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outputting to browser after sending binary file

Hi

Using code from this site, I've managed to create a CGI that will send a binary file to a user. My question is: after the header has been sent, can I write to the browser anymore?

My code essentially looks like this:

elsif ($q->param('download')) {

my $file = "../htdocs/HKBeta.exe";
my @stats = stat($file);

$|++; # Disable output buffering
my $nl=$/; # Save the newline character
undef $/;
open(F,$file) || die $!;
binmode(F); # Open the file in binary mode
my $file_contents=<F>; # Read the entire file into a single variable
close(F);

$/=$nl; # Restore the newline character

print header( -type => 'application/octet-stream',
-Content_Disposition => 'attachment; filename=HKBeta.exe',
-Content_Length => $stats[7],
);

print $file_contents;

print "<p>** hello. testing.....";

display_footer();

Clicking the download button causes the save-as window to popup but I can't do anything after this - should this be possible?

thanks a lot
Rob

teamatomic

Try this before display_footer()
#
#
print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";

do_whatever_next();

display_footer();

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

mouatts

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pagemastah

i once tried combining header requests such as:

-type=>'text/html'

together with

-type=>'image/gif'

which is nearly impossible...

robgudgeon

ASKER

Thanks - I'll give it a go!

pagemastah

goodluck! ;)