download file using an ajax request

Question

I want to send an \"ajax download request\" when I click on a button, so I tried in this way:

javascript:

var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open(\         


        

Answer 1

Cross browser solution, tested on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, IE11.

In the DOM, add an hidden link tag:

Then:

var req = new XMLHttpRequest();
req.open("GET", downloadUrl, true);
req.responseType = "blob";
req.setRequestHeader('my-custom-header', 'custom-value'); // adding some headers (if needed)

req.onload = function (event) {
  var blob = req.response;
  var fileName = null;
  var contentType = req.getResponseHeader("content-type");

  // IE/EDGE seems not returning some response header
  if (req.getResponseHeader("content-disposition")) {
    var contentDisposition = req.getResponseHeader("content-disposition");
    fileName = contentDisposition.substring(contentDisposition.indexOf("=")+1);
  } else {
    fileName = "unnamed." + contentType.substring(contentType.indexOf("/")+1);
  }

  if (window.navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob) {
    // Internet Explorer
    window.navigator.msSaveOrOpenBlob(new Blob([blob], {type: contentType}), fileName);
  } else {
    var el = document.getElementById("target");
    el.href = window.URL.createObjectURL(blob);
    el.download = fileName;
    el.click();
  }
};
req.send();