Save As from a URL?

Is there a way I can download a file to my local PC using a File Save As dialog but which grabs the file using a URL?

Thanks...

Unclear on the question - File/Save As from what - your browser? some other application? Browser "Save As" is already saving it from whatever URL the browser is pointed at, so again, unclear what exactly you are trying to achieve that you can't by default?

Yes, from a browser I want to have a File Save As dialog popup and I want to pull the file via a URL and save it to my local PC.

The question still makes no sense. If you point your browser to the URI of a file, it will already prompt you to save/open the file.

If you want to achieve something else, explain exactly what you mean/want.

>If you point your browser to the URI of a file, it will already prompt you to >save/open the file.

How do you do this in PHP? What function?

>If you point your browser to the URI of a file, it will already prompt you to >save/open the file.

How do you do this in PHP? What function?

Do what? If you're going to speak in riddles.....

I think the header() (http://uk.php.net/manual/en/function.header.php) function does this for you

I think the header() (http://uk.php.net/manual/en/function.header.php) function does this for you

If he's wanting to serve a file from a script link, it does. :) The Location, Content-type and Content-Disposition parts are the relevant ones.

What is the goal? To hide the URL of the file you want users to download?

What is the goal? To hide the URL of the file you want users to download?

The goal is to pull a file from a different server than the php script is running on and then save it to my local PC.

You are good at giving us a very little more info at each post...

I don't see what special you need... what kind of file are you trying to save? What extension?

If I have server 1 that is www.mysite.com and server 2 that is www.myothersite.com what is the problem to make a link such as the below one?

<a href="http://www.myothersite.com/file.txt">Download</a>

Of course it depends what kind of file you are trying to download...

It's a .txt file. I will try your code example. Thanks...

Well... this is not 'code'... This is a simple HTML hyperlink...

You are good at giving us a very little more info at each post...

I don't see what special you need... what kind of file are you trying to save? What extension?

If I have server 1 that is www.mysite.com and server 2 that is www.myothersite.com what is the problem to make a link such as the below one?

<a href="http://www.myothersite.com/file.txt">Download</a>

Of course it depends what kind of file you are trying to download...

Your example code just pulls the .txt content into the browser, there is no Save As dialog.

As MattF stated, I think I need to use header()

Your example code just pulls the .txt content into the browser, there is no Save As dialog.

As MattF stated, I think I need to use header()

You'll need to use a placeholder link inplace of the direct link, which calls your script and processes the request, for this method to work.

Thanks everyone for your help - I think I have enough information now to get this to work.

Just one other header that may be worthwhile using:


header('Content-Disposition: inline; filename="[filename here]"');


That should make sure that you always get prompted to open/save. Some formats may still be opened directly in the browser unless you use that header also.

Here is the correct way:

<?php
// Define the path to file
$file = 'test.txt';

if(!file)
{
// File doesn't exist, output error
die('file not found');
}
else
{
// Set headers
header("Cache-Control: public");
header("Content-Description: File Transfer");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$file");
header("Content-Type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");

// Read the file from disk
readfile($file);
}
?>

for a force download (what you want) :)

Does the encoding:binary line achieve the same as the disposition:inline method then? I seem to recall PDF's always causing grief if I tried disposition:attachment alone. I never tried the binary line though, if I remember correctly.