Make all uploaded files force download in php

Question

I found a simple script on internet on how to upload files in php.

  <?php
require 'config.php';

if (isset ( $_SERVER ['REQUEST_METHOD'] ) == 'POST') {
 // when submit button is clicked
 if (isset ( $_POST ['submit'] )) {
  // get user's data
  $name = $_POST ['name'];
  $email = $_POST ['email'];
  $images = "";

  // check if user has added images
  if(strlen(($_FILES ['upload'] ['tmp_name'] [0])) != 0){
   $upload_dir = "images/";

   // move all uploaded images in directory
   for ($i = 0; $i < count($_FILES['upload']['name']); $i++) {
    $ext = substr(strrchr($_FILES['upload']['name'][$i], "."), 1);

    // generate a random new file name to avoid name conflict
    $fPath = md5(rand() * time()) . ".$ext";
    $images .= $fPath.";";

    $result = move_uploaded_file($_FILES['upload']['tmp_name'][$i], $upload_dir . $fPath);
   } 
  }else {
   // if user doesn't have any images, add default value
   $images .= "no images";
  }

  // write the user's data in database
  // prepare the query
  $query = "INSERT INTO users(name, email,images) VALUES
  ('$name', '$email','$images')";

  // TODO check if the user's informations are successfully added
  // in the database
  $result = mysql_query ( $query ); 
 }
}
?>

This script does a really good job overall but the only problem is that when I upload image files or pdf they open up in a new tab, they do not download. How do I make the uploaded image files automatically download when the download link is clicked on? Thanks in advance.

You can add a `Content-Disposition` header to the download which indicates that the response is a file to be saved. It's really up to the browser what to do with the response. Note that none of the code shown here is relevant. Uploading and downloading are two entirely separate operations. — David, Aug 07 '16 at 12:41

coder · Answer 1 · 2016-08-07T13:22:03.133

0

Add the download link as follows

<a href="link/to/your/download/image" download>Download link</a>

Add the following code in apache config

<Location "/images">
<Files *.*>
    ForceType application/octet-stream
    Header set Content-Disposition attachment
</Files>
</Location>

edited Aug 07 '16 at 13:22

answered Aug 07 '16 at 12:37

coder

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but I want the files to download when the visit the url directly – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 12:48
but it does not download on any browser – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 12:59
the user of the site will never directly add a url for downloading a file. You have to provide a link to download. By default, all browsers open image and pdf files. so that depends on the client browser. you can do nothing abt it. – coder Aug 07 '16 at 13:07
there is a way to force download the files using .htaccess but I don't know how that works. – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 13:09
does this make any file force download? – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 13:14
Yes it downloads all files – coder Aug 07 '16 at 13:17
my website shows 500 error page after i added it in .htaccess – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 13:18
where are your uploaded files saved – coder Aug 07 '16 at 13:19
on a folder named images in public_html. i did rename /uploads/documents too – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 13:20
u added it in apache config – coder Aug 07 '16 at 13:21
what? i don't understand – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 13:23
well i use a shared hosting. where is it located? – Ario Rakip Aug 07 '16 at 13:29
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12202021/where-is-my-httpd-conf-file-located-apache# – coder Aug 07 '16 at 13:34

Make all uploaded files force download in php

1 Answers1