downloading a file from the server using .pl

[redoranda]

I have written a script for retrieving the records from the pgsql database then create a text file(records.tx t) and save it on the server, after that attach that file in order to email to the receiptants base on users request. What I want to enhance the system is that instead of emailing to a particular receiptant, I'd like to develop a .html file for users to set the condition for retrieving the records and provide a function to download the records in either .txt file or .html file. First step of enhancing the system, I stuck up in the beginning part of download script. So that I would appreciate if you help me out with giving a sample script for file downloading. Just a simple one will be fine. Thank you in advance!!!

[tifoso]

You can just make an HTML link to it as your file sits on the server but depending on MIME types and stuff it may launch some viewer/app u don't want
and you'd prefer the Save As box to pop
make suer the user gets the download option use the Content-disposition header

....
open(FILY, "<$file_full_pa th") || Error('open', 'file');
@file_dwnld = <FILY>;
close (FILY) || Error ('close', 'file');

......
print "Content-Type:applicatio n/x-download\n";
print "Content-Disposition:att achment;filenam e=$this_file_na me\n\n";
print @dwnld
}

...


Ciao

[KevinADC]

causing a file to download is a function of the http headers, not a perl script. But you can use a perl script to print the appropriate headers. The CGI module will handle the appropriate headers and more, even for file downloads/attachments. You can find that information in the "CREATING A STANDARD HTTP HEADER:" section of the CGI module documentation. http://perldoc.perl.org/CGI.html

Or you can print your own headers, something similar to what tifoso posted, although those look a little incomplete.

[redoranda]

thanks a lot!

here is a working script of mine for those who also got a same prob as mine :) cheers!

my $file_location;
my @fileholder;
$file_location = "/home/msg/";
my $filename = 'test.txt';
my $dlpath ="/desktop/";

open(DLFILE, "<$file_location/$filename") || Error('open','file');
@fileholder = <DLFILE>;
#$dlpath = <DLFILE>;	
close (DLFILE) || Error ('close','file');
	
open(LOG,">>/home/msg/logs/testing.log")||Error('open','file');
print LOG "$filename\n";
close(LOG);
	
print "Content-Type:application/x-download\n";
print "Content-Disposition:attachment;filename=$filename\n\n";
print @fileholder;

[KevinADC]

it's nice to add the content-length header:

my @fileholder;
my $file_location = '/home/msg/';
my $filename = 'test.txt';
my $dlpath = '/desktop/';

[B]my $filesize = -s "$file_location/$filename";[/B]
open(DLFILE, "<$file_location/$filename") || Error('open','file');
my @fileholder = <DLFILE>;
close (DLFILE) || Error ('close','file');
	
open(LOG,">>/home/msg/logs/testing.log")||Error('open','file');
print LOG "$filename\n";
close(LOG);

[B]print "Content-length: $filesize\n";	[/B]
print "Content-Type:application/x-download\n";
print "Content-Disposition:attachment;filename=$filename\n\n";
print @fileholder;