PHP create file for download without saving on server

php createfile force-download
Thomas picture Thomas · Apr 6, 2011 · Viewed 35.9k times · Source

Ultimate goal: I want to create a webpage where a user can enter information in forms. With that information I want to create a html file (below called test-download.html) by inserting the information given into a template and then force a download. Since I want to demonstrate this at an upcoming workshop where people will be using this at the "same time" I would like to not save the file on the server and just force the download.

So far: I have this in my html file (test.html):

<form action="test.php" method="post">
To file: <input type="text" name="tofile" />
<input type="submit" />
</form>

and this in my test.php:

<?php
$filename = 'test-download.html';
$htmlcode1 = "<HTML> \n <BODY>";
$htmlcode2 = "</BODY> \n <HTML>";
$somecontent = $htmlcode1.$_POST["tofile"].$htmlcode2;
!$handle = fopen($filename, 'w');
fwrite($handle, $somecontent);
fclose($handle);


header("Cache-Control: public");
header("Content-Description: File Transfer");
header("Content-Length: ". filesize("$filename").";");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$filename");
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream; "); 
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");

readfile($filename);

?>

This overwrites the file test-download.html file and forces a download.

Question: How can I do this without messing with a file (the test-download.html) on the server?

Answer

alex picture alex · Apr 6, 2011

Instead of saving it to a file, just echo it after you send the headers.

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