How can headers be used in PHP to offer a file for download without saving it on the server first?

To offer a file for download without saving it on the server first, you can use PHP headers to set the appropriate content type and disposition. By setting the content type to "application/octet-stream" and the content disposition to "attachment", you can prompt the browser to download the file directly without saving it on the server. 

<?php
// File to be offered for download
$file = 'path/to/file.pdf';

// Set the appropriate headers for download
header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . basename($file) . '"');

// Output the file content
readfile($file);

Keywords

PHP headers file download server save

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