Sending a file to Response

[Nathan Sokalski]

I have an application in which I want to allow users to view certain files
that are on the server, but not part of the application. To do this, I
figured I would have ASP.NET read the files and send them to Response. I
have done this with images by reading them into a Bitmap object and then
using the following code:

Response.ClearContent()
Response.ContentType = "image/gif"
mybitmap.Save(Response.OutputStream, ImageFormat.Gif)

I will obviously need to use the Response.ClearContent() and
Response.ContentType lines, but because the files are not necessarily
images, I need to know how to send them to Response. I would have though
that

Response.WriteFile(filepath)
OR
Response.TransmitFile(filepath)

would work, but apparently they didn't. The basic idea is just reading and
writing a file, except the "writing" is more of a sending than a writing. I
know how to allow people to download a file (using the "content-disposition"
header), but what I want to do here is basically use a file in my site, but
not put the file in my site directory. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[PJ on Development]

Greetings,

As far as I know, Response.WriteFile() SHOULD work...

Can you be more specific on what kind of error are you getting?

PJ
http://pjondevelopment.50webs.com

 

[Samuel R. Neff]

Are you doing WriteFile() without setting ContentType? ContentType is
still required, WriteFile doesn't do it for you.

If you are setting ContentType, then what exactly is happening? Are
you getting an error? Are you getting an unexpected response? If so,
what exactly? Use an HTTP monitor like Fiddler to see what's actually
being sent; does it look correct?

Sam