Are there any best practices to follow when using the header function in PHP to send files to users?

When using the header function in PHP to send files to users, it is important to set the correct content type and disposition headers to ensure proper handling by the browser. Additionally, it is recommended to use ob_clean() and flush() functions before sending the file to avoid any output buffering issues. 

<?php
// Set the content type and disposition headers
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="example.txt"');

// Clean the output buffer
ob_clean();
flush();

// Output the file content
readfile('path/to/file/example.txt');
?>

Keywords

header function PHP file download content-disposition MIME type

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