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File downloading with COM and ASP

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4.91/5 (11 votes)
5 Sep 2000 286.5K   4.7K   50   59
A COM object you can use to transfer files in ASP
  • VC Component source - 43 Kb
  • VB Component source - 6 Kb
  • Example ASP script - 1 Kb
  • Introduction

    This article is about direct file downloading through a COM component. It uses the IResponse interface to send a file directly to the client browser.

    With this approach you can protect your files from being downloaded by an unauthorized person.

    To send the file to the client you need to register this kind of file within the IIS MIME types. To do it go to the ISS administration and under the HTTP Header add this kind of file. In the sample a zip file is used, so the MIME type is:

    Extension=.zip
    ContentType=application/x-zip-compressed

    To send a file to the browser you must set the Response.Buffer to TRUE and the ContentType to the file type. After this you send the data using the Response object through the BinaryWrite method.

    To accomplish this task a component was developed: FileTransfer. The interface used is called IBinaryRead. These are its methods:

    MethodDescription
    ReadBinFile(filename) This method returns the content of the file as an VARIANT (SAFEARRAY)
    ResponseBinaryWrite(filename, responseObject) This method reads the file and send it using the Response object. It returns the operation result

    If you want to download a custom file type, you must register it in the client machine too.

    An example of using the FileTransfer object follows:

    <% 
    	Option Explicit
    
    	Dim objBinaryRead 
    	Dim saBinFile		'if you don't want error safe
    	Dim bDownloadStatus
    	
    	Set objBinaryRead = CreateObject("FileTransfer.BinaryRead")
    		 
    	Response.Buffer      = true
    	Response.ContentType = "application/x-zip-compressed"
    
    	'transfer the file to the client		
    	bDownloadStatus = objBinaryRead.ResponseBinaryWrite("c:\temp\test.zip", Response)
    	
    	'this is not an error safe code
    	'if the file doesn't exist the ASP will have an error
    	'saBinFile = objBinaryRead.ReadBinFile("c:\temp\test.zip")     
    	'Response.BinaryWrite saBinFile
    	'Set saBinFile     = nothing
    	
    	Set objBinaryRead = nothing
    %>

    License

    This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

    A list of licenses authors might use can be found here


    Written By
    Architect VisionOne AG
    Switzerland Switzerland
    XicoLoko is a brazilian developer based in Switzerland.

    Written By
    United States United States
    This member has not yet provided a Biography. Assume it's interesting and varied, and probably something to do with programming.

    Comments and Discussions

     
    QuestionCompiled .DLL? Pin
    KlausDK8-Nov-16 6:00
    professionalKlausDK8-Nov-16 6:00 
    GeneralMy vote of 1 Pin
    kraftspl11-Jan-09 11:19
    kraftspl11-Jan-09 11:19 
    GeneralIE 6 can't download a zip file Pin
    PiyushVarma18-Nov-08 8:49
    PiyushVarma18-Nov-08 8:49 
    Questiondownloading music file using ASP Pin
    snigdhajayan25-Jun-08 20:35
    snigdhajayan25-Jun-08 20:35 
    Generaldownloading music file using ASP Pin
    snigdhajayan25-Jun-08 20:33
    snigdhajayan25-Jun-08 20:33 
    Generaldown loading Pin
    mnalammwb14-Mar-08 4:23
    mnalammwb14-Mar-08 4:23 
    Generalerror - cannot create activexcontrol Pin
    Priya B21-Oct-07 20:11
    Priya B21-Oct-07 20:11 
    GeneralI can't download Pin
    Chanda_khanapure31-Jan-06 23:56
    Chanda_khanapure31-Jan-06 23:56 
    Generalmultiple downloads Pin
    Member 22715827-Oct-05 19:57
    Member 22715827-Oct-05 19:57 
    Questionhow to view word files Pin
    mitesh22228-Sep-05 19:48
    mitesh22228-Sep-05 19:48 
    Generaldisplay vc++ output string on a browser using asp Pin
    rockyn3192-May-05 21:58
    rockyn3192-May-05 21:58 
    Questionhow 2 get download pop up window? Pin
    smrits6-Apr-05 20:15
    smrits6-Apr-05 20:15 
    GeneralMIME setting in IIS 5.0 Pin
    nia_put7-Sep-04 9:02
    nia_put7-Sep-04 9:02 
    GeneralDownload image field from SQL-Server Pin
    PedroBeca15-Jul-04 0:34
    PedroBeca15-Jul-04 0:34 
    GeneralHelp me please~~ Pin
    charcoalc5-May-04 0:54
    charcoalc5-May-04 0:54 
    GeneralError: Response object, ASP 0106 (0x80020005) Pin
    ravda21-Aug-03 9:23
    ravda21-Aug-03 9:23 
    GeneralFile transfer object Pin
    pjaka1-Apr-03 23:41
    pjaka1-Apr-03 23:41 
    QuestionI failed to download zip file? Pin
    Binary Coder1-Mar-03 0:17
    Binary Coder1-Mar-03 0:17 
    AnswerRe: I failed to download zip file? Pin
    Binary Coder12-May-03 23:15
    Binary Coder12-May-03 23:15 
    AnswerRe: I failed to download zip file? Pin
    madprincehatter3-Sep-03 9:17
    madprincehatter3-Sep-03 9:17 
    GeneralI think I have the solution Pin
    stewe28-Feb-03 1:36
    stewe28-Feb-03 1:36 
    GeneralRe: I think I have the solution Pin
    dmanoharan20-May-03 22:26
    dmanoharan20-May-03 22:26 
    QuestionDownloaded test.zip become empty? Pin
    Binary Coder21-Feb-03 3:25
    Binary Coder21-Feb-03 3:25 
    AnswerRe: Downloaded test.zip become empty? Pin
    stewe28-Feb-03 1:10
    stewe28-Feb-03 1:10 
    GeneralRe: Downloaded test.zip become empty? Pin
    Binary Coder28-Feb-03 22:17
    Binary Coder28-Feb-03 22:17 
    I can download larger file without any problem.
    My case is not caused by the \\ or \.
    I use vbscript.

    I still can download the small zip file which contained only one plain text file.
    Cry | :((

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