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

Your needs are covered by window.location('download.php');
But I think that you need to pass the file to be downloaded, not always download the same file, and that's why you are using a request, one option is to create a php file as simple as showfile.php and do a request like

var myfile = filetodownload.txt
var url = "shofile.php?file=" + myfile ;
ajaxRequest.open("GET", url, true);

showfile.php

where file is the file name passed via Get or Post in the request and then catch the response in a function simply

if(ajaxRequest.readyState == 4){
                        var file = ajaxRequest.responseText;
                        window.location = 'downfile.php?file=' + file;  
                    }
                }