Help !! - PHP Problem..

[danny_V]

Hi

I was wondering if any one could help me on a PHP coding issue with PDF downloads. I have a link to a PDF file on a website, BUT when I click on it, the link directly opens the PDF document. I expected it to, first, prompt me with the usual grey box that gives the option of either directly opening the document OR saving it to a location on the computer. How do I do this...? I was told that it is a piece of PHP code, but what code would I need and how where would it go for the link to work this way..?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Danny.

[NogDog]

If you link directly to the actual PDF file, there's nothing PHP can do about it. However, it is possible to link to a PHP script that would then read and output the PDF file, including headers that would force a download. At it's most basic, it might be something like:

<?php
$dir = 'directory/where/PDF/files/are/';
$file = basename($_GET['file']);
if(is_readable($dir.$file))
{
   header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($dir.$file);
   header('Content-Type: application/PDF');
   header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$file.'"');
   header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
   header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0');
   readfile($dir.$file);
}
else
{
   header('HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found');
}

You would then link to that file with the filename in the URL query string, e.g.:

http://www.yoursite.com/get_pdf_file.php?file=filename.pdf

[NogDog]

PS: please do not cross-post to multiple forums here.

[danny_V]

Hi

Can someone please help me..??? I am trying to put a link to a PDF file on a website and when I click it, there is NO 'grey box' with the options to open or save the PDF to a location on the computer. I know that the solution is some kind of PHP script to handle the processing of the PDF file.....and the following script was supposed to work.....BUT it does NOT. It does display that 'grey box' with the options. But then, when I press 'open', the script tries to open the PHP file itself and NOT the PDF file which is called 'A-ZInternetJargon.pdf'. Here is the script that I am using....is there anything wrong with it..?

<?php

$dir = 'PDFs/';
$file = basename($_GET['A-ZInternetJargon.pdf']);
if (is_readable($dir.$file))
{
header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($dir.$file));
header('Content-Type: application/PDF');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="'.$file.'"');
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0');
readfile($dir.$file);
}
else
{
header('HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found');
}

?>

I'm also using the following link to the script...not sure if it's right...

http://www.mywebsite.co.uk/get_pdf_file.php?A-ZInternetJargon.pdf=filename.pdf

Does anyone know what is wrong with this...? Please help. Thanks.

Danny.

[NogDog]

I think you have the variable name and the value reversed in your link:

http://www.mywebsite.co.uk/get_pdf_file.php?filename=A-ZInternetJargon.pdf

Then the php script would have:

$file = basename($_GET['filename']);

[danny_V]

Hi

Thanks NogDog...I see what to do now. Sorry for spamming the forum with the same problem. I just needed a bit of urgent help with this issue.

I could not find ANY site that deals with this kind of issue. Maybe I have not looked hard enough....Is there any PHP site that has useful snippets of code that deal with these little tricks and problems...?

Please let me know.

Danny.