What are the advantages of using a dropdown menu for selecting and downloading files in PHP instead of direct links?

Using a dropdown menu for selecting and downloading files in PHP provides a more organized and user-friendly way for users to choose the file they want to download. It also helps prevent direct access to the files on the server, enhancing security. Additionally, dropdown menus can easily be populated dynamically from a database, making it easier to manage a large number of files. 

<select name="file">
    <option value="file1.pdf">File 1</option>
    <option value="file2.pdf">File 2</option>
    <option value="file3.pdf">File 3</option>
</select>
<button type="submit" name="download">Download</button>

<?php
if(isset($_POST['download'])){
    $file = $_POST['file'];
    $file_path = 'path/to/files/' . $file;
    
    if(file_exists($file_path)){
        header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream');
        header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . basename($file_path) . '"');
        readfile($file_path);
        exit;
    } else {
        echo 'File not found';
    }
}
?>

Keywords

dropdown menu file selection download PHP direct links

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