Force File Download

[Graphfixz]

Has anybody had any success in forcing Flash MX to display a download/save window to allow users to downlaod a file?


THanks in advance!

[freddycodes]

Flash MX cannot do this alone, but in conjunction with a server side scripting language it is quite easy. What server side scripting languages do you have available to you?


In PHP you can use

PHP Code:

<?php
    //Set this to the base of where files 
    //can be downloaded from for security measures.
    $basedir = "D:/wwwroot/";
    if(!$_GET['file']) {
        print "Sorry that file does not exist";
        exit;
        }
    elseif(!file_exists($basedir.$_GET['file'])) {
        print "Sorry that file does not exist";
        exit;
        }
    else {
        header("Content-Type: octet/stream");
        header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"".$_GET['file']."\"");
        $fp = fopen($basedir.$_GET['file'], "r");
        $data = fread($fp, filesize($basedir.$_GET['file']));
        fclose($fp);
        print $data;
    }
?>

And in Flash

getURL("dl.php?file=chat6.zip", "_self");

[Vman]

I've tried using this instead of making the user open a pop-up image and doing a right click>save as. What do I have to change on here or replace for the $basedir to get it to work. All I've been getting is "Sorry that file does not exist". Thanks.

[Vman]

I've been playing around with this on my local server and no matter what I put in for $basedir=""; and no matter what I put in for the file name on the button AS, the download dialog box opens and wants to save dl.php. What am I doing wrong here? Here's the code on the button:

PHP Code:

on (release) {
    getURL("dl.php?file=bg4.jpg","_self"); 
}
 { 


[djwesters]

I have managed to get the forcedown load to work with this script, but when i try and download a large file from my website it completes before it has finished downloading. Always after taking just under 5mins. So it seems as though it is timing out????? I'm using PHP 4.3.9 and IIS 6.0

[xeb]

i've tried using the code above and all it does is open the file in the new window

google found me another version which i've tried:

<?
// downloading a file use http://somewhere.com/download.php?filename=name of file

$filename = $_GET['file'];
if(!$filename){ echo "ERROR: No filename specified. Please try again."; }
else {

// fix for IE catching or PHP bug issue
header("Pragma: public");
header("Expires: 0"); // set expiration time
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
// browser must download file from server instead of cache

// force download dialog
header("Content-Type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Type: application/download");

// use the Content-Disposition header to supply a recommended filename and
// force the browser to display the save dialog.
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=".basename($filename).";");

header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");

$root_path = "./audio/";

$myfile = $root_path . $filename;

//header("Content-Length: ".filesize($myfile));

readfile("$myfile");
exit();
}

?>

but with this i get the same problem - file opens in my new window. if i do it with a text file i get the text... try it with anmp3 and i get screeds of gibberish so i guess its displaying the mp3 as if it were a text file

can anyone help please?????

[Neil Davidson]

I'm assuming you don't wish the pop - up window? I'm not certain how to contend with that.

As for the inability to finish a download : check server settings on client session max time. Or start a new session variable with your ASP, PHP, etc.

[xeb]

pop-up wiondow is fine.... from what i gather about this method a pop-up is needed (either that or its opening in the main site window which is worse).... my problem is that its not doing what it should, ie, bringing up the save as dialog from that new window

[djwesters]

I got the php script to work, but it kept timing out after 5 mins and dropping the download before it finished, in the end I used a ASP.NET script which works perfectly, here it is.

in flash use :-

this.video1990Btn.onRelease = function() {
getURL("download.aspx?file=video/Finals 1990.avi");
}


create a file called "download.aspx" and insert the code bellow.

<%@ Page language="vb" runat="server" explicit="true" strict="true" %>
<script language="vb" runat="server">
Sub Page_Load(Sender As Object, E As EventArgs)
	Dim strRequest As String = Request.QueryString("file")
	'-- if something was passed to the file querystring
	If strRequest <> "" Then
		'get absolute path of the file
	    Dim path As String = Server.MapPath(strRequest)
		'get file object as FileInfo
		Dim file As System.IO.FileInfo = New System.IO.FileInfo(path)
		'-- if the file exists on the server
		If file.Exists Then
			'set appropriate headers
			Response.Clear()
			Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" & file.Name)
			Response.AddHeader("Content-Length", file.Length.ToString())
			Response.ContentType = "application/octet-stream"
			Response.WriteFile(file.FullName)
			Response.End
		'if file does not exist
		Else
			Response.Write("This file does not exist.")
		End If
	'nothing in the URL as HTTP GET
	Else
		Response.Write("Please provide a file to download.")
	End If
End Sub
</script>

[hardcore_gym]

hi

im using the same asp.net script you used to download files from my .exe file, however when i hit my button for it to download, it downloads the aspx file that i created, not the PDF file that i want to download.

is there anything in the aspx script that states which file it downloads that i need to change or is it all in the flash script that i put onto the button. if you could help me that would be great.

thanks

Hardcore_gym