Download via web companion

[towlston]

i have built a picture database that shows a thumbnail as part of each record. i would like the user to be able to download the full rez picture by simple clicking a button on the form view. The database is built, I just don't know how to make the button download the file. Is this possible?

thanks.

[dspires]

You can't force a download based on a form action - think of the potential consequences.

Downloads that most frequntly occur from links on a web page are driven more by the file type and how the browser is configured to handle them (i.e. open or save to disk).

You should be storing both the thumbnail and full rez images as jpg files (for instance) separate from the database and storing the path as part of the database. If this is the case, simply make the thumbnail a hyperlink to the jpg file. The image will be loaded in the browser and can be saved / downloaded from there. You might even load it in a separate page limiting the display size (width=600, for instance) and provide download instructions.

<A HREF="http://path/[FMP-field: image_file]"><IMG SRC="http://path/[FMP-file: thumbnail_file]"></A>

[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: dspires ]

[towlston]

Thank you for the reply and I think I see what you mean about the dangers involved. But I'm just a little fuzzy on how to implement what you describe. My thumbnails are small jpgs and the matching hi-rez files are pict files which are very large scans(averaging 40 megs each). I'm one of several film editors working on a documentary series. The idea is for each editor to be able to search our still photo library (over 1000 high rez scans) by using the thumbnails, and then download the needed hi-rez files necessary to actually edit with. So will the method you describe allow us to open files this large and save them (resolutions are up 4000x4000 pixels). Also, I don't understand how to make the thumbnail a link to the hi-rez file. I'm obviously a beginner and I appreciate your help very much.

[The Bridge]

code:

---

<a href="[FMP-Field:Hi-Rez_Link,URL]" Target="_blank" border="0"><img src="[FMP-Image:Lo-Rez_Image]"></a>

---

in your -Format file.

In your database, define Hi-Rez_Link (text)

In each record, enter the URL pointing to the high-resolution scans, which of course are served on another computer, right?

If you have a lot of images, low-rez or otherwise, you may want to employ the same technique with the low-rez images, i.e. store a link to the low-resolution image in each record and use its contents as the img src instead

[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: The Bridge ]