Force PDF to download instead of opening automatically

you need to use cfcontent/cfheader with content-disposition

to get this to work on button click you would need to have some js to open a url with that code

<script type="text/javascript">

function goToURL(aURL)
            {
                  self.location = aURL;
            }
</script>

<input type="button" name="TheManual" value="The Manual"  alt="The Manual"onclick="goToURL(pdfDLTrigger.cfm);">

pdfTrigger.cfm
------------


<cfset filePath="supportdocs/manuals/TheManual.pdf">
<cfheader name="Content-Disposition" value="attachment; filename=#getFileFromPath (filePath)#">
<cfcontent file="#filePath#" type="application/octet-stream">

Thank you.  Is there a way to pass the filename and filepath as URL so that I can use the pdfTrigger.cfm for more than one file name?

sure

onclick="goToURL(pdfDLTrigger.cfm?filename=#filename#);">

then

<cfset filePath="supportdocs/manuals/#url.filename#">
<cfheader name="Content-Disposition" value="attachment; filename=#getFileFromPath (filePath)#">
<cfcontent file="#filePath#" type="application/octet-stream">

SidFishes, I am havig trouble getting anything to work.  Even he first suggestions.  I am getting a HTTP 500 Internal Server Error.  I've tried both location.href and self.location in the javascript.  Can you take a look and see what I might be doing wrong?

<input type="button" name="TheManual" value="The Manual"  alt="TheManual" onclick="goManualDownload()">

<script language="JavaScript">
function goManualDownload()
{
var Backlen=history.length;
history.go(-Backlen);
self.location ="FileDownTrigger.cfm?str_filenm=TheManual.pdf&str_pathnm=/supportdocs/";
}
</script>            
      
--------------------
FileDownTrigger.cfm
--------------------
<CFSET filename = url.str_filenm>
<CFSET filepath = url.str_pathnm>
<CFSET fullpath = filepath & filename>
<cfheader name="Content-Disposition" value="attachment; filename=#getFileFromPath (fullpath)#">
<cfcontent file="#fullpath#" type="application/octet-stream">

--------------------
I've also tried using this CFHEADER logic.  Get the same thing:
<CFHEADER NAME="content-disposition" VALUE="attachment; filename=#filename#">

Thanks, I think most of my problem was that I needed the expandpath help.  Also, I could only get it to work when passing the str_filenm only as URL.  If I tried to pass the file and path (str_filenm and str_pathnm), it failed.  I had to hard code the path name in the FileDownTrigger.cfm.  Any clues why that might be the case?

I did test my code and it worked as is with both url vars so not sure why it didn't for you

if you tried this

&str_pathnm=/supportdocs/";

maybe try

&str_pathnm=supportdocs/";

I can tell that the path is coming through to the FileDownTrigger.cfm because I added this:
<CFABORT showerror=#expandpath(fullpath)#>
It all looks good on the abort.  But when I take it out, it doesn't work.  Just seemed odd to me.  The oly difference is that mine goes down multile levels. For instance:
window.frames.frm.location.href = 'FileDownTrigger.cfm?str_filenm=TheManual.pdf&str_pathnm=supportdocs/docmgr/manuals/';

hmmm.. just tried this

?str_filenm=theManual.pdf&str_pathnm=test1/lev2/'

and it worked..

are you sure the folder permissions are set correctly?

No, I am not sure.  But I know that if I hardcode the path in the FileDownTrigger.cfm it woks.  So I am assuming they are.  How do I check that?

you're right ..if it works hard coded it wouldn't be a perms problem...

can you post your non hard coded code

-------------------
DownloadManual.cfm
-------------------
<input type="button" name="DownloadManual" value="  Download Manual"  alt="Download Manual" onclick="goDownloadManual()">
<iframe	id="frm" src="filedowntrigger.cfm" name="frm" style="display:none;"></iframe>
 
<script language="JavaScript">	
<!--
function goDownloadManual()
	{
	window.frames.frm.location.href = 'FileDownTrigger.cfm?str_filenm=TheManual.pdf&supportdocs/docmgr/manuals/'; 
	}
//-->	
</script>		
-------------------
FileDownTrigger.cfm
-------------------
<cfoutput>
<cfif isdefined('url.str_filenm')>
	<CFSET filepath = url.str_pathnm>
	<!--- <CFSET filepath="supportdocs/docmgr/manuals/"> --->
	<CFSET filename = url.str_filenm>
	<CFSET fullpath = filepath & filename>
	<!--- <CFABORT showerror=#expandpath(fullpath)#> --->
	 <cfheader name="Content-Disposition" value="attachment; filename=#filename#">
	 <cfcontent file="#expandpath(fullpath)#" type="application/octet-stream">   
</cfif>
</cfoutput>

Select allOpen in new window

window.frames.frm.location.href = 'FileDownTrigger.cfm?str_filenm=TheManual.pdf&supportdocs/docmgr/manuals/';

is missing str_pathnm=

should be
                                               
window.frames.frm.location.href = 'FileDownTrigger.cfm?str_filenm=TheManual.pdf&str_pathnm=supportdocs/docmgr/manuals/';

Hi, I am new to PHP stuffs. Just wondering, in this discussion, can we rewrite FileDownTrigger.cfm in any other format? Say .jsp or .php? If yes, can you provide me the alternate code in .jsp or .php? Thanks.