using the browser prompt to download a file

Question

I have a php/mysql site in which I am trying to download a comma delimited file (CSV). The csv file I create contains comma delimited data (name, address, city, state). I create the csv file ok and place it in the site's /downloads directory. So far so good. I have been looking on line and the code to trigger the browser's download prompt that I see the most often is: ``` $path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']; $exportfile = "emailclientaddresses.csv"; $fullpath = "downloads/" . $exportfile; header("Content-type: text/plain"); header("Content-Length: ".filesize($exportfile)); header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=" . $fullpath); ``` The $exportfile is the csv file that my code created. It's ok. What this does is: - The $fullpath is displayed in the browser download prompt in a very weird format: download_emailclientaddresses.csv - When it does download, the current webpage is downloaded or a combination of the csv file and the current web page. OK, I have tried a lot of things…

Accepted Answer

The PHP documentation provides a nice example:

```
<?php
$file = 'monkey.gif';

if (file_exists($file)) {
    header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
    header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='.basename($file));
    header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
    header('Expires: 0');
    header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate');
    header('Pragma: public');
    header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));
    ob_clean();
    flush();
    readfile($file);
    exit;
}
?>
```

EDIT (Response to comment, explanation)

```
header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
```

Do not display in the browser, but transfer the file.

```
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
```

File is a binary file. Browsers generally download binary files, unless they can display them.

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

Make the download dialog show the proper file name. Note: You can use any file name.

```
header('Expires: 0');
header('Cache-Control: must-revalidate');
header('Pragma: public');
```

File should not be cached by the browser. Cache could cause trouble in case of dynamic content.

```
header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));
```

Send the correct file size to the browser, otherwise the browser is unable to estimate the transfer-time.

```
ob_clean();
flush();
```

Make sure the headers are send to the browser before the download starts.

```
readfile($file);
```

Send the file to the browser.

```
exit;
```

Done :)

using the browser prompt to download a file

Solution

Problem