How to Directly Download Files from FTP to User\'s Browser in PHP without Disk Storage?

Downloading Files via PHP Script from FTP to Browser without Disk Storage

Using PHP, files can be efficiently retrieved from FTP servers. However, what if the objective is to directly deliver the file to the user's browser, bypassing local disk storage?

Method Without Output Buffering:

To achieve this, simply remove the output buffering functions (ob_start() and its counterparts):

<code class="php">ftp_get($conn_id, "php://output", $file, FTP_BINARY);</code>

Adding Content-Length Header:

To include the Content-Length header, follow these steps:

1. Query the file size using ftp_size().
2. Set HTTP headers for content type, disposition, and length.
3. Use ftp_get() to retrieve the file directly to the browser.

Code Example:

<code class="php">$conn_id = ftp_connect("ftp.example.com");
ftp_login($conn_id, "username", "password");
ftp_pasv($conn_id, true);

$file_path = "remote/path/file.zip";
$size = ftp_size($conn_id, $file_path);

header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=" . basename($file_path));
header("Content-Length: $size"); 

ftp_get($conn_id, "php://output", $file_path, FTP_BINARY);</code>

Additional Notes:

• Remember to handle errors properly.
• For a comprehensive overview of handling FTP files, refer to the "List and Download Clicked File from FTP" documentation.

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