Returning two request from an ajax call

[Claus Mygind]

Is is possible in a php server side app. to both return a success or failure notice to the client app and also send downloaded information to a new client app.

Problem:

1) send an ajax request to the server to get data for a Word doc mail merge letter.

2) Have the server
a) send the data as if a new page is being streamed out and
b) notify the requesting app data has been served

I am so used to handling this via standard request and response method. My question is this, can it be done via an ajax request?

or

Would I have to receive the data back to the calling app and send another request to server which would stream the data back (seems not so useful

or

In this case should I not make it an ajax call?

[johny10151981]

This is what i do in some cases

<?php
 $f=getTheFileName();
 if($f==false)
 {
  echo "<message>failed</message>";
 }
 else echo "<message>success</message><filename>".$f."</filename>";
?>
 

in javascript

<script>
onAjaxResponse(text)
{
 Res=getValue(text,"message")
 if (Res=="success")
  {
   FileName=getValue(text,"filename")
   document.location=filename
  }
}
</script>

>

[Dormilich]

you could also send a 500 HTTP Error back, in case something went wrong on the server (which of course you would have to handle in your AJAX functions). otherwise, what’s the point in sending back a "200 OK" HTTP message (which is the default)?

[johny10151981]

Dormillich,

Thanks for the information, No I never used 500 HTTP error message. In General I dont check for failure. I only check for success, if the success message is missing I took it as a failure. But I will look at 500 HTTP error and how to handle it.

Thanks

[Dormilich]

you would handle it like a success message

if (xmlhttp.status == 500) {
    // execute code in case of server failure
}