How would I force a download of a PDF file

[simcoweb]

I want to provide a downloadable PDF file but the typical link to it simply opens it in a window. I want to force that file to be downloaded without having to ZIP it. Do I need to write a script to do this? If so, insight or ideas?

[corbin]

Look at http://us3.php.net/header and read the last example.

[tarun]

Well you could get lots of good ideas from [code]http://www.hotscripts.cpm/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/index.html[/code]

There Are Some Good Download Systems

[simcoweb]

Thanks, Tarun, but I don't need a complete download system. It's one file in a protected directory. :)

corbin, I see this header reference that looks like the one:

header('Content-type: application/pdf');

Which, according to the manual text, forces the download.

[Orio]

I'd use:

[code]<?php
//$filename holds the filename, including the extension

header("Pragma: public");
header("Expires: 0");
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
header("Cache-Control: private", false);
header("Content-Type: application/pdf");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"".basename($filename)."\";" );
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Content-Length: ".filesize($filename));
@readfile($filename);
exit();

?>[/code]

Orio.

[simcoweb]

Orio, i'm assuming with that extended code that it's also protecting the actual location of the file?

[ShogunWarrior]

Yes, the URL in the download box will be the script URL and the name displayed will be the filename without any directory association.

[Orio]

If you dont want the file to accessible by http, you have to options (that I can think of):


1) Put it in the root folder (outside of public_html / www / httpdocs or whatever your html folder is called), then tell your script the file is there and it will transfer the data.

2) Put it in a folder which has a .htaccess that has this following line:
[code]Deny from all[/code]
This way, no one will be able to access your file directly (IE- via http), but your php scripts will be able to.


Orio.

[simcoweb]

Thanks for that tip, Orio. But let me ask you a question. The fact that the file is already inside an .htaccess protected 'members-only' folder, wouldn't that prohibit anyone from directly accessing it?

[Orio]

You mean that you need a user-pass to access the folder? In this case, if someone has the user-pass combination he can access it directly.

Orio.