Header file download creates new file instead of sending one from server (PHP)

Question

I have the following code in an attempt to have it so a specific file on the server is downloaded:

$file = 'upload/Order.txt';
header("Pragma: public", true);
header("Expires: 0"); // set expiration time
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
header("Content-Type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Type: application/download");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="basename.$file);
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Content-Length: ".filesize($file));

All that happens is it causes the browser to download a file, in my case "Order.txt", but its blank, it is just creating this file out of no where. It doesn't do anything with the "upload/" path portion of $file.

Thanks for any help, I find headers really confusing, why I can't just have "download ($file)" is beyond me.

Edit: I'll struggle over a problem for days, finally decide to ask here then immediately after fix it my self.

I changed the location of the file to be in the same as the PHP script, I'd still like to know how to make it work with them being separate however. I also added:

readfile($file);

If I alter with of these 2 changes it doesn't work.

Also slim lined it, new code:

$file = 'Order.txt';
header("Cache-Control: public");
header("Content-Description: File Transfer");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$file");
header("Content-Type: application/zip");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
readfile($file);

possible duplicate of [php, file download](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5595485/php-file-download) — Lawrence Cherone, Nov 03 '13 at 21:32
You only need 1 `Content-Type` header, sending several is useless. — Marcel Korpel, Nov 03 '13 at 21:35

Legionar · Answer 1 · 2013-11-03T22:04:25.197

0

Try change this line:

header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='".basename($file)."';");

edited Nov 03 '13 at 22:04

answered Nov 03 '13 at 21:35

Legionar

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`filename=` should be quoted `filename=""` – Lawrence Cherone Nov 03 '13 at 21:37

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 03 '13 at 21:35

you should print content of file to stdout after headers:

$file = 'upload/Order.txt';
header("Pragma: public", true);
header("Expires: 0"); // set expiration time
header("Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0");
header("Content-Type: application/force-download");
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Type: application/download");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=".basename($file));
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Content-Length: ".filesize($file));
$handle = fopen($file, "r");        
$contents = fread($handle, filesize($file));
fclose($handle);
echo $contents;

there is no difference for small files (for huge files we can read part by part to avoid exceeding the memory) — ziollek, Nov 03 '13 at 21:45
BTW, don't send `Content-Length` headers, they are not needed and prone to create bugs. — Marcel Korpel, Nov 03 '13 at 21:46

Header file download creates new file instead of sending one from server (PHP)

2 Answers2