What are common issues when using the header function in PHP for file downloads?

Common issues when using the header function for file downloads in PHP include headers already being sent, incorrect content type, and file not found errors. To solve these issues, make sure to call the header function before any output is sent to the browser, set the correct content type for the file being downloaded, and ensure that the file path is correct. 

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

// Path to the file to be downloaded
$file_path = 'path/to/example.txt';

// Check if the file exists
if (file_exists($file_path)) {
    // Output the file for download
    readfile($file_path);
} else {
    // File not found error
    echo 'File not found.';
}

Keywords

header function PHP file downloads content type headers_sent

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