How can I present a file for download from an MVC controller?

asp.net-mvc download
mgnoonan picture mgnoonan · Apr 8, 2009 · Viewed 108.3k times · Source

In WebForms, I would normally have code like this to let the browser present a "Download File" popup with an arbitrary file type, like a PDF, and a filename:

Response.Clear()
Response.ClearHeaders()
''# Send the file to the output stream
Response.Buffer = True

Response.AddHeader("Content-Length", pdfData.Length.ToString())
Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename= " & Server.HtmlEncode(filename))

''# Set the output stream to the correct content type (PDF).
Response.ContentType = "application/pdf"

''# Output the file
Response.BinaryWrite(pdfData)

''# Flushing the Response to display the serialized data
''# to the client browser.
Response.Flush()
Response.End()

How do I accomplish the same task in ASP.NET MVC?

Answer

tvanfosson picture tvanfosson · Apr 8, 2009

Return a FileResult or FileStreamResult from your action, depending on whether the file exists or you create it on the fly.

public ActionResult GetPdf(string filename)
{
    return File(filename, "application/pdf", Server.UrlEncode(filename));
}

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