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by ccthompson

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I have an FTP site and everything is working ok, but a few of the files are large, Inventories and such.

When they click on the link on my webpage, it opens automatically, it doesnt give the option to open, save to disk, or cancel. Can I do this through HTML or is this an operating system thing?

Also, not only on the link, but when they go into the site and double click a picture or document, it just opens it, I would like them to have a choice to save it, on the large files for sure.

Thanks in advance for any help.

6 replies

by softcorp.us

Hello cc...

All of what you are describing is controlled by the client, not by the website. Further, if the website could initiate a file download on its own, it would be a serious security hole.

FTP is a file transfer protocol that works with any client, a GUI one or a text-based one. The interface on the client is controlled by the client. FTP knows nothing of it. So, the FTP server side of things cannot bring up prompts.

Suggestions:

1. Use links with picture thumbnails in them (small images of the full picture). Show the size of the picture next to the thumbnail so the user knows what he is getting into. When he clicks on the image, open a new window to display that image. When he right clicks on the full image and chooses SAVE AS (wording varies), he can download the image.

2. Show the size of a document next to its link also. The user can also right click and choose SAVE AS to download it in this case.

3. Put the image or document file into a WinZIP file. Such a file is never displayed by a browser and is always downloaded whenever it is "opened".

4. Provide instructions on the page about how to download the content. In most/all browsers, you can right click on a link or a picture and choose OPEN or SAVE AS.

Does this help?

-----Steve Jackson

CEO/CSA
Software Corporation (Softcorp)
http://www.softcorp.us/probono
Advanced pro bono tools and utilities free for personal use

by softcorp.us

Hello cc...

All of what you are describing is controlled by the client, not by the website. Further, if the website could initiate a file download on its own, it would be a serious security hole.

FTP is a file transfer protocol that works with any client, a GUI one or a text-based one. The interface on the client is controlled by the client. FTP knows nothing of it. So, the FTP server side of things cannot bring up prompts.

Suggestions:

1. Use links with picture thumbnails in them (small images of the full picture). Show the size of the picture next to the thumbnail so the user knows what he is getting into. When he clicks on the image, open a new window to display that image. When he right clicks on the full image and chooses SAVE AS (wording varies), he can download the image.

2. Show the size of a document next to its link also. The user can also right click and choose SAVE AS to download it in this case.

3. Put the image or document file into a WinZIP file. Such a file is never displayed by a browser and is always downloaded whenever it is "opened".

4. Provide instructions on the page about how to download the content. In most/all browsers, you can right click on a link or a picture and choose OPEN or SAVE AS.

Does this help?

-----Steve Jackson

CEO/CSA
Software Corporation (Softcorp)
http://www.softcorp.us/probono
Advanced pro bono tools and utilities free for personal use

by softcorp.us

Something more:

If you are so inclined, you could code JavaScript into your web page that initiates an FTP file transfer and provide a clickable link that runs the JavaScript. Example:

Click here to download this file

by ccthompson

Thanks for the help softcorp! One more question:

When you open the picture from the FTP site, it opens it into another web-page browser, which is fine, but shouldnt it open in the approiate program.

For example: If they open a .pdf file, it should open up thier(clients) adobe and its there. Which i guess it knida does, but when it is a picture, it opens in that other web browser, it doesnt open the .jpg in any image viewer or anything like that.

Thanks again.

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