Automatic download start

Jan Paul van de Berg · Jun 23, 2006

I have a piece of software that people can download and a third party
promoting that software. In order for them to be able to count the number
of downloads, I have to put a tracking code on my site. The tracking code
must be sent to the client when the user clicks the download button. At the
same time, the download must start. The download button links to this page:

- Possibility 1, server side redirect to executable
<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%>
<html>
<body>
<some iframe tracking code>
</body>
</html>
<%Response.Redirect("http://mysite.bla/myproggie.exe");%>

When I do this, the tracking code is not displayed because the redirect
happens earlier. The download does start though.

- Possibility 2: client side redirect to executable
<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%>
<script language="javascript">
function startDownload() {
location.href = "http://mysite.bla/myproggie.exe";
}
</script>
<html>
<body>
<some iframe tracking code>
<script language="javascript"> startDownload() </script>
</body>
</html>

When I do this, Windows XP SP2 users see a yellow message in the top of
their browser that the site is trying to execute a program. I don't want
that because it scares users away.

- Possibility 3: client side redirect to asp page that performs a server
side redirect
<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%>
<script language="javascript">
function startDownload() {
location.href = "http://mysite.bla/startdownload.asp";
}
</script>
<body>
<some iframe tracking code>
<script language="javascript"> startDownload() </script>
</body>
</html>

[startdownload.asp]
<%Response.Redirect("http://mysite.bla/myproggie.exe");%>

This also gives the warning in XP SP2. The strange thing is when I link the
download button directly to startdownload.asp, there's no warning.

How can I get this to work?

bruce barker \(sqlwork.com\) · Jun 23, 2006

you should move the tracking code logic to the server. have an aspx page do
the download:

mydownloadpage.aspx?id=<download file id>&src=<third party site id>

use Response.WriteFile and response headers to do the download. google for
more info.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

Jan Paul van de Berg · Jun 26, 2006

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately all examples I find assume you don't
have a 3rd party script but just want to force the download start. I've
tried this [1]:

<%@ Import Namespace="System.IO"%>
<script language="VB" runat="server">
Sub Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

Dim filepath As String = Server.MapPath("myproggie.exe")
If File.Exists(filepath) Then
Dim filename As String = Path.GetFileName(filepath)
Response.Clear()
Response.ContentType = "application/octet-stream"
Response.AddHeader("Content-Disposition", _
"attachment; filename=""" & filename & """")
Response.Flush()
Response.WriteFile(filepath)
End If

End Sub
</script>

No matter what I try, I can't get mydownloadpage.aspx to send html to the
browser. Not by adding Response.Write(<3rd party script>) anywhere, not by
adding HTML. It behaves like Possibility 1 I described.

[1] a modified version of
http://www.ondotnet.com/pub/a/dotnet/2002/04/01/asp.html, all other
references to this method I can find work the same

Op Fri, 23 Jun 2006 08:56:09 -0700 schreef bruce barker (sqlwork.com):

Jan Paul van de Berg said:
you should move the tracking code logic to the server. have an aspx page do
the download:

mydownloadpage.aspx?id=<download file id>&src=<third party site id>

use Response.WriteFile and response headers to do the download. google for
more info.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

Jan Paul van de Berg said:

I have a piece of software that people can download and a third party
promoting that software. In order for them to be able to count the number
of downloads, I have to put a tracking code on my site. The tracking code
must be sent to the client when the user clicks the download button. At
the
same time, the download must start. The download button links to this
page:

- Possibility 1, server side redirect to executable
<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%>
<html>
<body>
<some iframe tracking code>
</body>
</html>
<%Response.Redirect("http://mysite.bla/myproggie.exe");%>

When I do this, the tracking code is not displayed because the redirect
happens earlier. The download does start though.

- Possibility 2: client side redirect to executable
<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%>
<script language="javascript">
function startDownload() {
location.href = "http://mysite.bla/myproggie.exe";
}
</script>
<html>
<body>
<some iframe tracking code>
<script language="javascript"> startDownload() </script>
</body>
</html>

When I do this, Windows XP SP2 users see a yellow message in the top of
their browser that the site is trying to execute a program. I don't want
that because it scares users away.

- Possibility 3: client side redirect to asp page that performs a server
side redirect
<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%>
<script language="javascript">
function startDownload() {
location.href = "http://mysite.bla/startdownload.asp";
}
</script>
<body>
<some iframe tracking code>
<script language="javascript"> startDownload() </script>
</body>
</html>

[startdownload.asp]
<%Response.Redirect("http://mysite.bla/myproggie.exe");%>

This also gives the warning in XP SP2. The strange thing is when I link
the
download button directly to startdownload.asp, there's no warning.

How can I get this to work?

Click to expand...

Function call from button to automatic	7	Mar 17, 2023
Remove Start Button from Clock	2	Jan 16, 2021
How do I output this recursive function correctly to a web browser?	2	Dec 17, 2022
What "might" I be doing wrong with this snippet?	6	Sep 25, 2023
DJForm Login Help!	1	Sep 28, 2024
How do I hide the modal after 5 seconds?	4	Jun 1, 2023
Script stops working when using variables to save time typing...	4	Oct 31, 2022
Google gauge chart	2	Jul 16, 2023

Automatic download start

Jan Paul van de Berg

bruce barker \(sqlwork.com\)

Jan Paul van de Berg

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

Members online

Forum statistics

Latest Threads