arcgis desktop - Opening PDF generated by Python AddIn using Report (*.rlf) file automatcally?

As a test I have:

1. Authored a test.mxd with one layer called Localities in a single data frame called Layers


2. Authored a test.rlf using View | Reports > Create Report of ArcGIS 10.2.2 for Desktop


3. Created a Python AddIn which creates the expected PDF file from the Report (*.rlf).

This is the code which all works to create the PDF report from the Localities features within the current extent:

import arcpy 
import pythonaddins

class ReportForExtent(object):
    def __init__(self):
        self.enabled = True
        self.checked = False


    def onClick(self):
        mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT")
        df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd,"Layers")[0]
        lyr = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd,"Localities",df)[0]
        arcpy.mapping.ExportReport(lyr,r"C:\temp\test.rlf",r"C:\temp\test.pdf","EXTENT",extent=df.extent)
        del mxd

Is there a way to have the Python AddIn not just create the PDF file but also open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader?

Answer

You could use

import os
myfile = r"C:\temp\test.pdf"
os.system("start " + myfile)

Just tested running this chunk of code from Python add-in from ArcMap and it works fine. More discussion on using this is here.

Alternatively, as commented by @JasonScheirer you could use os.startfile which works even if the pathname has a space in it, and the asker says does exactly what they were hoping.