downloading files!

adnan1983

Is there a way that I could download a file using php. This what it should do, get the file path from the database, and generate a hyperlink. It does all of the above, but I have no clue how to download the file.

Any suggestions!

stolzyboy

so you want to force a download, even if the file is a known mime-type, what sorts of files are you gonna want to download

adnan1983

any document types: .txt, .doc, .pdf, etc. I have been trying to work on this code, but it doesn't work. I have also tried to add : header("Content-type: application/application/save");, but it keeps giving me "cannot add header information: warning".

$retrieve = "SELECT * FROM files";

$run = mysql_query ($retrieve);
$result = mysql_fetch_array ($run);

echo "<br><br><b>Filename from database, download file at link: </b> ";
$realpath = realpath ($uploadPath);
echo "<a href=\".$realpath.\">click</a>";

stolzyboy

here is a good article you may be able to use bits n pieces of it to help you out

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Web/Web_Languages/PHP/Q_20293898.html

adnan1983

thanks looks like that's it. By the way is there anyway of getting around header warning, like I can't use headers if I have any echo statements before it.

adnan1983

I keep getting this header warning, but don't really know where to put the header.

	if($file_size == 0)
		{
			echo "<font color=#FF0000>Error: No file Uploaded.</font>";
			exit;
		}
		else
		{
			$uploadPath = "/home/virtual/site70/fst/var/www/html/foo/uploads/".$file_name;
			copy ($file, $uploadPath);

			$db = mysql_connect ("localhost", "foo", "goo") ;

			if (!$db)
			{
				echo "<font color=#FF0000>Cannot connect to the database at this moment, please try later again.</font>";
			}
			else
			{

				mysql_select_db ("somedatabase");						

					$file_info = "INSERT INTO files VALUES ('".$id."', '".$file_name."')";
					$data_entered = mysql_query ($file_info);

					$retrieve = "SELECT * FROM files";

					$run = mysql_query ($retrieve);
					$result = mysql_fetch_array ($run);

					echo "<br><br><b>Filename from database, download file at link: </b> ";

header("Content-type: application/application/save"); 					
$realpath = "uploads/".$file_name;
						echo "<a href=".$realpath.">click</a>";

}

feldon23

Solution:

Don't use echo.

Or use ob_start().

feldon23

I keep getting this header warning, but don't really know where to put the header.

Stop using echo! 🙂

$html .= "<br><br><b>Filename from database, download file at link: </b> ";


header("Content-type: application/application/save");
$realpath = "uploads/".$file_name;
$html .= "<a href=\"$realpath\">click</a>";

echo $html;

Might be a good idea to send some other HTML tags like <html>, <body>, etc. too. 🙂

stolzyboy

just set this as your first line of code

header("Content-type: application/application/save");

or don't output anything, html, php, comments, anything

or like feldon said

put ob_start() as the first line of code to suppress the header problem