file downloads

[Anon]

Hi,
Im trying to provide Zip files for a user to download. The user first searches for a file and then clicks on the search output to download the file.
I don't want the file url to be displayed like http://myserver/file.zip. Rather i want it to go thru a php page which takes the file input and then downloads the file. Here's what i've done.
The search link would be
http://myserver/download.php?the_file=file.zip

download.php

$download_folder = "/folder/folder/thefilefolder";
$file = $download_folder.$the_file;

header ( "Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$file");
header ( "Content-Type: application/zip");
header ( "Content-Length: ".filesize($file));
readfile($file);

#########################

1. First of all Im not sure if this is the way to go about doing this.
2. The zip file saves to the disk but is only 1KB in size for any file - not downloading properly.
3. I'd also like the php page to first display content and then start downloading after a few seconds.

Thanks for your help....

[Anon]

for the same code it now displays the contents of the zip file as garbled characters on the browser window !!!!

[Anon]

1. This is a fine way of going about doing this. We use a PERL version of your code for our ESD's.

2. Take out the line.
   header ( "Content-Length: ".filesize($file));

and change
header ( "Content-Type: application/zip");
to
header ( "Content-Type: application/x-zip-compressed");

also remove
attachment;
from
header ( "Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$file");

You might want to add a refresh to the end if you want the content to display first.

header("refresh: 5 url=http://www.internetnamespace.com");

cheers

[Anon]

thanks foe,
still got a few problems though

code

$download_folder_path = "files/";
$f = "a.zip";
$the_file = $f;
$file = $download_folder_path.$the_file;
header ( "Content-Type: application/x-zip-compressed");
header ( "Content-Disposition: filename=$file");
readfile($file);

#####################

1. In netscape it prompts to save the file, but the filename is the php file name. However if i rename it to the zip file its fine. Is there anyway the zip file name can be made the default option in the save dialog box.
2. In IE it still displays garbled characters IE 5

Any help would be appreciated

[Anon]

thanks JOE !!! not foe 🙂)

[Anon]

<?
$download_folder_path = "path/to/your/dir/;
$f = "blackjack.zip";

$file = $download_folder_path.$f;
header("Content-type: application/x-zip-compressed");
header("Content-Disposition: inline; filename=test43.zip");
readfile($file);

?>
Notice:
header("Content-Disposition: inline; filename=test43.zip");

the "filename" can be what ever you want the filename to be. It does not have to = the original filename.

Cheers.

P.S. I tested this script. It works.

[Anon]

finally got it to work :

code

$download_folder_path = "files/";
$f = "a.zip";
$the_file = $f;
$file = $download_folder_path.$the_file;
if (strstr($HTTP_USER_AGENT,"MSIE")){
header ( "Content-Disposition: filename=$file");
}
else
{
header ( "Content-Type: application/x-zip-compressed");
header ( "Content-Disposition: filename=$file");
}
header ( "Content-Disposition: filename=$file");
readfile($file);

######################
Thanks for your help joe