How to send pdf file back to user using python telegram bot?

Question

I tried to use update.sendDocument(chat_id = update.message.chat_id, document = open(something.pdf, 'b')) but it did not return me a pdf file. Any help?

Answer 1

For reference, here's a full working example, that worked for me. If it still doesnt work, ensure that the pdf docs you send are below 20 MB as per https://core.telegram.org/bots/api#sending-files

#!/usr/bin/python
import sys
import time
import telepot
import cookie
from telepot.loop import MessageLoop
import pdb

def handle(msg):
    content_type, chat_type, chat_id = telepot.glance(msg)
    print(content_type, chat_type, chat_id)
    if content_type == 'text' and msg["text"].lower() == "news":
        # let the human know that the pdf is on its way        
        bot.sendMessage(chat_id, "preparing pdf of fresh news, pls wait..")
        file="/home/ubuntu/web/news.pdf"

        # send the pdf doc
        bot.sendDocument(chat_id=chat_id, document=open(file, 'rb'))
    elif content_type == 'text':
        bot.sendMessage(chat_id, "sorry, I can only deliver news")

# replace XXXX.. with your token
TOKEN = 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
bot = telepot.Bot(TOKEN)
MessageLoop(bot, handle).run_as_thread()
print ('Listening ...')
# Keep the program running.
while 1:
    time.sleep(10)

Answer 2

To send document to user you must have the file_id of that document.

Assuming that the user sent the document to bot and you want to send back to user, this is my solution:

def file_handler (update, context):
    chat_id = update.message.chat_id
    ## retrieve file_id from document sent by user
    fileID = update.message['document']['file_id']
    context.bot.sendDocument(chat_id = chat_id,
                             caption = 'This is the file that you've sent to bot',
                             document = fileID)

And on def main() you must add:

updater.dispatcher.add_handler(MessageHandler(Filters.document, file_handler))

With this last line, your bot will understand that when user send it a document, and only a document, it will call def file_handler.