"File Download" Dialog Box

[mascardr]

I have a list of Word documents and I want a dialog box to come up for the user to either save or open the Word document when they click on the link. Can someone tell me how to do this ? Is it something really compex ?

Thanks,
Debra

[jpmoriarty]

i dont think you can if they have word installed - it will "grab" it and be really helpful (annoying?) and open it direct.

Best way i know of is to zip it up - that way it will always open that dialogue of which you speak.

[mascardr]

I found out that the browser takes care of that. Thank you for replying.

Debra

[jpmoriarty]

if you use a server side coding, however, you can send a header to make it download the file:

this is a php example:


<?php
header("Content-type: application/doc");
// i'm guessing at the line above - i dont think it *really*
// matters, but i may be wrong
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=downloadme.doc");
// this is the name that it suggests to save the file under
readfile('thisfile.html');
// this is the name of the file on your system
?>

[Robert Wellock]

Alternatively if you have enough control over an Apache server you could place the following within the .htaccess AddType application/octet-stream doc