Make left-click cause an audio file download instead of stream?

[Robert Oschler]

Hello,

I have a web site that has an audio file on it that I make available for
download. Right now I'm using the "right-click/save-as" approach. This is
because left-clicking the link to the audio file initiates client-side
streaming/playing of the audio file. Is there a way with Javascript to make
a left-click trigger a download of the file instead?

BTW, I don't want to have convert the mp3 file to winzip to make this
happen, because some people don't have an unzip utility.

thx

--
Robert Oschler
http://www.dog-images.com -- Devoted to providing free info on the health,
nutrition, and training of dogs.

[Michael Winter]

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 09:40:14 -0500, Robert Oschler
<no_replies@fake_email_address.invalid> wrote:

I have a web site that has an audio file on it that I make available for
download. Right now I'm using the "right-click/save-as" approach. This
is because left-clicking the link to the audio file initiates client-
side streaming/playing of the audio file. Is there a way with
Javascript to make a left-click trigger a download of the file instead?

No[1].

If you can use a server-side script, you can send the file with the
application/octet-stream content type, which will force the "Save as"
dialog. However, I don't know the specifics, so you'll have to ask in a
newsgroup dedicated to that language.

Mike

[1] Even if there was, it wouldn't be compatible with all browsers.

--
Michael Winter
M.******@blueyonder.co.invalid (replace ".invalid" with ".uk" to reply)

[Stephen]

Michael Winter wrote:

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 09:40:14 -0500, Robert Oschler
<no_replies@fake_email_address.invalid> wrote:

[...] left-clicking the link to the audio file initiates
client-
side streaming/playing of the audio file. Is there a way with
Javascript to make a left-click trigger a download of the file instead?

No[1].

If you can use a server-side script, you can send the file with the
application/octet-stream content type, which will force the "Save as"
dialog. [...]

And, AIUI, even this might not work in some browsers because those
browsers ignore the Content-type header and use the file's extension to
determine how to treat it. And it appears some browsers can be
configured to use either content-type or file extension.

Stephen

[Fabian]

Robert Oschler hu kiteb:

Hello,

I have a web site that has an audio file on it that I make available
for download. Right now I'm using the "right-click/save-as"
approach. This is because left-clicking the link to the audio file
initiates client-side streaming/playing of the audio file. Is there
a way with Javascript to make a left-click trigger a download of the
file instead?

BTW, I don't want to have convert the mp3 file to winzip to make this
happen, because some people don't have an unzip utility.

Javascript can't force a browser to handle a file format in a particular
manner. That is usually left to the default settings of the browser,
modified by whatever applications or user settings have been changed.

I guess if you rename teh file extension as .somethingoffbeat then the
default action would be to ask to download, but that seems kind of
awkward.
--
--
Fabian
Visit my website often and for long periods!
http://www.lajzar.co.uk

[Grant Wagner]

Stephen wrote:

Michael Winter wrote:

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 09:40:14 -0500, Robert Oschler
<no_replies@fake_email_address.invalid> wrote:

[...] left-clicking the link to the audio file initiates
client-
side streaming/playing of the audio file. Is there a way with
Javascript to make a left-click trigger a download of the file instead?

No[1].

If you can use a server-side script, you can send the file with the
application/octet-stream content type, which will force the "Save as"
dialog. [...]

And, AIUI, even this might not work in some browsers because those
browsers ignore the Content-type header and use the file's extension to
determine how to treat it. And it appears some browsers can be
configured to use either content-type or file extension.

Stephen

Adding the following headers from the server (as an example) seems to work
reliably in all browsers I've tested:

Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="file.xls"
Content-type: application/vnd.ms-excel

Even IE on a Windows system with Excel installed prompts to download the file,
rather then loading it in-place in IE.

Adding the following headers from the server ensures most browser will force a
download of it:

Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="file.mp3"
Content-type: application/octet-stream

--
| Grant Wagner <gw*****@agricoreunited.com>

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*
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