"Save As" Dialog box when downloading a file on web browser

Question

I need to open an "Save As" dialog box where the user clicks on a link in the browser. The save as dialog needs to display the client system folder structure (Dialog similar to save as in word, excel, etc)

I did refer some similar question related to it. But often the downloaded file gets save in the Download path set by the client.

I don't want to use ActiveX control and looking to do the same using Javascript

Is it possible to open a "Save as" dialog using javascript and save the download file to that specific path in the local client system.?

If this is not possible, which most of the article has pointed out. They state that its not possible due to security. But they don't clearly point the reason (what is the security problem that would arise by doing so, If there is a restriction to browsers to not perform such operation etc.,)

Possible duplicate of [html5 force "save as" dialogue](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/42967050/html5-a-download-force-save-as-dialogue) — Kaiido, Mar 23 '17 at 06:32
Is this an assignment ? You can't, not so much because of a Security issue, but rather because no API as been made for it. This is a user's preference, and you don't have access to it. — Kaiido, Mar 23 '17 at 06:33
@DenisTsoi: Certiainly related, but I read the above as asking whether he/she can set a default path for save, and if not, why not; that question covers opening the dialog, but not those two things. — T.J. Crowder, Mar 23 '17 at 06:37
@Denis ., Do you know any article that talks detail about the security issue ., I am actually trying to find articles that justifies the security issue or browsers not able to perform such action — Pradeep K, Mar 23 '17 at 06:37
@Kaiido., I dont think this is a duplicate. I am trying to open a save as dialog like in the image. Th download force is not related to it. — Pradeep K, Mar 23 '17 at 06:37
@PradeepK, the duplicate I linked to is also asking for this : *"force "save as" dialog"*, not *"download force"¨* — Kaiido, Mar 23 '17 at 06:38
If it's asking about security as a question: shouldn't the question be more phrased as that? (TLDR; read the title and first paragraph) — Denis Tsoi, Mar 23 '17 at 06:40
@Denis ., If I knew it was only/one of the reason I might have tagged it under security. I am not sure of the reason thats why I have not tagged it so I might get try to understand the reason why JS does not allow "Save As". — Pradeep K, Mar 23 '17 at 06:58
Quite an old comment - should i remove it? - deleted as it should be rephrased as `possible duplicate` — Denis Tsoi, Jun 12 '19 at 01:48

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 23 '17 at 06:35

Is it possible to open a "Save as" dialog using javascript and save the download file to that specific path in the local client system.?

No. You can suggest to the browser that it open the dialog, but you cannot tell it where to default to.

If this is not possible, which most of the article has pointed out. They state that its not possible due to security. But they don't clearly point the reason...

Because people don't read things before they click them. So if I give you a link to a file and want to put is on your drive at C:\Windows\System32\blahblah and I set that as the default in the file save dialog, sadly a significant percentage of people are going to just blindly click Save without thinking through the implications. Modern operating systems (and old *nix ones) try to protect users from themselves by making certain operations privileged, but still, at least on Windows that's usually just another Yes/No popup users frequently say Yes to without thinking.

So best if the browser picks the user's standard document folder, or one they've specifically, intentionally configured, rather than let the web page say where to default to.

Crowder., Thanks for the answer explains the reason. Do you know any article that explain it .. Is part of an assignment I am doing, But in order to note it. Some articles to justify the statement would allow me to get a deeper understanding. Do you know where I can refer to on this.? — Pradeep K, Mar 23 '17 at 06:56
@PradeepK: I don't know of one off-hand, no. (Also, just so you know, questions asking for links to articles are off-topic for Stack Overflow, so posting a question asking that wouldn't be best.) — T.J. Crowder, Mar 23 '17 at 06:59

"Save As" Dialog box when downloading a file on web browser

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