[RESOLVED] Delivering digital goods

[JLHeidecker]

We've all bought digital goods online, and received a download link via email. I've seen these as php scripts, with URL parameters that define what needs to be served up.

When I click these links in my email to the php script, it goes to the webpage in my browser, and what automatically pops-up is my browser window asking me if I want to download the file.

how do these scripts work? how does a php script present to the user a download box, without actually clicking a direct link to a file?

thanks!

[sneakyimp]

[man]header[/man] is your friend. For instance, if you want to let the user download a jpeg:

header("Content-Type: image/jpeg");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=here_is_your_image.jpg");
readfile('/path/to/some/file.jpg');

[JLHeidecker]

A sneakyimp you are. Thank you!

[JLHeidecker]

For zips:

// Headers for a download:
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="example.zip"');
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
// load the file to send:
readfile('example.zip');

[sneakyimp]

You might also consider content-length headers...this gives the browser the size of the file so that they can provide a download status indicator.