Search code examples
phpfiledownloadftpwinscp

PHP script for downloading files through website from a list page containing files in specified folder on server


I need the option to show other people who are not programmers the variety of files they could download from the FTP server folder (I use WinSCP)

Now the problem with the code is that if you write one specific file name in the PHP script, you can download it without a problem. But what i need is for them to upload(which works fine) but also for them to be able(some other time or someone else) to choose from the previous uploaded files and to download that specific one that they selected.

So the precise thing we need is to open the folder, show all the files in there and then to be able to choose from one of those files and download it.

Does anyone know how to solve this or is it even possible?

<?php
//uploads is the folder name at the ftp server
if ($handle = opendir('uploads/')) {
    while (false !== ($entry = readdir($handle)))
    {
        //
        if ($entry != "." && $entry != "..") {
            //download.php is the file where we write the code
            echo "<a href='download.php?file=".$entry."'>".$entry."</a>\n";
        }
    }

    closedir($handle);//
}

// we are trying to get the files by listing it with .$file variable
$file = basename($_GET['file']);
$file = 'uploads/'.$file;

//here we are 
$mimi = $file;

if(!mimi_exists($file)){ // file does not exist
    die('file not found');
} else {
    header("Cache-Control: public"); //
    header("Content-Description: File Transfer");//
    header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$file");//
    header("Content-Type: application/zip");//
    header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");//

    // read the file from disk
    readfile($file);
}
?>

With this previous code, the file names (from the folder) are listed and shown as links but there is no action when we click on them.


Solution

  • The code that

    1. Lists the files
    2. Downloads a file

    must be separate.


    (While not strictly necessary), easy way is to put them into separate files, like list.php and download.php. The list.php will generate a list of download links, which will points to download.php (what you already do in the opendir ... closedir block):

    if ($handle = opendir('uploads/')) {
        while (false !== ($entry = readdir($handle)))
        {
            //
            if ($entry != "." && $entry != "..") {
                //download.php is the file where we write the code
                echo "<a href='download.php?file=".$entry."'>".$entry."</a>\n";
            }
        }
    
        closedir($handle);//
    }
    

    The download.php will contain the rest of your code:

    // we are trying to get the files by listing it with .$file variable
    $file = basename($_GET['file']);
    $filepath = 'uploads/'.$file;
    
    if(!file_exists($filepath)){ // file does not exist
        die('file not found');
    } else {
        header("Cache-Control: public"); //
        header("Content-Description: File Transfer");//
        header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$file");//
        header("Content-Type: application/zip");//
        header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");//
    
        // read the file from disk
        readfile($filepath);
    }
    

    (I have replaced your strange mimi_exists with file_exists and fixed the issues that internal "upload" file path got accidentally sent to the browser)


    A similar question: List and download clicked file from FTP.