContentType = "application/pdf";
        Response.AddHeader("content-length", buffer.Length.ToString());
        Response.BinaryWrite(buffer);
    }

Thanks to all!

Solution

What you are looking for in the final HTML that you produce is something of the form below, where the link has the target attribute set to '_blank',

<a href="the_pdf_link/" target="_blank">Open PDF</a>

Get that right and you will get the behaviour you want.

If the issue is in the server-side code then when you solve it, edit your question to include the fix just so anyone else looking in from the future can see both sides of the story.