What he said :)
It comes down to the browser recognizing what the server sends back as the result of clicking a link or submitting a form. Normally, it recognizes it as an HTML page and displays it (overwriting what's already in the browser obviously).
In the case of downloading a file though, it can tell it's a file of some other type, and will either pass it along to a plug-in for display, or ask the user what to do with it.
Of course, I just repeated what Andrew said really :)
-- Frank W. Zammetti Founder and Chief Software Architect Omnytex Technologies http://www.omnytex.com
Andrew Hill wrote:
The <a> tag would _normally_ take you to a target location, but with file download what usually happens is that the browser realises its a file and either prompts you to choose somewhere to open it, or tries to display it in the browser page (internet explod^Hrer will tend to try this if it thinks it recognises the file content type!).
In the second case you navigate to the file, in the first the file gets saved somewhere on your local drive or opened with an external application and your page remains where it is.
If you chose to download the file 'in a new window' or new tab from the context menu of the borwser you get an empty new window or tab usually. (Sometimes the browser is smart enough to shut it for you and given IEs predilection for inline display I tend to make my file anchors target _new as a matter of course...)
Dakota Jack wrote:
Hi, Frank,
Yes and no. Yes, because I can put your whole example together and watch what happens and figure it out from there. And, no because I would like to understand it so that I can do my own.
What I don't understand is how the file download works in relation to the GUI. Where does the GUI go and why? If I don't know this, I cannot do my own apps that don't mimic yours. I do know that there are two content-disposition possibilities: inline and attachment.
My biggest problem is seeing what page the client goes to after making a request for a download. Does the client always stay on the same page? Why? This is not normal, I think, since <a> and <form> usually take us to a target location. What is the scoop on that? Thanks.
Jack
On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 07:51:14 -0500, Frank W. Zammetti <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Did the sample app not help you Jack? What wasn't clear from it? Maybe I can update it to be more helpful...
-- Frank W. Zammetti Founder and Chief Software Architect Omnytex Technologies http://www.omnytex.com
Dakota Jack wrote:
Anyone have an example of JSP code for DownloadAction? I am confused about it.
Jack
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