Files, Mime Types, and headers, oh my!

Anon

Hi all.

I've got some PHP code to store binary files in a MySQL database and to pull it out. Currently, clicking on the filename in my display page opens a new browser window which is generated by the following code:

new file;
$file = $db->getfile("filename.doc");

header("Content-Type: " . $file->Type . "");
echo $file->BinData;

The file is an object, as you can see, with internal variables Type and BinData. Type is a string containing the mime type of the file. BinData is the raw binary data. BinData is itself generated by some fopen and fread functions, and it's all good.

The problem I'm having is this... instead of asking me what I want to do with the file (Save or Open), as befits a Word document for example, it dumps it out into the new window, garbled as heck. I can get around this by right-clicking the filename and choosing Save As... then changing the filename and the filetype, but I'm building this for users who won't stand for it. Is there something wrong with my header code?

Also, I'd like, if possible, to make the browser automagically use a certain filename, instead of the php file that's generating the file. Is there an HTTP header I can send it, so the file transfer is totally transparent to users?

Many thanks,
Tudor

Anon

Yep, actualy I already covered this exact topic lastnight, but I'll be happy to do it again 🙂

header("Content-type: application/octet-stream"); // Force Download

// Tell the browser what the filename is.
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$filename_no_path");

//Send file data here 🙂

I won't take the credit for this nice sample, it was sent to me as an adition to my own code which only set the Content-type, this one actualy makes sure that the filename remains the same as it should so that some weird browers don't try to name it to the name of the script instead of the file. Easy ehe 🙂

Anon

Thanks lots. Figured half of it out myself, but the Content-Disposition header was a lifesaver.

Tudor

Anon

I would like to use the header to assign the filename, but I do not want the file to be automatically downloaded. The files are going to be PDF files, so I would like them to have the pdf content type, so that they open in Acrobat Reader if it is present. Can someone tell me how to assign the filename using a header without making the file downloadable only?

Thanks!