Headers for streaming files

From: Markus Ernst (derernst_at_NO#SP#AMgmx.ch)
Date: 10/29/04 

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 18:17:33 +0200

Hi

I know this question is rather HTTP related than PHP, but I did not find an
HTTP group on my news server.

I deliver some files with the following PHP syntax:

header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
header('Content-Type: '.$mimetype);
header('Content-Length: '.filesize($file));
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='.$filename);
readfile($file);

That works well with file types that need to be downloaded to disk. Anyway
if the file is a MP3 file, both IE and Mozilla do the same, they prompt me
to decide if I want to save it to disk, and then download the file entirely
before opening a player.

I sniffed for the differences in headers when a normal link to an mp3 file
is clicked and both tested UAs start streaming and playing immediately:
There is no Content-Disposition header. Removing this header, or just the
"attachment" part of it, results in the expected streaming behaviour, but
the filename is lost, and the script's filename is used instead.

Is it possible to serve the filename without a Content-Disposition header?
Or is there an alternative to the value "attachment", which still allows me
to deliver a filename?

Thanks for a hint
Markus

Relevant Pages