Force to download .PDF

With some PDF reader software, including the most popular Adobe Acrobat Reader, the default setting is to open PDF files in the browser when we click on a link to a PDF.

As a webmaster you can force the browser dialog box allowing to choose to open it directly or to save it..

First, you must create a small PHP file with that:

<?php
if (file_exists ($_GET['f']))
{
  header('Content-type: application/force-download');
  header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=' . basename ($_GET['f']));
  readfile($_GET['f']);
}
else
{
  header('HTTP/1.0 404 Not Found');
  echo 'Error, this file does not exist.';
}
?>

What does this script? It sends a header saying the browser to force the download for this file, then the name to suggest in the dialog box, and finally it sends the file.

If the file does not exist, it returns a 404 error. The message can be embellished or even included in the design of your site.

I call this file _pdf.php. Then, we must call this file when we put a link to a PDF.

1st case, your server allow URL rewriting

It's the most simple, just add this or create a .htaccess file with this:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^(.*).pdf$
_pdf.php?f=$1 [L]

Instead of opening a file .pdf directly, it sends it to our _pdf.php file which will force the download.

2d case, your server does not allow address rewriting

That will be more tedious because you must rewrite by hand your links to PDF. Instead of a link to file.pdf write _pdf.php?f=file.pdf

If you don't know in what case you are, just try the 1st, if it doesn't work you must choose te second solution.

This article was posted by David
the Friday 26 September 2008 at 21:22
in the category PHP with tags: PHP, Programming, Server, Tweak. You can leave an answer, or backlink from your own website.